Historical

The Lincoln Highway

The Lincoln Highway

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  • Create Date：2021-10-08 04:51:43
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Amor Towles
  • ISBN：1786332531
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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。

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Reviews

Kathy Ryan-bergreen ，

Read it one day！ Not as good as his Gentleman from Moscow， but still an enjoyable read with interesting characters。

Ann-Marie ，

Elegant prose with beautifully written flawed characters

Jess Greene ，

Favorite book of the year。 It read like a movie and as much as I didn’t want it to end， I also didn’t want to stop reading it。 At nearly 600 pages， I basically only stopped reading to work and sleep！

Laura ，

4。5* There's so much to enjoy here- coming of age story， excellent characters who are also underdogs/outlaws， travel， trains， an earlier NYC， myth interwoven with reality。 It's funny and moving。 It had hints of Peace like a River and This Tender Land， but snappier and with lots of panache。 It has a lot to say about wrongdoing， choices， forgiveness， and caring burdens for others and ourselves， the "Chains of Wrongdoing。""In your time you shall do wrong unto others and others shall do wrong unto y 4。5* There's so much to enjoy here- coming of age story， excellent characters who are also underdogs/outlaws， travel， trains， an earlier NYC， myth interwoven with reality。 It's funny and moving。 It had hints of Peace like a River and This Tender Land， but snappier and with lots of panache。 It has a lot to say about wrongdoing， choices， forgiveness， and caring burdens for others and ourselves， the "Chains of Wrongdoing。""In your time you shall do wrong unto others and others shall do wrong unto you。 And these opposing wrongs will become your chains。 The wrongs you have done unto others will be bound to you in the form of guilt， and the wrongs that others have done unto you in the form of indignation。 The teachings of Jesus Christ Our Savior are there to free you from both。 To free you from your guilt through atonement and from your indignation through forgiveness。 Once you have freed yourself from both of these chains may you begin to live your life with love in your heart and serenity in your step。" （Sister Agnes） How this lesson is interpreted affects the Iives of the four young men as they journey forward， meeting a vagabond， a traveling preacher， an author， exotic dancers， and family along the way。 It didn't come together as I hoped at the end， but I'm still thinking about it。 I might forgive it the conclusion and give it 5 stars。Quite good on audio！ I'm also looking back at quotes in print。 。。。more

Chris ，

With a satisfied sigh and smile， I closed the cover on “The Lincoln Highway，” a historical fiction novel that begs for a reread by the incomparable Amor Towles， who garnered fans with his bestseller “A Gentleman in Moscow。”Much can be said about his Towles’ newest， an atmospheric， nostalgic， joy ride into America’s past， when lemonade was served on front porches， Burma-Shave signs sprouted along roads， and citizens rallied round the flag， connected by values found in Norman Rockwell paintings， p With a satisfied sigh and smile， I closed the cover on “The Lincoln Highway，” a historical fiction novel that begs for a reread by the incomparable Amor Towles， who garnered fans with his bestseller “A Gentleman in Moscow。”Much can be said about his Towles’ newest， an atmospheric， nostalgic， joy ride into America’s past， when lemonade was served on front porches， Burma-Shave signs sprouted along roads， and citizens rallied round the flag， connected by values found in Norman Rockwell paintings， patriotism and religion the order of the day。 It’s 1954， and Emmett is being driven back to his Nebraska farm by Warden Williams， after Emmett’s stint in a prison in Salina， Kansas。 He was incarcerated for a crime that was an accident—his temper getting the best of him。 Now he’s headed back to his home place， his dad having passed， the farm being reclaimed by the bank—back home to be reunited with Billy， his little bookish 9-year-old brother， taken in by a neighbor family with a sweet but bossy gal at its helm， Sally， casserole and preserves provider。 Emmett is the tragic hero， at center stage in this funny， yet sad story of a journey along the Lincoln Highway， America’s first transcontinental highway that stretched from New York City to San Francisco。 With the farm gone， and $3，000 in their pockets， secretively stashed away for them by their dad， Emmett and Billy are determined to get to California to reconnect with their mother， who deserted them eight years ago。 A sudden change in plans occurs and the brothers take a different direction， heading to New York City， and then backtracking to California。 Part of the reason lies in two extra fellas along for the ride—Duchess， a flim-flam man if ever there was one， and his sidekick Woolly， who isn’t playing with a full deck and has a pill addiction。 They appear quite unexpectedly， having hitched a ride from prison in the trunk of Warden Williams’ car。 Fast-talking Duchess convinces Emmett to take them along， which leads to detours as Duchess revisits his past and settles scores with those who have wronged him， causing Emmett more trouble than he could have possibly imagined。In chapters told by the main characters， and a couple of minor players， the story rolls along， its numerous asides offering detours in the narrative that mirror the detours on the mad-cap journey， one that begins in Emmett’s beloved， powder-blue Studebaker。 Readers are in for a treat as they experience life on the road in the company of this wholly original and sympathetic foursome。 “The Lincoln Highway” is a tour de fore not to be missed。 。。。more

