Historical

The Lincoln Highway

The Lincoln Highway

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  • Create Date：2021-08-15 10:16:00
  • Update Date：2025-09-23
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  • Author：Amor Towles
  • ISBN：0593459873
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Summary

The bestselling author of A Gentleman in Moscow and Rules of Civility and master of absorbing， sophisticated fiction returns with a stylish and propulsive novel set in 1950s America

In June， 1954， eighteen-year-old Emmett Watson is driven home to Nebraska by the warden of the work farm where he has just served a year for involuntary manslaughter。 His mother long gone， his father recently deceased， and the family farm foreclosed upon by the bank， Emmett’s intention is to pick up his eight-year-old brother and head west where they can start their lives anew。 But when the warden drives away， Emmett discovers that two friends from the work farm have hidden themselves in the trunk of the warden’s car。 Together， they have hatched an altogether different plan for Emmett’s future。

Spanning just ten days and told from multiple points of view， Towles’s third novel will satisfy fans of his multi-layered literary styling while providing them an array of new and richly imagined settings， characters， and themes。

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Reviews

Kid Ferrous ，

It's 1954， and three young men and a boy are on the adventure of their lives， traveling through midwest American towards， they hope， a better life。 Each has his own reason for the journey， and each has his own demons and eccentricities。 The story spans just ten days， and is told from multiple points of view。 One of the characters fulfils the “baddie” role; a charming and manipulative character who passes himself off as something he is not， and must be seen as an unreliable narrator。Amor Towles e It's 1954， and three young men and a boy are on the adventure of their lives， traveling through midwest American towards， they hope， a better life。 Each has his own reason for the journey， and each has his own demons and eccentricities。 The story spans just ten days， and is told from multiple points of view。 One of the characters fulfils the “baddie” role; a charming and manipulative character who passes himself off as something he is not， and must be seen as an unreliable narrator。Amor Towles explores human behaviour against the vivid backdrop of the American landscape， and he is a master of it。 I loved his first two novels， and this one easily measured up to both of them。 Towles has a seemingly effortless command of style and creates fascinating and compelling characters that you will really care for。Witty， humorous， poignant and sophisticated， “The Lincoln Highway” is a gem and I savoured every riveting page of this wonderful book。 。。。more

A。 M。 Kimber ，

:: Thank you to Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for a honest review :: Amor Towles is fast becoming one of my must-read authors。 You know， those authors where you don’t even have to read the synopsis but you see their name and have to have it。 Yep， Amor Towles is that kind of author。 I was first introduced to him with his ‘Rules of Civility’， which I liked。 I loved his ‘A Gentleman in Moscow’ but I absolutely， 100%， adored ‘The Lincoln Highway’。 I won’t give a summary as so many others ha :: Thank you to Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for a honest review :: Amor Towles is fast becoming one of my must-read authors。 You know， those authors where you don’t even have to read the synopsis but you see their name and have to have it。 Yep， Amor Towles is that kind of author。 I was first introduced to him with his ‘Rules of Civility’， which I liked。 I loved his ‘A Gentleman in Moscow’ but I absolutely， 100%， adored ‘The Lincoln Highway’。 I won’t give a summary as so many others have given wonderful summaries of this magical book but I will say that Mr Towles has given us a sparkling love letter to not only Homer’s Iliad but to the golden days of the American road trip。 I loved all the characters， but especially Wooley and Duchess。 Wooley was an innocent， maybe even more than Billy。 And Duchess， I don’t know， there was something about him that reminded me of my own brother。 Wooley and Duchess are the sorts that don’t mean any harm but that’s what they wind up doing in the end; the want for “what’s right” or “what makes sense” （in their heads） never quite reaches their expectations and in the end， they have to suffer those consequences despite their good intentions。 I have to admit， the ending has me a bit uneasy and really bummed me out because I loved the character so much， so I’m going into the five stages of grief and just settle on denial for the time being。 In the meantime， I’m just going to keep loving this book and will definitely buy the hardback when it comes out。 。。。more

Swaroop ，

"But sometimes a man's bad luck becomes too great to surmount， no matter how much time you give him。""Me， I love surprises。 I love it when life pulls a rabbit out of a hat。 Like when the blue plate special is turkey and stuffing in the middle of May。 But some people just don't like being caught off guard - even by good news。" "But sometimes a man's bad luck becomes too great to surmount， no matter how much time you give him。""Me， I love surprises。 I love it when life pulls a rabbit out of a hat。 Like when the blue plate special is turkey and stuffing in the middle of May。 But some people just don't like being caught off guard - even by good news。" 。。。more

