The River Is Waiting (Oprah's Book Club): A Novel

This is by far my favorite book read! This was so intense, but very good! I was saddened immediately starting the book. The loss of a child and dealing with family tragedy in the book was well developed. Then the entire time when Cordy was in prison was tragic, sad, and did get me angry. The ending was beautifully put together!

What’s it about?

Corby Ledbetter is a young father who is struggling to keep it all together. He has lost his job and is having trouble finding another. He is staying home with his twin toddlers and trying to hide his burgeoning addiction issues. When everything comes to a head one morning his life will change forever.



What did it make me think about?
Our justice system.
Should I read it?
Well this is another Oprah Book Club pick. I thought it was well written and the topic interested me. I never grew to love Corby or Emily so that probably held me back from giving it a higher rating. My favorite characters were Manny and the librarian and they saved the book for me. Even though Corby is a nice guy and you feel for him, he just never seems to grow up. Having someone write a story about life in prison that did not seem sensationalized was what kept me turning the pages. I admire that Wally Lamb kept the character of Corby realistic, but sometimes I desperately wanted him to do better. It was interesting to note that Wally Lamb has volunteered in a women’s prison for over 20 years. Kudos to him! I think most readers will enjoy this book. The topic is hard so just be aware of that.
Quote-
“Before they sent me here, I was aware that Blacks got a raw deal in the criminal justice system. That was something I knew but didn’t think too much about. Now it’s something I’m starting to feel. And it doesn’t feel good.”

Lesa's recommendation

I finished this book with a strange feeling. A weight on my heart, but also a strange lightness. The River Await is not an easy or cheerful read, but it's one of those stories that stays with you, like an echo that lingers for days after you've finished it. Wally Lamb's strength lies in his judgment-free compassion. Felix, the protagonist, is not a hero. He is a man who has made mistakes, who carries deep scars, and whom life has thrown into a river of pain and loneliness. Yet, following him in his work as the director of a school for troubled boys, and in his slow, arduous search for redemption, is a profoundly human experience. The novel is a choir of broken voices – those of the boys, colleagues, ghosts of the past – that Lamb weaves together with a mastery that makes you feel inside those rooms, breathing that same air charged with despair and, at times, hope. The theme of forgiveness, towards oneself and others, is treated with a rare delicacy.

The author made me really feel badly for the main character in the first half and made me really dislike him in the second half. Great book though.