The River Is Waiting

The River Is Waiting centers on Corby’s devastating mistake and the long, painful effort to live with it. Through Corby’s internal reckoning and external efforts to improve himself and deal with his substance dependency, Lamb explores the possibility of overcoming guilt and finding redemption.  

Corby’s guilt is immediate and consuming. After the accident that kills his son, Niko, Corby first tries to deny the full extent of his responsibility. He lies to himself and others, insisting he was “fully functional” despite the alcohol and Ativan in his system. His early defensiveness is a form of self-protection, but it also reveals his fear that his guilt confirms the worst things he already believes about himself: that he is a failure, dependent upon substances, and a bad father. The moment he confesses to Emily and later to Detective Sparks marks a shift toward ownership and accountability. He says plainly, “I’d been drinking and drugging yesterday morning when I got in the car. That was why I didn’t check the back seat before I started backing up. Why he died” (86). This moment underscores Lamb’s view that redemption cannot exist without accountability.

Corby’s time in prison becomes both his punishment and the