Kim ，

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC。 Whereas A Gentlemen in Moscow resembled a locked room story， Lincoln Highway is a road picture。 Amor Towles is a great writer， but this book didn't land as solidly - for me - as did A Gentleman in Moscow， or Rules of Civility。 I felt like I was missing something important all the way through The Lincoln Highway。 It appears to be an ode to John Steinbeck and Homer， in that it's a 1950's American odyssey: a failed farm in a small town， an unfair imprisonment， Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC。 Whereas A Gentlemen in Moscow resembled a locked room story， Lincoln Highway is a road picture。 Amor Towles is a great writer， but this book didn't land as solidly - for me - as did A Gentleman in Moscow， or Rules of Civility。 I felt like I was missing something important all the way through The Lincoln Highway。 It appears to be an ode to John Steinbeck and Homer， in that it's a 1950's American odyssey: a failed farm in a small town， an unfair imprisonment， a dangerous train ride in a boxcar， the dazzling lights of the big city， and a variety of flashbacks and backstories。I don't need a book to contain all likeable characters。 But these all seemed so。。。 borrowed。 The Stoic， the Child， the Fast Talker， the Innocent， the Put-upon Woman， the Traveler named Ulysses， the Bad Pastor， the Heart-of-Gold-Prostitutes。。。 I wanted to feel for them - I just didn't。 I was too distracted by the iconography， perhaps。 I think some will find it a rollicking good story。 Lots happens， and at a pretty good clip。 I wasn't bored。 Ok， I learned about the Lincoln Highway， of which I'd known nothing。 Sort of interesting。 Starts in Times Square， ends in San Francisco - who knew？ Mr。 Towles is always good for a history lesson， and he did not disappoint there。 The settings were great， whether farm or city， restaurants， posh lakeside summer home， creaky boxcar， or a seedy hotel。 As always， Mr。 Towles completely distracted me with his lush descriptions。 I just wasn't taken with the company。 。。。more

Emily Clay ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This is my first Amor Towles novel。 While it turned out to be vastly different from what I was expecting （for example， the very limited time actually spent on the Lincoln Highway）， it was an absolute delight to read and came together so strongly in the end。The year is 1954。 Emmett， having just been released from a juvenile work farm， arrives home to Nebraska where he is reunited with his younger brother Billy。 The two set their sights on California， where they hope to rebuild their lives and per This is my first Amor Towles novel。 While it turned out to be vastly different from what I was expecting （for example， the very limited time actually spent on the Lincoln Highway）， it was an absolute delight to read and came together so strongly in the end。The year is 1954。 Emmett， having just been released from a juvenile work farm， arrives home to Nebraska where he is reunited with his younger brother Billy。 The two set their sights on California， where they hope to rebuild their lives and perhaps even find their mother who left long ago。 However， any plans they had made are derailed when they discover that two guys from the work farm， Duchess and Woolly， secretly hitched a ride to Nebraska in the trunk of the car that delivered Emmett home， and it turns out they have some ideas of their own。Right off the bat， I liked Emmett and Billy as characters， especially Billy with his sweetness and innocence。 Duchess was immensely frustrating with his recklessness and impulsive nature; there were some moments when I sympathized with him after learning about his past， but he remained driven by selfish intentions until the very end。 Aside from Duchess， most of the rest of the characters were enjoyable to read。The writing style was crisp， witty， and consistent， each word clearly having been chosen thoughtfully （including “absotively”！）。 I thought it was interesting that the author chose to write certain points of view in first person， and others in third person - certainly a testament to his intentionality。 Additionally， the way that the author wove in the anecdotes from each character’s lives at just the right moments really emphasized key ideas。 Those connections， between past and present experiences， were some of my favorite parts of the book。 For example， the character of Ulysses， a wanderer who had abandoned his wife and child with little hope of seeing them again。 Billy explained that he could be named after the hero Ulysses （as opposed to the president） and that although it has been 8 years， he may still be reunited with his family after 10 years， just as the hero was。 That， and their meeting with Professor Abernathe， felt so profound。While parts of the book seemed to meander， and I wondered what I was supposed to be taking away， the ending truly brought everything together in a climactic and satisfying manner。 This is what really turned this book into a 5-star read for me。 For example， Billy’s interactions with Pastor John， which I had frankly forgotten by the end of the book， helped him to recognize the selfishness and manipulation from Duchess and therefore to take action at a crucial moment。 The knowledge from Billy’s compendium of heroes afforded some interesting full-circle moments， such as when Billy secretly traveled in the trunk of the Studebaker to Woolly’s family home or when he starts his personal hero story at Emmett’s trip back to Nebraska from the work farm， exactly where the book itself begins。 The originality and creativity of Towles’ newest novel make for a delightfully charming read。 The Lincoln Highway is packed with drama， with tender-hearted and flawed characters， and with sophisticated storytelling。 Ambitious in size and scope， this book will keep readers engaged from its unexpected beginning until its satisfying conclusion。 。。。more