Darcy ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I often found myself laughing while I listened to this one， probably shouldn't have， but man。。。at times this came off like a Three Stooges or Laurel and Hardy show。 I really liked Emmett， felt like he got the shaft when he got sent away， liked how he was determined to take care of Billy and give them a good life。 I thought his plan of working on houses and becoming a landlord was a good one。 But man was Emmett dense about Sarah。Billy always made me smile。 He was so smart， it was a bit scary。 I l I often found myself laughing while I listened to this one， probably shouldn't have， but man。。。at times this came off like a Three Stooges or Laurel and Hardy show。 I really liked Emmett， felt like he got the shaft when he got sent away， liked how he was determined to take care of Billy and give them a good life。 I thought his plan of working on houses and becoming a landlord was a good one。 But man was Emmett dense about Sarah。Billy always made me smile。 He was so smart， it was a bit scary。 I loved how Billy saw life， loved how he had his book， and seemed to live his life according to the book， which seemed odd at first， but the more the book went on， the more it made sense。Wooly， it was hard not to like him。 I felt bad for him， that he seems to have gotten the shaft his whole life。 I also hated how Duchess seemed to take advantage of him and how Wooly's family treated him。 In today's world， he would be not quite all there， nothing wrong with that， he was such a good pure soul， a big kid。 I really hate the choice that he made at the end。Duchess。。。。well， this guy， we all know a guy like this， one who seems like your friend， but is always looking out for himself， is always the hero in his stories， when really he causes chaos in his wake and unless specifically told no， it's a yes。 So many of Emmett's problems were because of Dutchess。 I kinda liked the fate he was left too。 It gave me hope that Emmett and Billy would get their dreams come true。 。。。more

Linda Powell ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 What a tale！ Billy， Emmett， Sally， Duchess， and sweet Woolly。 I read this 600 page book in two days。 Now I want to drive the Lincoln Highway and visit all those Lincoln statues paid for by the Boy Scouts。 In the end， Duchess has a gold watch。 How？ I don’t think Emmett foresaw the ending but he could have？ They certainly needed to be free of Duchess and he would have pursued them given his views of settling scores。 The money would have put him in Emmett’s debt。

Teresa Cornelius ，

The Lincoln Highway by Amor TowlesI loved A Gentleman in Moscow and Enjoyed Rules of Civility so I couldn’t wait to read this novel and I was not disappointed。 The story begins in Nebraska in June 1954 as Emmett is being driven back to his home by Warden Williams。 He has been released a couple of months early from his juvenile reform programme as his father has died。 The bank has foreclosed on the family farm and Emmett is the only one able to take responsibility for his eight year old brother， The Lincoln Highway by Amor TowlesI loved A Gentleman in Moscow and Enjoyed Rules of Civility so I couldn’t wait to read this novel and I was not disappointed。 The story begins in Nebraska in June 1954 as Emmett is being driven back to his home by Warden Williams。 He has been released a couple of months early from his juvenile reform programme as his father has died。 The bank has foreclosed on the family farm and Emmett is the only one able to take responsibility for his eight year old brother， Billy。When he arrives at the farm Sally， the wholesome girl next door， has provided food and care for Billy in his absence。 Unbeknownst to Warden Williams however there are two stowaways in his car who have escaped from the reform facility and their plans do not fit in with those of Emmett and Billy。 Emmett has plans to travel in his Studebaker but then Billy comes up with a plan of his own His wants to ride the Lincoln Highway all the way to California。Billy is a wonderfully drawn character who takes his wisdom from Professor Abacus Abernathe’s Compendium of Heroes， Adventurers and other Intrepid Travellers。 The meeting between Billy and Ulysses on board the train is magical。 The book is peopled with wonderful characters and as the road trip which they take meanders through America we gain insight into the characters and their backgrounds。 At times the book is laugh out loud funny - at others there are nail-biting moments as you fear for their safety。 I loved this book and will be recommending it wholeheartedly to my book groups。 Many thanks to Amor Towles to Penguin and to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this wonderful novel。 。。。more

