For this installment of our weekly book reviews from Booklist, the American Library Association’s nationally distributed book and media review publication, we have Carol Haggas’s review of “Under the Falls” by Richard Russo, first published May 1, 2026, in Booklist.
Enjoy.
“Under the Falls”
By Richard Russo. August 2026. 256p. Knopf, $30 (9780593805107); e-book (9798217207794).
Tyler, Doc, Curt, Freddi. As teenagers in their Adirondack community of Stone Mountain, they were the “four musketeers,” so close that Tyler named his rock band after the place where they grew up, grew close, and then eventually grow apart. Eighteen years after his abrupt departure, Tyler returns as a music superstar, enticed against his better judgment to perform a benefit concert for Doc, a paraplegic whose condition is a direct result of his and Tyler’s youthful hijinks. While Tyler was rising to fame, Curt and Freddi married; he’s now the town’s police chief and she’s Doc’s primary caregiver. But when Doc dies on the night of the concert and Tyler is nearly killed in a suspicious auto accident, the erstwhile friends confront unresolved accusations, perceived betrayals, and unexpressed resentments that expose a sinister element underpinning Stone Mountain’s communal decline. Originally intended as a TV pilot, Russo’s dark and brooding novel is cinematically lush and emotionally potent, a shrewd treatise on the perils of reunion, remorse, and the quest for redemption.—Carol Haggas
About Booklist
Since 1905, Booklist has published thousands of book and audiobook reviews each year, helping library and education workers decide what to buy and how to guide patrons and students of all ages in choosing what to read, view, or listen to.
We’re proud to share these reviews with you each week. If you’d like to read more—along with must-read lists, author interviews, and top reading recommendations for adults, youth, and audiobook lovers—you can enjoy a free subscription to Booklist Reader, Booklist’s magazine for library patrons, as a benefit of becoming a Supporter of the American Library Association. What could be better?
How you can support libraries
With library funding being gutted and censorship on the rise, supporting libraries is more critical than ever. If you’re looking for a way to help, we urge you to become a Supporter of the American Library Association by donating.
At the American Library Association, we are here to protect libraries — today and for generations to come. What does your donation do? It helps a neighbor gain skills to start a business. It helps a child discover themselves through books and programs. And it helps keep libraries strong, open, and free for everyone.
Become a Supporter
Subscribe to the I Love Libraries newsletter! You’ll get news from the library world, advocacy updates, author interviews, book lists, and more delivered to your inbox every month.