Desi Kennedy ，

I would not have thought I could love a book as much as I loved A Gentleman in Moscow。 I loved The Lincoln Highway。 I felt so vested in the characters。 And as much as Duchess will make you want to scream， I know I have known at least one youth just like him。 This book was absolutely amazing！！！

Kathy ，

I have no words right now。

Diane Ferbrache ，

I loved this book！ I had read Towles' previous books， so I was looking forward to seeing what he had come up with this time。 It's a heartwarming， surprising， humorous story of two brothers on a road trip to find their mother。。。sort of。 Emmett has been released from juvenile detention to care for his brother after the death of their father。 Before leaving to find their mom， some old friends show up and derail the trip。 Told in alternating chapters that focus on Emmett， Dutchess， Wooly， and others I loved this book！ I had read Towles' previous books， so I was looking forward to seeing what he had come up with this time。 It's a heartwarming， surprising， humorous story of two brothers on a road trip to find their mother。。。sort of。 Emmett has been released from juvenile detention to care for his brother after the death of their father。 Before leaving to find their mom， some old friends show up and derail the trip。 Told in alternating chapters that focus on Emmett， Dutchess， Wooly， and others， I couldn't help but get attached to each of these unique characters。 Each character's chapter is unique in voice， revealing the events that brought everyone together and moving the plot along。 The story is fast-paced and full of twists， turns， and moments that will make you shake your head & smack your forehead。 I could not put it down。Towles is a master at drawing the reader into a story that is so unique and yet so relatable。 His writing is imaginative and fanciful， but somehow I feel like every event is not only possible， but probable。 Every description puts you right in the middle of the story。 I loved the underlying structure that used a book about heroes to build the themes of friendship， courage， family， regret， longing， and love。 I laughed， held my breath， and cried。 This book touched me。 It's the perfect example of what good fiction should do。 。。。more

Aarthy Rajikanna ，

Best book that i have read

Nancy ，

Amor Towles cannot be pigeon-holed into a specific genre or era。 In fact， he is known for novels that have nothing in common with each other beyond well-developed characters。 This novel rotates through the point of view of four primary characters and a few others who show up periodically on a road trip from Kansas to New York City and beyond。 The premise of the main character is interesting and the storyline held my attention。 But 。 。 。 oh， how I wished it had ended differently。 If Gentleman in Amor Towles cannot be pigeon-holed into a specific genre or era。 In fact， he is known for novels that have nothing in common with each other beyond well-developed characters。 This novel rotates through the point of view of four primary characters and a few others who show up periodically on a road trip from Kansas to New York City and beyond。 The premise of the main character is interesting and the storyline held my attention。 But 。 。 。 oh， how I wished it had ended differently。 If Gentleman in Moscow is a five-star book， this one is more like 3。5， maybe 4 stars， and I'm not happy to put a Towles book at that level。 。。。more

Kim McGee ，

1954 Three young men become friends at a boy's correctional facility in Nebraska。 When Emmett is released early to take care of his young brother Duchess and Woolly take advantage and hitch a ride in the trunk。 Emmett and Billy only have each other now and Billy is determined to find their mother by the postcards she has sent them over the years。 They make a plan to take the Lincoln Highway all the way to California to find her。 Duchess and Woolly have other plans and a very different type of ro 1954 Three young men become friends at a boy's correctional facility in Nebraska。 When Emmett is released early to take care of his young brother Duchess and Woolly take advantage and hitch a ride in the trunk。 Emmett and Billy only have each other now and Billy is determined to find their mother by the postcards she has sent them over the years。 They make a plan to take the Lincoln Highway all the way to California to find her。 Duchess and Woolly have other plans and a very different type of road trip begins。 A stunning glimpse of a time gone by - an adventure the likes of Billy's favorite storybook made by a group of misfits looking for redemption and a chance to be a hero instead of the bad boy。 Beautifully written， this is a quiet story that begs to be savored one sentence at a time。 Billy's innocence， unflagging trust and blind faith in the goodness of people will grip your heart。 Amor Towle's fans will fall in love all over again as will readers who want a deep dive into the character's soul with a bit of adventure thrown in。 My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy。 。。。more

