The Lincoln Highway

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles is a captivating journey across 1950s America, skillfully weaving a tale of adventure, hope, and unexpected detours. The story begins in June 1954, when 18-year-old Emmett Watson returns to his rural Nebraska home after serving fifteen months in a juvenile facility for involuntary manslaughter. Reunited with his little brother Billy, Emmett's plan is to leave their troubled past behind and start afresh in California.

The Watson brothers' journey, however, takes an unforeseen twist. Two runaways from the youth work farm, Duchess and Woolly, have tracked Emmett down with a scheme of their own. This unexpected reunion propels the quartet to set off in the opposite direction—towards New York City. As they navigate a series of adventures and challenges, their journey becomes a profound exploration of friendship, loyalty, and redemption.

This New York Times bestseller is a masterful addition to Amor Towles' literary repertoire, which includes the celebrated novels Rules of Civility and A Gentleman in Moscow. The Lincoln Highway is a testament to Towles' ability to create rich, vibrant narratives filled with memorable characters and enduring themes.

"Deserves a place alongside Kerouac, Steinbeck and Wolfe as the very best of the genre." —Observer

"An absolute beauty of a book. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to read it again." —Tana French

"Welcome to the enormous pleasure that is The Lincoln Highway... in which the miles fly by and the pages turn fast." —Ann Patchett

"Already feels like an American coming of age classic." —Red

"The best novel I've read in years." —Chris Cleave

"Wise and wildly entertaining... permeated with light, wit, youth." —The New York Times

With its finely crafted prose and richly drawn characters, The Lincoln Highway firmly establishes Amor Towles among the great storytellers of our time. This novel is a must-read for anyone who loves a narrative that combines the thrill of a road trip with the deepest questions of personal identity and the resilience of the human spirit.