Suzanne ，

Author Amor Towles offers readers a new book， THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY， a quest tale in search of multiple outcomes。 The writing is somewhat reminiscent of Kent Haruf， one of my favorite authors， in style， with the absence of punctuation around dialog， and the wonderful description of the farmland and community where the book begins。 The characters range from the believable to the absurd and that’s where the writing separates from Haruf。 The Quest becomes convoluted and almost comical， and the book l Author Amor Towles offers readers a new book， THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY， a quest tale in search of multiple outcomes。 The writing is somewhat reminiscent of Kent Haruf， one of my favorite authors， in style， with the absence of punctuation around dialog， and the wonderful description of the farmland and community where the book begins。 The characters range from the believable to the absurd and that’s where the writing separates from Haruf。 The Quest becomes convoluted and almost comical， and the book loses some of its power midway。 The ending is excellent and well worth the reading。 I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley。 。。。more

Kaitlin ，

What a great story！ Amor Towles will continue to be an auto-purchase for me！

LoneStarWords Deb Coco ，

…I have lived my life through books…I've read histories and novels， scientific texts and volumes of poetry and one thing I've learned is that there is just enough variety in human experience for every person in a city the size of New York to feel with assurance that their experience is unique。 And this is a wonderful thing because to aspire， to fall in love， to stumble as we do and yet soldier on， at some level we must believe that what we are going through has never been experienced quite as we …I have lived my life through books…I've read histories and novels， scientific texts and volumes of poetry and one thing I've learned is that there is just enough variety in human experience for every person in a city the size of New York to feel with assurance that their experience is unique。 And this is a wonderful thing because to aspire， to fall in love， to stumble as we do and yet soldier on， at some level we must believe that what we are going through has never been experienced quite as we have experienced it。The Lincoln HighwayAmor Towles•Worth。 The。 Wait。•I dare say that The Lincoln Highway assures Amor Towles's place in the group of elite American novelists。 Like many of you I've been awaiting this book for years but there is always the fear。。。will it be as good？ Well， YES。 It is。•What elevates Towles to the tier of great novelists is his versatility。 Rules of Civility places us in 1930s era NYC as we watch a young woman climb the social ladder; A Gentleman in Moscow puts us under house arrest with Count Rostov in the Metropol Hotel in 1922， and The Lincoln Highway takes us on a 10 day journey in 1954 with two young brothers and two of their friends after one is released from a juvenile work camp。•The title had me believing we would be solely on a cross country adventure， and yet， to my delight， The Lincoln Highway takes place predominantly in NYC。 Towles is a master at setting; he is able to capture the essence of a place and his love of NYC shines through his prose here。 And I cannot do his prose justice。 A lifetime of reading and love of the written word shines through onto every page。•This is a story about the bonds of friendship and the innocence of youth。 It celebrates ordinary lives， but the story is anything but ordinary。 I would not have thought it would deliver a nail biting ending， and yet it did。 I found myself completely attached to Emmett， Billy， Duchess and Woolly; this book is the trifecta; character， setting， plot。•I can find no fault here and I think this is destined to be an American classic。 And now I am back to waiting for his next book…until then。 。。。more