Natalie ，

I loved this book ！！ Just finished it last night and I am absolutely haunted by it。 I'm struck by this one as I was struck by "A Gentleman in Moscow" - the feeling that Towles' characters are safe in his hands， that we are going to enjoy the ride but also learn something about human nature， human faults and strengths， forgiveness， retribution。 So much here！ This will absolutely be one of my all-time favorites。 I loved this book ！！ Just finished it last night and I am absolutely haunted by it。 I'm struck by this one as I was struck by "A Gentleman in Moscow" - the feeling that Towles' characters are safe in his hands， that we are going to enjoy the ride but also learn something about human nature， human faults and strengths， forgiveness， retribution。 So much here！ This will absolutely be one of my all-time favorites。 。。。more

Karlan ，

The plot is amazing as the author creates story after story for 3 teenage boys and one little brother who try to leave Nebraska for CA but end up in NY instead。 Over 400 pages long， the book seemed short。 Everyone should appreciate this adventure。

vicki honeyman ，

I'm updating my rating to ten stars！ This charming story takes place in 1954 over ten days， though it feels like it's a lifetime as each character's background stories are revealed in the novel's process。 Besides learning about the Lincoln Highway， which stretches from Times Square to San Francisco， a great deal of fascinating data is shared through the voice of the delightful 8-year old Billy Watson。 I devoured the hefty 600-page book， though I wished I could have made it last longer。。。but I wa I'm updating my rating to ten stars！ This charming story takes place in 1954 over ten days， though it feels like it's a lifetime as each character's background stories are revealed in the novel's process。 Besides learning about the Lincoln Highway， which stretches from Times Square to San Francisco， a great deal of fascinating data is shared through the voice of the delightful 8-year old Billy Watson。 I devoured the hefty 600-page book， though I wished I could have made it last longer。。。but I was too drawn in to not soak up every word。 It's a treasure of a read。 。。。more

Megan ，

When Emmett comes home after serving a year for involuntary manslaughter， his father has died leaving him to raise his precocious eight-year-old brother and the family's farm is being foreclosed on。 Emmett and his brother view this as an opportunity for a fresh start and set out on an unforgettable road trip。 When Emmett comes home after serving a year for involuntary manslaughter， his father has died leaving him to raise his precocious eight-year-old brother and the family's farm is being foreclosed on。 Emmett and his brother view this as an opportunity for a fresh start and set out on an unforgettable road trip。 。。。more

Laurielib ，

One of my favorite Wyoming landmarks， is a huge bust of Abraham Lincoln on the Lincoln Highway outside Laramie。 In the early 1900’s the Lincoln Highway was the first transcontinental highway linking New York City to San Francisco。 Its also one of the main characters in Amor Towles latest book The Lincoln Highway。 The Lincoln Highway is a delightful slice of Americana on the Fourth of July。 Its now the 1950’s and Emmett Watson， an honorable young man， has just been released from a reform school a One of my favorite Wyoming landmarks， is a huge bust of Abraham Lincoln on the Lincoln Highway outside Laramie。 In the early 1900’s the Lincoln Highway was the first transcontinental highway linking New York City to San Francisco。 Its also one of the main characters in Amor Towles latest book The Lincoln Highway。 The Lincoln Highway is a delightful slice of Americana on the Fourth of July。 Its now the 1950’s and Emmett Watson， an honorable young man， has just been released from a reform school after pleading guilty to accidentally killing a man。 He’s now the sole caregiver for his 8 year old brother， Billy。 Billy an precocious OCD young man convinces Emmett to take a road trip along The Lincoln Highway to San Francisco where ideally on the Fourth of July a midst a massive fireworks display they will meet their long lost mother。 Emmett much more practical sees a future buying houses， renovating them & selling at a profit in California。 Plans go awry when two escaped reform school inmates， Duchess and Woolly show up to accompany Emmett and Billy。 Duchess is a con artist with no moral compass and at times a generous and caring nature。 And Woolly is a bright， wealthy， misunderstood and poignant sweetheart。 Stealing/borrowing Emmett’s car they take off to New York。 With twists and turns and cliff hanging chapters， the reader will encounter the likes of Frank Sinatra， Tony Bennett， Joltin’ Joe， Joe Friday， Marilyn Monroe， the Empire State Building and the Brooklyn Bridge。 The plot is a wild ride with some of literature’s best characters。 Really didn’t want to leave them or this book！ Thanks Penguin Group Viking for letting take an early peak with an ARC。 。。。more

