Vicki reviews The Lincoln Highway

Anyone who is familiar with the previous novels of Amor Towles knows his prose is filled with rich characters and sentences so beautifully crafted they sometimes necessitate a second reading.  The Lincoln Highway is no different.  While A Gentleman in Moscow occurs in practically a single location in Soviet Russia and The Lincoln Highway in 1950’s America, Amor Towles’ ability to tell a story shines in both settings.  Once I stopped comparing it to A Gentleman in Moscow, I was able to settle in and enjoy this incredible book on its own merit.

The story begins in the summer of 1954 in rural Nebraska from the perspective of eighteen-year old Emmett Watson.  Due to several unfortunate life circumstances, Emmett and his eight-year old brother, Billy, plan to embark on the road trip of a lifetime, traveling the Lincoln Highway to San Francisco.  The plans are interrupted by the unexpected arrival of Duchess and Woolly, two companions of Emmett’s from a stint he served in a juvenile work camp.   Duchess is a likeable yet incorrigible young man.  He is the son of an itinerant actor, a man who leaves much to be desired in parenting skills.   Woolly hails from a wealthy, prestigious, East Coast family.  Despite this, Woolly struggles with deep mental and emotional problems as well as tremendous pressure to live up to his family’s name.

The four boys do embark on a journey, however the narrative pivots from what I thought would be a classic road trip to a more unique adventure. The expertly developed characters take us on an odyssey replete with boxcar jumping, hobo camps on abandoned train tracks in Manhattan, and the Empire State Building, just to name a few.  We can vicariously pull up a chair at a one-of-a kind dinner party and almost smell the onions sautéing for the Fettuccini Mio Amore.   We are encouraged by Emmett’s integrity and warmed by little Billy’s youthful optimism.  Our hearts ache for both Duchess and Woolly and their childhood wounds.  This beautiful story elicits both tears and laughter and will take up residence in the reader’s mind and heart long after the book is closed.
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    “ For kindness begins where necessity ends.” Amor Towles

​* Content warning: there are weighty thematic elements involving mental illness, especially near the end.  If you are sensitive to that type of content, you may not want to read this book.
** Book recommendations are made by discerning readers of Calvary, but are not necessary written from the Christian perspective or officially endorsed by the church.

Vicki Tierney
Vicki Tierney is married to Matt and mom to two young adult daughters and two furry golden retrievers. Together Vicki and Matt own Flapdoodles ice cream. She is involved in co-leading the Renovaré Precepts study at Calvary.