The Lincoln Highway

A Read with Jenna Pick (A Novel)

By: Amor Towles

Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini, Marin Ireland, Dion Graham

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

More than ONE MILLION copies sold

A TODAY Show Read with Jenna Book Club Pick

A New York Times Notable Book, a New York Times Readers’ Choice Best Book of the Century, and Chosen by Oprah Daily, Time, NPR, The Washington Post, Bill Gates and Barack Obama as a Best Book of the Year

“Wise and wildly entertaining . . . permeated with light, wit, youth.” —The New York Times Book Review

“A classic that we will read for years to come.” —Jenna Bush Hager, Read with Jenna book club

“Fantastic. Set in 1954, Towles uses the story of two brothers to show that our personal journeys are never as linear or predictable as we might hope.” —Bill Gates

“A real joyride . . . elegantly constructed and compulsively readable.” —NPR

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 juvenile work farm where he has just served fifteen months 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, Billy, and head to California 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, one that will take them all on a fateful journey in the opposite direction—to the City of New York.

Spanning just ten days and told from multiple points of view, Towles's third novel will satisfy fans of his multi-layered literary styling while providing them an array of new and richly imagined settings, characters, and themes. “Once again, I was wowed by Towles’s writing—especially because The Lincoln Highway is so different from A Gentleman in Moscow in terms of setting, plot, and themes. Towles is not a one-trick pony. Like all the best storytellers, he has range. He takes inspiration from famous hero’s journeys, including The Iliad, The Odyssey, Hamlet, Huckleberry Finn, and Of Mice and Men. He seems to be saying that our personal journeys are never as linear or predictable as an interstate highway. But, he suggests, when something (or someone) tries to steer us off course, it is possible to take the wheel.” – Bill Gates

Best book of 2021 for me.

Mr. Towles is a true wordsmith. I was hooked on the first sentence of this book and could not stop listening. When It ended, I was a bit stunned. It seemed to end abruptly, leaving me to wonder if there, (hopefully), be a sequel.

Edge of your seat adventure!

I'm a Towles fan and he could not write fast enough. However, I realized I was already type casting him and my expectations of this book were based on his refreshingly old fashioned protagonists who remind us of standards and decency. Here, the characters are more flawed, raw, edgy and uncomfortable so I had to adjust if I was going to stay around for the ride. The storyline is unpredictable and had the effect of keeping me on the edge of my seat for 2 days (yes, you will not be able to stop listening because you'll never guess what happens next) as disaster seemed imminent at every turn. Hats off to Towles, really, he has the guts to follow his Muse and not conform to expectation. It is as beautifully written as his other works and, as with his other works, stands alone. The narrators are flawless and I am left wishing I could follow these characters further.....

Towles delivers once again

A wonderful, vivid, absorbing book. Ballerini is excellent as always. My only regret was that there wasn’t enough of Sally, the lone female character. Towles is a terrific novelist. Don’t miss it.

Mixed feelings about this one

A challenging story. Ultimately less gratifying than “A Gentleman…” but not without its rewards. Worth the effort.

Epic!

A Great Story, told through multiple narrators. A true illustration of how everyone views themselves as the hero of their own story and within that framework, no one is the villain of that story. But it's Towles writing that brings each character to life, and elevates this rollicking story to a true masterpiece.