Allison ，

Amor Towles is a writer of rare depth and breadth。 Having won the world over with his debut， Rules of Civility， and garnered additional high praise and vast sales for A Gentleman in Moscow， he is sure to burnish his reputation even more with The Lincoln Highway。 I feel fortunate to have been given the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy through Netgalley。com。The story begins in Middle America in the middle of the 20th century。 Billy Watson， younger brother of Emmett， recently released f Amor Towles is a writer of rare depth and breadth。 Having won the world over with his debut， Rules of Civility， and garnered additional high praise and vast sales for A Gentleman in Moscow， he is sure to burnish his reputation even more with The Lincoln Highway。 I feel fortunate to have been given the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy through Netgalley。com。The story begins in Middle America in the middle of the 20th century。 Billy Watson， younger brother of Emmett， recently released from a juvenile work farm， tells us it is best to begin any story “in medias res” and so our narrative takes off explosively almost from the first page。 This is a story of a journey across the country and through time as we learn the tragic backstory of the Watson brothers and the broken dreams of their parents。 The narrative expands to include two other lost young men who have attached themselves to Emmett and his plan for the future。 The author gives each character his own voice and little by little the reader enters into their world。 We also meet Sally， a young woman pushing back against the limitations of society as well as several other richly drawn characters who play important parts along the way。This is a story true to its time and place， but it is also an heroic narrative in the tradition of the great quests of literature。。 The figures in this story， all larger than life will continue to haunt you long after you have read the last page。 It is the kind of book that， like The Odyssey， calls out to be reread。 。。。more

Helen ，

Could I give this six stars？

Tamsyn ，

What an amazing storyteller you are， Amor Towles！ You create wonderful， human characters that readers can't help but love and root for， while also adding elements of danger， worry， and humor。 This book took me longer than usual in part because I didn't want it to end and savored it to the final page。 Well worth the wait from the equally fantastic Gentleman in Moscow -- both 5-star books。 Looking forward to wherever you will take us next！ What an amazing storyteller you are， Amor Towles！ You create wonderful， human characters that readers can't help but love and root for， while also adding elements of danger， worry， and humor。 This book took me longer than usual in part because I didn't want it to end and savored it to the final page。 Well worth the wait from the equally fantastic Gentleman in Moscow -- both 5-star books。 Looking forward to wherever you will take us next！ 。。。more

Jennifer ，

3。5

Sandy ，

For me， this is storytelling perfection。 It is a great American tale， of highways and quests and fortunes both good and ill。 There is a sense of heightened scale in this novel - everything tuned to a almost mythological level， yet Towles skillfully creates characters whose choices and observations of the world around them feel very grounded in human frailty。 I was riveted through to the very last sentence。

Rosemary ，

4。5The title of this book interested me immediately because I live right up the street from the Lincoln Highway in Pennsylvania and because of how much I enjoyed the author's previous novels。 With his father gone and the house foreclosed， Emmett， having just returned home from juvie， decides to leave Morgen， Kansas for a fresh start in Texas。 His younger brother， Billy， talks him into taking the Lincoln Highway， the first road to stretch from one end of America to the other， to find their mother 4。5The title of this book interested me immediately because I live right up the street from the Lincoln Highway in Pennsylvania and because of how much I enjoyed the author's previous novels。 With his father gone and the house foreclosed， Emmett， having just returned home from juvie， decides to leave Morgen， Kansas for a fresh start in Texas。 His younger brother， Billy， talks him into taking the Lincoln Highway， the first road to stretch from one end of America to the other， to find their mother in California。 However， Duchess and Woolly， fellow inmates， appear and cause major disruptions and complications to the planned adventure。 （I received pre-publication access to The LIncoln Highway thanks to NetGalley。） 。。。more

