The Lincoln Highway

What’s it about?

Emmett Watson is 18 years-old when he is driven back to Salinas, Kansas by the warden of the juvenile work farm where he has been serving out his sentence.  It is 1954 and Emmett has been released early, after the death of his father, to take care of his younger brother Billy.  Unbeknownst to Emmett or the warden two of Emmett’s bunkmates (Duchess and Woolly) from the work farm have stowed away in the trunk of the warden’s car.  Duchess and Wooly have their own plans for the future…

What did it make me think about?

Amor Towles writes a good story.

Should I read it?

Just suspend your disbelief and go along for the ride on this one.  The Lincoln Highway is a story full of unique characters that takes place over a span of 10 days.  Each chapter leaves you wanting to know what will happen to these boys next.  This novel will please almost any reader.

Quote-

“When you are asked a question- even a question that on the verge seems relatively simple and straightforward- you may have to go quite a ways back in order to provide all the little details that will be necessary for someone to make sense of your answer.  Despite this, there are many inquisitors who, as soon as you start providing these essential details, will start to make a face.  They’ll fidget in their seat.  Then they’ll do their best to hurry you along by pressing you to leap from point A to point Z while skipping all the letters in between. But not Professor Abernathy.  When he asked Billy a deceptively simple question and Billy went all the way back to the cradle in order to give a comprehensive reply, the professor leaned back in his chair and listened with he attentiveness of Soloman.”