Vicki ，

“The Lincoln Highway，” by Amor Towles， Viking， 592 pages， Oct。 5， 2021。In June of 1954， Emmett Watson，18， is driven home to Nebraska by the warden of the juvenile work farm in Salina， Kansas， where he has just served fifteen months for involuntary manslaughter。 Emmett killed Jimmy Snyder， 17， in a fight that Jimmy started。Emmett’s mother left them years ago and his father died recently。 The bank foreclosed on their farm。 Emmett plans to pick up his eight-year-old brother， Billy， and head to Texa “The Lincoln Highway，” by Amor Towles， Viking， 592 pages， Oct。 5， 2021。In June of 1954， Emmett Watson，18， is driven home to Nebraska by the warden of the juvenile work farm in Salina， Kansas， where he has just served fifteen months for involuntary manslaughter。 Emmett killed Jimmy Snyder， 17， in a fight that Jimmy started。Emmett’s mother left them years ago and his father died recently。 The bank foreclosed on their farm。 Emmett plans to pick up his eight-year-old brother， Billy， and head to Texas。 Billy wants to go to San Francisco because he found postcards that their mother mailed them。But two men from the work farm， Duchess Hewett and Woolly Martin， hid in the trunk of the warden’s car。 They want Emmett to take them to upstate New York， where Woolly’s great-grandfather is believed to have stashed $150，000。The novel is told from several points of view。 Emmett is just trying to do right by his brother。 Billy doesn’t go anywhere without his large red book: “Professor Abacus Abernathe’s Compendium of Heroes， Adventurers and Other Intrepid Travelers。” Duchess causes trouble for everyone around him。 Woolly likes to pay his respects to statues of Abraham Lincoln。 Sally lives on a farm near Emmett and Billy and she is tired of cooking and cleaning for her father。The writing is excellent。 While elements of the plot are not entirely believable， you get so wrapped up in the story that it doesn’t matter。 The characters are marvelous。 This is highly enjoyable。In accordance with FTC guidelines， the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review。 。。。more

Liesl ，

An engaging amble。 Although the page length is initially daunting， I was never bored while reading; the swift pacing moves the story along well， the interestingly complex characters are well-drawn， the book is niftily divided into the ten days that the primary tale spans， and the setting of a road trip on a classic highway is a fun way to explore multiple locations。 Although not all of the perspectives are vital， it was enjoyable to get a glimpse into the heads of multiple characters， especially An engaging amble。 Although the page length is initially daunting， I was never bored while reading; the swift pacing moves the story along well， the interestingly complex characters are well-drawn， the book is niftily divided into the ten days that the primary tale spans， and the setting of a road trip on a classic highway is a fun way to explore multiple locations。 Although not all of the perspectives are vital， it was enjoyable to get a glimpse into the heads of multiple characters， especially to better understand each of their motivations。 While I've liked both of Towles' previous works， for some reason this one clicked a little more for me and I grew attached to several of the characters， rooting for them to somehow find a happy ending。 I really appreciated how a particularly annoying， troublesome character gets a fitting ending in the final few pages。Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this title。 。。。more

Leslie ，

From the author of A Gentleman in Moscow and Rules of Civility comes Amor Towles latest novel， a story of brotherhood and finding your place in life。 Ten years before the creation of Route 66， the Lincoln highway was built to allow cars to drive across the country from New York City to San Francisco。 Towles latest novel takes us on a ten-day ride on the Lincoln Highway through 1954’s America。Emmett Watson has just been released from his sentence at a juvenile work camp after being convicted of a From the author of A Gentleman in Moscow and Rules of Civility comes Amor Towles latest novel， a story of brotherhood and finding your place in life。 Ten years before the creation of Route 66， the Lincoln highway was built to allow cars to drive across the country from New York City to San Francisco。 Towles latest novel takes us on a ten-day ride on the Lincoln Highway through 1954’s America。Emmett Watson has just been released from his sentence at a juvenile work camp after being convicted of accidently killing a classmate during a fight。 With their father just passed away and the farm foreclosed on， Emmett and his 8-year old brother Billy plan on starting over in California and searching for their mother who left them eight years ago。 The only clue to her location is postcards she sent them from along the Lincoln highway。 Their trip doesn’t go as planned when two escaped stowaways from his work camp， Wooley and Duchess， steal Emmett’s car and drive to New York City。 What follows is a race across railroads and highways while meeting new characters， Ulysses， a freight car riding wanderer and Abacus Abarnathe， the author of Billy’s favorite book。Towles uses varying perspectives， history， a variety of characters and teasers in each chapter to create a rich coming of age novel， very different， but equally as good as his previous bestsellers。 A storytelling of a ride through America。 Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the opportunity to review this book before its release。 。。。more

emma ，

Towles has done it again。 What an incredibly thought out， well written and exciting novel。 From the very get-go， I knew I was going to like this。 Each and every character was real and raw， I felt their hopes and heartaches as if they were my own。 The dynamics between said characters was also perfect， not a single interaction felt forced or unnatural。 Towles has a gift for drawing you in and keeping you entertained， every single page was full of excitement。 The plot， albeit it was a little slow a Towles has done it again。 What an incredibly thought out， well written and exciting novel。 From the very get-go， I knew I was going to like this。 Each and every character was real and raw， I felt their hopes and heartaches as if they were my own。 The dynamics between said characters was also perfect， not a single interaction felt forced or unnatural。 Towles has a gift for drawing you in and keeping you entertained， every single page was full of excitement。 The plot， albeit it was a little slow at first， picked up and every side character， every side story， connected and made so much sense by the end。 There were certain quotes that took me off guard like a gut punch and had me reeling from the emotions of it all。 By the end， I was left in awe of the masterpiece I had just read。Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 #TheLincolnHighway #NetGalley。 All opinions are my own 。。。more