Hayley ，

Book clubs everywhere will be rejoicing that Amor Towles is publishing another novel！ Once again we can bathe in the deliciously warm water of his gloriously vivid characters and his seamlessly organic plotting。 Though we’ve been waiting 5 years since the charming A Gentleman in Moscow （and on the topic of waiting， what’s happened to Kenneth Branagh’s TV adaptation of that？）， it is absolutely worth it for this wonderful novel set in 1950s America。When 18 year-old Emmett Watson is released from t Book clubs everywhere will be rejoicing that Amor Towles is publishing another novel！ Once again we can bathe in the deliciously warm water of his gloriously vivid characters and his seamlessly organic plotting。 Though we’ve been waiting 5 years since the charming A Gentleman in Moscow （and on the topic of waiting， what’s happened to Kenneth Branagh’s TV adaptation of that？）， it is absolutely worth it for this wonderful novel set in 1950s America。When 18 year-old Emmett Watson is released from the Salina juvenile work farm， his plan is to pack up his car， take the money his father has left him， and drive from Nebraska to Texas with his young brother， Billy， to start a new life。 Almost immediately he is blown off course by Billy’s desire to go to California along the Lincoln Highway to find their mother （The Lincoln Highway is not something， ignorant Brit that I am， I’ve come across before and I had to look it up to see if it was real。 It is and is really interesting） And their plans go even further awry when Salina escapees Duchess and Woolly （who is a descendant of a character from Towles's Rukes of Civility） turn up with a scheme that involves going to the East Coast。Billy is guided by Professor Abacus Abernathe’s Compendium of Heroes， Adventurers， and Other Intrepid Travelers， a compendium of stories about heroes both real and mythical which features a blank section for “You” to write your adventure。 And like the “Great Ulysses，” at every step of the way along their journey they are met with challenges and obstacles as well as guides and assistance。 As Professor Abernathe advises， the novel starts “in media res，” and travels back to fill out each character's story along the way， so the author can fill out a rich panorama of mid-century American society without force feeding the reader great chunks of context。This is a novel of quests and dreams， of balancing debts owed and owing。 Each of the many characters （all male bar one， all white bar one） is on a quest though they are not all compatible quests and they all get diverted from their original intentions。 They don’t all make it to their journeys’ end and for some that end is different to that which they originally envisioned。This is one of those novels that when I was three-quarters through I was torn between wanting to carry on reading and wanting to stop so I didn’t have to finish。 Of course I continued but only with the comfort of knowing that I’ll go back and read it again。Thanks to Viking and Netgalley for the digital review copy。 。。。more

Kimi Loughlin ，

THIS BOOK EXCEEDED ALL EXPECTATIONS！ As a huge fan of A Gentleman in Moscow and Rules of Civility， The Lincoln Highway had a lot of pressure and holy cow did it surpass anything I could have hoped for。 From the first page， I was immediately drawn into Towles' magical writing and superb characters。 This felt like a modern classic， the new and updated version of Huckleberry Finn that I actually wanted to read in high school。 On page one， Emmett arrives home in the front seat of the warden's car af THIS BOOK EXCEEDED ALL EXPECTATIONS！ As a huge fan of A Gentleman in Moscow and Rules of Civility， The Lincoln Highway had a lot of pressure and holy cow did it surpass anything I could have hoped for。 From the first page， I was immediately drawn into Towles' magical writing and superb characters。 This felt like a modern classic， the new and updated version of Huckleberry Finn that I actually wanted to read in high school。 On page one， Emmett arrives home in the front seat of the warden's car after spending time at a juvenile detention center。 He is greeted by his younger brother Billy （studiously cared for by neighbor Sally）， a dead father， and a foreclosed farm。 With the intention of packing up his baby blue Studebaker and driving to Texas with Billy， Emmett's plans are derailed by the arrival of two fellow inmates， who had hitched a ride in the trunk of the warden's car， and Billy's elaborate plan to take the famed Lincoln Highway to San Francisco to find their mother who abandoned them years ago。 Thrust into a ten day long road trip across the US， this wily group of teenagers and a young boy must face their own heroes journey to find their future。You cannot beat the quirkiness of Towles' characters。 You feel so deeply about every single one of them and it feels like they leap off the page with specificities with which they are written。 Duchess and Woolly， the stowaways， felt like a modern day George and Lennie from Of Mice and Men with Woolly's gentle giant innocence and Duchess' take-the-lead wile。 Emmett is the stoic， do-right midwesterner who always fixes the messes。 And Billy is the smartest， sweetest kid who inspires those around him。 You fall in love with them and are left with all the feels。 A glorious five out of five stars for me， The Lincoln Highway will be my go-to recommendation this fall。 。。。more

