1 00:00:07,133 --> 00:00:10,453 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack team podcast 2 00:00:10,573 --> 00:00:11,933 Speaker 1: from News Talks AB. 3 00:00:13,293 --> 00:00:16,253 Speaker 2: Nineteen to twelve on News Talks. He'd b if you've 4 00:00:16,293 --> 00:00:19,693 Speaker 2: surprised yourself this weekend, A long weekend, an extra day's reading, 5 00:00:19,693 --> 00:00:22,653 Speaker 2: You've got through your book faster than expected. No stress. 6 00:00:22,973 --> 00:00:25,933 Speaker 2: Katherine Raine's our book reviewer, is here with two read 7 00:00:26,213 --> 00:00:31,373 Speaker 2: recommendations for this weekend. Hey Catherine, Morning Jack. Let's kick 8 00:00:31,413 --> 00:00:34,293 Speaker 2: things off This Martataku with the River is waiting by 9 00:00:34,293 --> 00:00:34,973 Speaker 2: Wally Lamb. 10 00:00:35,773 --> 00:00:38,653 Speaker 3: So this is set in the spring of twenty seventeen 11 00:00:39,293 --> 00:00:41,773 Speaker 3: and Corey Labette is the father of twins and he's 12 00:00:41,813 --> 00:00:46,013 Speaker 3: recently lost his job and he's responsible for the toddlers 13 00:00:46,053 --> 00:00:50,213 Speaker 3: while his wife, Emily is at work and the marriage 14 00:00:50,173 --> 00:00:52,933 Speaker 3: to Emily's probably strained, and the two young two year 15 00:00:52,973 --> 00:00:55,573 Speaker 3: old twins that they have, Neco and Mazie, and this 16 00:00:55,693 --> 00:00:57,973 Speaker 3: whole acting as a house husband and child winder since 17 00:00:57,973 --> 00:01:00,733 Speaker 3: he lost his job has been this really significant blow 18 00:01:00,773 --> 00:01:03,253 Speaker 3: to his ego. And along with this, he has this 19 00:01:03,413 --> 00:01:07,493 Speaker 3: growing secret addiction to prescription anxiety and drugs and alcohol 20 00:01:07,613 --> 00:01:09,893 Speaker 3: just to kind of get him through the day. And 21 00:01:09,933 --> 00:01:13,893 Speaker 3: then there's horrific and heartbreaking tragedy occurs and it rips 22 00:01:14,053 --> 00:01:17,773 Speaker 3: everyone's world apart, and Corby's responsible for that loss, and 23 00:01:17,813 --> 00:01:20,893 Speaker 3: he's ends up being sentenced to prison. And in this story, 24 00:01:20,893 --> 00:01:23,013 Speaker 3: you never really get to hear Emily's point of view. 25 00:01:23,013 --> 00:01:26,773 Speaker 3: It's all told from Corby's and it's a book about 26 00:01:26,773 --> 00:01:29,613 Speaker 3: Corby and his story, and he's left to navigate the 27 00:01:29,653 --> 00:01:32,373 Speaker 3: wreckage and the guilt and the shame of what's happened, 28 00:01:32,853 --> 00:01:35,173 Speaker 3: and the prison system and life behind bars and the 29 00:01:35,173 --> 00:01:37,613 Speaker 3: bullying that takes place, and the treatment and mental health 30 00:01:37,613 --> 00:01:42,013 Speaker 3: issues and those flows and Corby barely survives on the inside, 31 00:01:42,813 --> 00:01:45,453 Speaker 3: but he also experiences some small acts of kindness and grace, 32 00:01:45,453 --> 00:01:49,133 Speaker 3: and he forms some good relationships with his liberian and 33 00:01:49,173 --> 00:01:50,893 Speaker 3: a sal mad and a young man who wants a 34 00:01:50,973 --> 00:01:53,093 Speaker 3: role model, and you kind of draw strength from those. 35 00:01:53,333 --> 00:01:57,493 Speaker 3: And Wally Lamb, the author has this incredible ability to 36 00:01:57,533 --> 00:01:59,933 Speaker 3: create characters that stay with you a long time after 37 00:01:59,933 --> 00:02:02,613 Speaker 3: you've finished the story. And he has the ability to 38 00:02:02,613 --> 00:02:04,613 Speaker 3: show all the people that are flawed and all of 39 00:02:04,653 --> 00:02:07,373 Speaker 3: their layered the characters, the good, bad, and the complex, 40 00:02:07,373 --> 00:02:10,813 Speaker 3: and this brilliant storytelling and The River Waiting is beautiful 41 00:02:10,853 --> 00:02:13,773 Speaker 3: and a sad story about how life can turn in 42 00:02:13,813 --> 00:02:15,253 Speaker 3: an absolute instance. 43 00:02:16,053 --> 00:02:19,213 Speaker 2: Right, Okay, sounds really interesting. So The River Is Waiting 44 00:02:19,253 --> 00:02:23,093 Speaker 2: by Wally Lamb. You've also read The Griffin Sister's Greatest 45 00:02:23,173 --> 00:02:24,653 Speaker 2: Hits by Jennifer Wyner. 