Rebecca ，

PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION:In June， 1954， eighteen-year-old Emmett Watson is driven home to Nebraska by the warden of the juvenile work farm where he has just served fifteen months for involuntary manslaughter。 With his mother long gone， his father recently deceased， and the family farm foreclosed upon by the bank， Emmett plans to pick up his eight-year-old brother Billy and head to California to start a new life。 But when the warden drives away， Emmett discovers that two friends from the work farm PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION:In June， 1954， eighteen-year-old Emmett Watson is driven home to Nebraska by the warden of the juvenile work farm where he has just served fifteen months for involuntary manslaughter。 With his mother long gone， his father recently deceased， and the family farm foreclosed upon by the bank， Emmett plans to pick up his eight-year-old brother Billy and head to California to start a new life。 But when the warden drives away， Emmett discovers that two friends from the work farm have stowed away in the trunk of the warden's car。 They have a very different plan for Emmett's future， one that will take the four of them on a fateful journey in the opposite direction - to New York City。 Bursting with life， charm， richly imagined settings and unforgettable characters， The Lincoln Highway is an extraordinary journey through 1950s America from the pen of a master storyteller。NO SPOILERS:This is not a road trip book。 Yes， there’s a road and there’s a trip， several small ones actually， all disconnected yet connected; but it is not a road trip book。 It is a book about redemption， hope， and unshakeable belief in the future。 I loved it。 I loved every carefully chosen word （for this is what Amor Towles does， he chooses the right word for the right character）， every totally believable character and every moment of observation。The story is told in chapters from each character’s point of view。 I like this technique very much as it gives extra insight to the reader， although， it is narrated so well in both the first and third person that I felt like a listener。 Third person narration which feels like a conversation with the narrator is something quite marvellous。The plot melds seamlessly， with back stories dropped in as anecdotes and explanations in such a way that I felt I was part of the conversations。 This is brilliant， skilled writing。Thank you to NetGalley and Random House， Cornerstone for the Advanced Reader Copy of the book， which I have voluntarily reviewed。 。。。more

AtomicBooks ，

This book is now firmly one of my favourites。 The story is just so good， everything about it just works perfectly。 The story makes its way under your skin from the very beginning and makes straight for your heart where all these amazing characters with live for a very long time。 This book is heart warming， charming， full of fun， and positivity but with a little bit of sadness too。 These few words can’t really adequately describe this book and how much I loved it but all I will add is that I can’ This book is now firmly one of my favourites。 The story is just so good， everything about it just works perfectly。 The story makes its way under your skin from the very beginning and makes straight for your heart where all these amazing characters with live for a very long time。 This book is heart warming， charming， full of fun， and positivity but with a little bit of sadness too。 These few words can’t really adequately describe this book and how much I loved it but all I will add is that I can’t recommend this book enough and encourage you to read it。 。。。more

Barry Pierce ，

oof。

Hendry ，

Nice book

Susan Tunis ，

4。5 stars。 My immediate response。。。 Amor Towels is a gifted storyteller。 This is a terrific novel， but doesn't have the extraordinary magic that made A Gentleman in Moscow a phenomenon。 What it does have is a fantastic cast of characters， two of whom have a distant whiff of George and Lennie about them。 Need to think on that more。。。 4。5 stars。 My immediate response。。。 Amor Towels is a gifted storyteller。 This is a terrific novel， but doesn't have the extraordinary magic that made A Gentleman in Moscow a phenomenon。 What it does have is a fantastic cast of characters， two of whom have a distant whiff of George and Lennie about them。 Need to think on that more。。。 。。。more

