THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY

by Amor Towles

I was definitely late to the party in reading Amor Towles first novel since the brilliant A Gentleman in Moscow. I had heard lots of praise for The Lincoln Highway, so when I finally started to read it, I had great expectations. And for the most part, I agree that it’s an incredible work of fiction.

The story begins when young Emmett Watson, recently orphaned, returns home to his empty home in Nebraska after serving a sentence at a juvenile work farm for involuntary manslaughter. He has come home to collect his younger brother from a neighbor and drive him to California, where they will start a new life together, a family of two. But Emmett’s plan changes drastically when he discovers two of his friends from the work farm hidden in the trunk of the car the warden used to drive Emmett home. With their arrival, the trip west to California takes several major detours, eventually taking them all east to New York. Towles has written a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, with characters you will never forget. He has structured the book so that each of the characters has a chance to tell his own story in his own voice, which adds depth and poignancy to the novel.

My only criticism of The Lincoln Highway comes from its sheer length. I think Towles could have written a tale just as effective and compelling in many fewer pages. Or maybe one of the many side stories within the book could have been more carefully edited to keep the book’s length down. Having said that, I still recommend The Lincoln Highway. It is entertaining and charming and definitely a good read. (Liz)