46 00:02:25,693 --> 00:02:28,933 Speaker 3: So this captures the early two thousands pop and rock 47 00:02:28,973 --> 00:02:32,933 Speaker 3: scene really well. The headlines the body shaming, the fame 48 00:02:33,013 --> 00:02:37,493 Speaker 3: that's both really intoxicating and incredibly destructive. And the story 49 00:02:37,573 --> 00:02:40,573 Speaker 3: is told across two timelines. So in the past you 50 00:02:40,613 --> 00:02:44,453 Speaker 3: meet Zoe, who's very charming and determined to determine and 51 00:02:44,493 --> 00:02:47,053 Speaker 3: she's just got enough talent to join the high school 52 00:02:47,093 --> 00:02:50,333 Speaker 3: band and dreaming of the spotlight and stardom. And his 53 00:02:50,453 --> 00:02:52,773 Speaker 3: sister Cassie, on the other hand, would prefer to be 54 00:02:52,933 --> 00:02:55,733 Speaker 3: out of the spotlight. Her anxiety often gets the better 55 00:02:55,773 --> 00:02:59,573 Speaker 3: of her, but she has this musical talent that demands attention, 56 00:03:00,053 --> 00:03:03,093 Speaker 3: and Zoe kind of manipulates her in convincing her to 57 00:03:03,133 --> 00:03:07,173 Speaker 3: sing in front of this music industry action and they're discovered, 58 00:03:07,333 --> 00:03:09,613 Speaker 3: and then you get this rise and epic fall of 59 00:03:09,653 --> 00:03:12,333 Speaker 3: the Griffin Sisters over a year. And in the present 60 00:03:12,413 --> 00:03:15,773 Speaker 3: time line, which is about twenty years later, you meet Cherry, 61 00:03:15,813 --> 00:03:19,053 Speaker 3: who's Zoe's daughter, and she feels that something's always been 62 00:03:19,053 --> 00:03:22,413 Speaker 3: missing for a life, and she loves music, but she 63 00:03:22,493 --> 00:03:25,493 Speaker 3: faces this opposition from her mother, who just wants to 64 00:03:25,653 --> 00:03:27,573 Speaker 3: shut it down at every turn, just tells her that 65 00:03:27,613 --> 00:03:29,173 Speaker 3: it's not a great place to be. Doesn't want to 66 00:03:29,173 --> 00:03:32,093 Speaker 3: do that. And now that she's eighteen, she's determined to 67 00:03:32,613 --> 00:03:36,293 Speaker 3: enter an audition for a big musical Discovery reality show 68 00:03:36,573 --> 00:03:38,733 Speaker 3: and she needs a mental so she goes to find 69 00:03:38,813 --> 00:03:41,373 Speaker 3: her aunt, Cassie, And so you get all of this. 70 00:03:41,573 --> 00:03:42,933 Speaker 3: All of the women in the book have this real 71 00:03:43,053 --> 00:03:47,213 Speaker 3: determination but in different ways, and their actions have consequences 72 00:03:47,253 --> 00:03:49,693 Speaker 3: and the reality of those actions from a long time ago. 73 00:03:49,813 --> 00:03:51,893 Speaker 3: And it has some heavier themes like women and music, 74 00:03:52,453 --> 00:03:56,213 Speaker 3: that obsession, toxic obsession with beauty, body image, and how 75 00:03:56,213 --> 00:04:00,053 Speaker 3: those pressures have fractured their lives and the people around them, 76 00:04:00,453 --> 00:04:02,573 Speaker 3: and all three have to face up to the challenges 77 00:04:02,613 --> 00:04:05,413 Speaker 3: of their choices. Yeah, it's a really interesting told story 78 00:04:05,493 --> 00:04:08,093 Speaker 3: and it really does care that early two thousands pop 79 00:04:08,213 --> 00:04:10,493 Speaker 3: kind of culture that was going on in those headlines, 80 00:04:10,533 --> 00:04:12,053 Speaker 3: So you feel like you're part of that world. 81 00:04:12,813 --> 00:04:15,773 Speaker 2: Nice, Okay, great little options there for us, Thanks Catherine. 82 00:04:15,853 --> 00:04:17,853 Speaker 2: So the first book was The River Is Waiting by 83 00:04:17,853 --> 00:04:21,293 Speaker 2: Wally Lamb. That one is the Griffins Sisters' Greatest Hits 84 00:04:21,333 --> 00:04:24,333 Speaker 2: by Jennifer Winer. All of the details for those will 85 00:04:24,373 --> 00:04:26,813 Speaker 2: be on the News Talk's EDB website. It's called it 86 00:04:26,813 --> 00:04:27,293 Speaker 2: a twelve. 87 00:04:28,373 --> 00:04:31,493 Speaker 1: For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame, listen live 88 00:04:31,573 --> 00:04:34,733 Speaker 1: to News Talks EDB from nine am Saturday, or follow 89 00:04:34,813 --> 00:04:36,373 Speaker 1: the podcast on iHeartRadio.