O Z。 ，

Really terrific read。 Beautifully flawed characters。 Beautifully written。

Laylarose ，

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Michelle Beckwith ，

“Because to aspire， to fall in love， to stumble as we do and yet soldier on， at some level we must believe that what we are going through has never been experienced quite as we have experienced it。”Amor Towles takes on his version of the Great American Novel with attentiveness and earnestness and I loved every word。 Set in the 1950’s， The Lincoln Highway chronicles a group of teens who are thrust together and embark on a cross country adventure。 I felt a roller coaster of emotions as each charac “Because to aspire， to fall in love， to stumble as we do and yet soldier on， at some level we must believe that what we are going through has never been experienced quite as we have experienced it。”Amor Towles takes on his version of the Great American Novel with attentiveness and earnestness and I loved every word。 Set in the 1950’s， The Lincoln Highway chronicles a group of teens who are thrust together and embark on a cross country adventure。 I felt a roller coaster of emotions as each character has highs and lows in their respective quests and predict the characters will become well-loved in literary circles。 The time period is a perfect backdrop， setting up the juxtaposition of a simpler time and incredibly complicated choices。 The articulate and often heartbreaking storytelling will surely be admired by fans of Mr。 Towles’ previous novels。 Especially for readers who enjoyed William Kent Krueger’s This Tender Land。 Thank you NetGalley and Penguin/Viking for the opportunity to read a copy in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more

Susan ，

I loved Amor Towles previous novels and I am delighted that this is another five-star read。 It features eighteen-year-old Emmett， who returns home from a sentence for inadvertently killing a young man at the local country fair。 Greeted with delight by his young brother Billy， and neighbour Sally， he is less thrilled that two young men from the work farm have hitched a lift with Warden Williams。 Duchess is the son of a vaudeville performer and Woolly is from a wealthy family but was never a natur I loved Amor Towles previous novels and I am delighted that this is another five-star read。 It features eighteen-year-old Emmett， who returns home from a sentence for inadvertently killing a young man at the local country fair。 Greeted with delight by his young brother Billy， and neighbour Sally， he is less thrilled that two young men from the work farm have hitched a lift with Warden Williams。 Duchess is the son of a vaudeville performer and Woolly is from a wealthy family but was never a natural fit and his family now have authority over his trust fund。Emmett has none of those issues。 His father left nothing， but debts and the family farm has been foreclosed。 Indeed， the banker is waiting for Emmett on his return and all that he has left is his powder blue 1948 Studebaker Land Cruiser。 With locals having long memories， Emmett decides to head out on a road trip and make a new life。 He didn’t count on Duchess and Woolly coming along， nor for the host of other characters they will meet along the way。Without doubt， this is an excellent portrait of 1950’s America， with Towles painting a realistic view of life at that time。 The characters all have depth and I think readers may well find young Billy a favourite， with his big red book， “Professor Abacus Abernathe’s Compendium of Heroes， Adventurers and Other Intrepid Travellers，” which will provide lots of links throughout the story。 Overall， though， this is a delight， containing deep themes， which will appeal to book groups， a unique cast of characters， troubled young men， friendship and is， in many ways， the classic tale of young people making their way in the world without adults to guide them and a whole host of unforeseen circumstances that will make their journey a memorable， but bumpy one。I received a copy of this book from the publisher， via NetGalley， for review。 。。。more

Tami ，

This is the story of people brought together through circumstance。 4 very different men take off on a road trip from Nebraska to California along the Lincoln Highway。 They come from different backgrounds and life experiences。 The narration gets tossed around with each man having a voice in the tale as well as Sally， a woman from the next farm over who's had enough of taking care of men and ready for her own life experiences。While sold as a road trip， the Lincoln Highway is more about the people This is the story of people brought together through circumstance。 4 very different men take off on a road trip from Nebraska to California along the Lincoln Highway。 They come from different backgrounds and life experiences。 The narration gets tossed around with each man having a voice in the tale as well as Sally， a woman from the next farm over who's had enough of taking care of men and ready for her own life experiences。While sold as a road trip， the Lincoln Highway is more about the people you meet than an actual trip。 Living in Kansas I was drawn to visions of the midwest and places I have seen and lived。 Ultimately this is a story of quests and dreams， of balancing debts owed and owing。 Along the quest， each person gets diverted from their original intentions。 And while we don't know if they made it to California， we want to believe some of those dreams came true in the end。Thanks to NetGalley for this advanced copy。 。。。more