Jill A。 ，

So readable with excellent characters in a compelling story of the intertwined lives of 4 young men。 Hard to “like” all of them but they presented well the combination of good/evil/not so good。 Wooly （I think I have the right character） reciting the Emancipation Proclamation scene was a favorite showing how deft Towles is。 I read this on a Nook and would have much preferred hard copy。 Might buy just to be able to go through it and underline and check scenes again。

Nancy Robertson ，

What a trip！

John Balistreri ，

Wow I love this book。 I was lucky enough to snag the ARC from the Barnes and noble I work at （receiver perks hehe） and flew through it。 The way Towles writes is awesome， and he wrote 1950’s America sooo well。 However， the main reason why this book is so great is the cast of characters。 They all are lovable in their own unique ways， albeit some more lovable than others AKA Billy。 As a reader， it was incredibly easy to root for each of them， as they all had their own story with their own tribulati Wow I love this book。 I was lucky enough to snag the ARC from the Barnes and noble I work at （receiver perks hehe） and flew through it。 The way Towles writes is awesome， and he wrote 1950’s America sooo well。 However， the main reason why this book is so great is the cast of characters。 They all are lovable in their own unique ways， albeit some more lovable than others AKA Billy。 As a reader， it was incredibly easy to root for each of them， as they all had their own story with their own tribulations。 The plot is great as well， paying homage to The Odyssey and referencing for myth throughout。 The way Towles drew upon that specifically throughout and apply it to the 1950’s was something to behold。 Overall， I LOVED this book so very much， and can’t wait until it comes out to see what everyone else thinks！ 。。。more

Lee Cornell ，

Do not let the length of this book put you off。 This is a great read。Emmett Watson is an 18-year-old just released from a juvenile work farm in June of 1954。 His father has just died， and the family farm is being foreclosed upon。 Emmett plans to gather up his 8-year-old brother Billy and head out in Studebaker to a better life。Two of Emmett’s friends from the work farm， Woolly and Duchess， had stowed away in the trunk of the warden’s car that brought Emmett home， and they have other plans about Do not let the length of this book put you off。 This is a great read。Emmett Watson is an 18-year-old just released from a juvenile work farm in June of 1954。 His father has just died， and the family farm is being foreclosed upon。 Emmett plans to gather up his 8-year-old brother Billy and head out in Studebaker to a better life。Two of Emmett’s friends from the work farm， Woolly and Duchess， had stowed away in the trunk of the warden’s car that brought Emmett home， and they have other plans about where this road trip is headed。This novel is not unlike the "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" or "This Tender Land" in its presentation of an American epic journey。 （I know 。。。 such sacrilege to mention Huck Finn。）One point that I found quite striking and worth pondering was when a character realizes that maybe every person has a failing that is related to having “too much” of a virtue rather than of a vice 。。。 too patient or forgiving or hard-working or cautious or smart or 。。。 。。。more

Chris ，

Still catching up on books I finished this spring。 My apologies。 THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY is a gem。 I adored Amor Towles's first two novels， and I savored every moment of this one。 It's 1954， and three young men and a boy are on the adventure of their lives， traveling between the Midwest and Manhattan and the Adirondacks， and while there are meticulous reasons for their incredible journey， what makes this masterpiece work are each of the characters。 They have their scars and their demons and their ec Still catching up on books I finished this spring。 My apologies。 THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY is a gem。 I adored Amor Towles's first two novels， and I savored every moment of this one。 It's 1954， and three young men and a boy are on the adventure of their lives， traveling between the Midwest and Manhattan and the Adirondacks， and while there are meticulous reasons for their incredible journey， what makes this masterpiece work are each of the characters。 They have their scars and their demons and their eccentricities。 Two you will want to take under your wing and adopt; one will leave you uneasy; and one just might have in him the stuff of heroism。 All of them you will care about deeply。 I savored this book: every page。 。。。more

Marisa Neyenhuis ，

I loved the characters in this book and how we get chapters from each of their perspectives。 Beautifully written and a fun adventure story。 Didn’t love the ending， but I loved the rest enough to make up for it。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Lincoln Highway

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Lincoln Highway&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Lincoln Highway&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0