abookshared ，

A Gentleman in Moscow is one of my all-time favourite books， so I had high expectations going in to The Lincoln Highway。 Amor Towles’ new book is set in 1954 and begins with 18-year-old Emmett returning home to his family farm after being released from a juvenile detention centre。 His father has recently died and Emmett is now sole guardian of his 8-year-old brother， Billy。 Together， the two formulate a plan for a new beginning by heading to San Francisco on the Lincoln Highway。 But their plans A Gentleman in Moscow is one of my all-time favourite books， so I had high expectations going in to The Lincoln Highway。 Amor Towles’ new book is set in 1954 and begins with 18-year-old Emmett returning home to his family farm after being released from a juvenile detention centre。 His father has recently died and Emmett is now sole guardian of his 8-year-old brother， Billy。 Together， the two formulate a plan for a new beginning by heading to San Francisco on the Lincoln Highway。 But their plans are quickly scuppered when two stowaways from Emmett’s detention centre， Duchess and Woolly， reveal themselves with a scheme of their own which only serves to delay Emmett’s plans on an unimaginable scale。 Amor Towles is a truly wonderful storyteller， I absolutely loved this book from the very first paragraph to the last。 The cast of characters Towles has written are so complex they feel entirely real; they are perfectly flawed; good， bad， clever， charming， reflective， lonely and everything in between。 I found myself completely absorbed in each of their individual stories， their thoughts and their actions and I wanted a fresh start with a bright future for every single one of them， well， except for the odious Pastor John。 This is a rollercoaster of a novel from the very beginning， it was such a joy to read， it is moving and heart wrenching as well as humorous and endlessly entertaining， this is humanity in all its forms。 Another incredible story by Amor Towles， The Lincoln Highway is definitely one of my top books of the year。Thanks to NetGalley and Hutchinson Heinemann for a digital copy for review。 。。。more

Terry Earley ，

recommended ebook to overdrive 10-1-2021

Cook Memorial Public Library ，

Read about Jo's Pick of the Week on the Cook Memorial Public Library blog， Shelf Life: https://shelflife。cooklib。org/2021/09。。。Check our catalog: https://encore。cooklib。org/iii/encore。。。 Read about Jo's Pick of the Week on the Cook Memorial Public Library blog， Shelf Life: https://shelflife。cooklib。org/2021/09。。。Check our catalog: https://encore。cooklib。org/iii/encore。。。 。。。more

TBS ，

To read an Amor Towles book is much like walking into that special gallery in an art museum where an entire room is devoted to a masterful allegorical painting the size of a great wall。 There is nowhere else to look and nowhere else you want to look as your mind loses and occasionally stumbles over itself in the rich sweeping storyline of the painting， where every object and subject signifies a moral or spiritual analogy and the shifting quality of light adds complexity and ambiguity。 In the han To read an Amor Towles book is much like walking into that special gallery in an art museum where an entire room is devoted to a masterful allegorical painting the size of a great wall。 There is nowhere else to look and nowhere else you want to look as your mind loses and occasionally stumbles over itself in the rich sweeping storyline of the painting， where every object and subject signifies a moral or spiritual analogy and the shifting quality of light adds complexity and ambiguity。 In the hands of a lesser author， this would easily become overbearing and annoying; in the myth-inflected narrative of The Lincoln Highway it is an irresistible invitation to throw any reservations aside and carry on into the great journey of heroes and misfits， wanderers and tricksters， bullies and visionaries。On the surface it is a novel about brothers and friends， in particular two brothers， 18-year-old Emmett and 8-year-old Billy Watson who， after the bankruptcy and death of their father in 1954， plan on following the Lincoln Highway from Morgen， Nebraska to San Francisco to fashion a new life。 Emmett， newly released from the Salina prison， for accidental manslaughter， finds a secret legacy his father has left for him， $3，000 hidden in Emmett’s 1948 Studebaker; Billy’s legacy has been the discovery of a string of postcards mailed from various points on the Lincoln Highway sent by their absent mother， who abandoned the family when Billy was a baby。 The plot’s compass is pointed toward San Francisco， when Duchess and Woolly， two inmates who escaped from Salina turn up and upend Emmett’s painstaking plans with a scheme to drive to Woolly’s family grand summer residence in New York to reclaim his inheritance and split it between them。 And off they go…。sort of。 Duchess， who has one of recent literature’s most abhorrent fathers （which is saying a lot）， has a legacy of betrayal， small time cons and abandonment， framed through his father’s second rate Shakespearian “career，” which has lately been staged at seedy and seedier bars in the Bowery。 From his time in Salina， Duchess has learned the importance of keeping a balance sheet， which sometimes involve meting out judgment with cast iron pans， rocks and two by fours， resulting， as he describes it， in a “welling sense of moral satisfaction” and “serenity in my step。” Silently tending to this sheet becomes a top item on his travel itinerary and Duchess’s rationale for doing so is laced with charm and even compassion。 His tenderness he reserves for Emmett， who he holds in highest esteem for his being a man of integrity and substance， and Woolly for his sweet， poetic philosophical， child-like way of viewing the world， his dependence on Duchess， and possibly for the sequestered cash in his family’s upstate manor。 Woolley’s legacy is the most straightforward， perhaps the most difficult， the legacy of legacy-great family wealth amassed and carefully preserved through entitled generations and with it， the even greater legacy of expectation and rules。 It is a very bad fit， and this is often the subject of Woolly’s ruminations on his family， “how a statement disguised as a question could be an ugly sort of thing。”But just like the questing characters in Billy’s favorite book， Professor Abacus Abernathe’s Compendium of Heroes， Adventurers， and Other Intrepid Travelers， the Watson brothers get thoroughly initiated in the lot of voyagers， through Duchess’s appropriation of their car early on in their trip and Emmett’s （and Billy’s） hunt for its return， an expedition which involves considerable danger and takes them hopping freight trains， battling hustlers， and meeting a black Ulysses， with his own tragic tale of wars and separation。 When they reunite with Duchess and Woolley in New York， with Duchess’s balance sheet almost completed along the way， well， in Duchess’s words， “it’s all about the set-up。” Throughout Towles generously shows you his narrative slight of hand and then equally delightedly subverts it。 An author must have considerable dexterity and faith to pull this off; this is a courageous book and like any mythological enterprise， it’s amalgam will get richer with each visit。 Unexpected occasions of self-discovery occur for nearly all of the main characters， and the lost souls they meet along the way。 Each section， which number down from 10， is replete with abrupt twists， anguish， and odd moments of joy-truly a hero’s journey。 Some of the coincidences bend credulity， such as Billy’s preternatural precociousness， but ultimately they are all earned。 The suspense electrifying the last 20 pages of the book as the trek concludes or begins， will be accompanied by a steadily increasing pounding in the background-it is the rapid beating of your own heart。 And， as with any timeless story， the outcome is both unpredictable and illuminating。 Ultimately Towles knows when to get out of the car， leaving us with angst and a little heartbreak at leaving these remarkable characters and the open-ended question of an open road。 Choose your own adventure as to what happens next。 Highly recommended。 。。。more

Gemma Swain ，

Having read both of Amor Towels’ previous books I had high hopes for this one and it didn’t disappoint。 Many readers come to Towles during the pandemic - the story of a Russian count being kept under house arrest in a Moscow hotel resonated with most of us during those long days of lockdown。 The humanity and richness that was to be found in ‘A Gentleman in Moscow’ runs through every page of ‘The Lincoln Highway’ and I genuinely believed in every character。Released from juvenile detention followi Having read both of Amor Towels’ previous books I had high hopes for this one and it didn’t disappoint。 Many readers come to Towles during the pandemic - the story of a Russian count being kept under house arrest in a Moscow hotel resonated with most of us during those long days of lockdown。 The humanity and richness that was to be found in ‘A Gentleman in Moscow’ runs through every page of ‘The Lincoln Highway’ and I genuinely believed in every character。Released from juvenile detention following the death of his father， Emmett is left without a home after the bank forecloses on the many loans taken out against the family farm。 Having been deserted by their mother years before， Emmett’s younger brother Billy and a bright blue Studebaker are the only things left in his world。 When Billy reveals a series of postcards that he believes will lead them to their mother in San Francisco so begins a road trip through 1950’s America packed with a cast of sometimes flawed， sometimes loveable， and always interesting， characters。Running parallel to Emmett and Billy’s story is that of Duchess and Woolly - escapees from Emmett’s detention centre who have their own reasons for wanting to join the brothers on their cross-country journey。 With each chapter written from the point of view of a different character the book really allows you to understand their motivations and why they’ve ended up where they are。 There’s a real heart to this book， and the author does a wonderful job of building connections between the reader and each of the characters。 You might not always agree with their behaviour， but they feel so much like real people that you’re somehow invested in them and want to see them walk along the path to redemption。I imagine the lockdown success of ‘A Gentleman in Moscow’ will bring a lot more readers to this book on release， which can only be a good thing。 It’s a great story， and one that I would thoroughly recommend。 Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

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