Reviews
Advance praise for The Lincoln Highway : "[A] captivating piece of historical fiction . . . transporting . . . a rollicking cross-country adventure, rife with unforgettable characters, vivid scenery and suspense that will keep readers flying through the pages." -- TIME "An enthralling odyssey." -- People "[ The Lincoln Highway ] loses none of the author's trademark wit or style . . . a cross-country adventure packed with unexpected twists and unforgettable action." -- Town & Country "Magnificent . . . Towles is a supreme storyteller, and this one-of-a-kind kind of novel isn't to be missed." -- Publishers Weekly (starred) "Towles' third novel is even more entertaining than his much-acclaimed A Gentleman in Moscow . . . A remarkable blend of sweetness and doom, [ The Lincoln Highway ] is packed with revelations about the American myth, the art of storytelling, and the unrelenting pull of history. An exhilarating ride through Americana." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred) "Packed with drama, The Lincoln Highway takes place in just 10 days, with chapters narrated by a variety of characters. Towles' fans will be rewarded with many of the same pleasures they've come to expect from him: a multitude of stories told at a leisurely pace (the novel clocks in at 592 pages); numerous endearing and sometimes maddening characters; and pitch-perfect plotting with surprises at every turn...Towles has created another winning novel whose pages are destined to be turned--and occasionally tattered--by gratified readers." -- BookPage (starred) "[A] playfully thought-provoking novel . . . [Towles] juggles the pieces of his plot deftly, shifting from voice to voice, skirting sentimentality and quirkiness with a touch of wistful regret, and leading up to an ending that is bound to provoke discussion." -- Booklist (starred) "[ The Lincoln Highway ] is reason to rejoice for Towles's millions of fans, who made his first two novels, Rules of Civility and A Gentleman in Moscow , runaway international bestsellers." -- The Millions "An absolute beauty of a book. Every character is a gem, the many locations spring to vivid life, the book is an intricate and moving exploration of journeys and the infinite unexpected turns they can take--and somehow Towles makes it all seem effortless. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to read it again." --Tana French, bestselling author of The Searcher, Advance praise for The Lincoln Highway : "Towles' third novel is even more entertaining than his much-acclaimed A Gentleman in Moscow . . . A remarkable blend of sweetness and doom, [ The Lincoln Highway ] is packed with revelations about the American myth, the art of storytelling, and the unrelenting pull of history. An exhilarating ride through Americana." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred) "[ The Lincoln Highway ] is reason to rejoice for Towles's millions of fans, who made his first two novels, Rules of Civility and A Gentleman in Moscow , runaway international bestsellers." -- The Millions "An absolute beauty of a book. Every character is a gem, the many locations spring to vivid life, the book is an intricate and moving exploration of journeys and the infinite unexpected turns they can take--and somehow Towles makes it all seem effortless. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to read it again." --Tana French, author of The Searcher, Advance praise for The Lincoln Highway : "The master storyteller returns..." -- Los Angeles Times "[A] captivating piece of historical fiction . . . transporting . . . a rollicking cross-country adventure, rife with unforgettable characters, vivid scenery and suspense that will keep readers flying through the pages." -- TIME "An enthralling odyssey." -- People "Absorbing." -- USA Today "[ The Lincoln Highway ] loses none of the author's trademark wit or style . . . a cross-country adventure packed with unexpected twists and unforgettable action." -- Town & Country "Magnificent . . . Towles is a supreme storyteller, and this one-of-a-kind kind of novel isn't to be missed." -- Publishers Weekly (starred) "Towles' third novel is even more entertaining than his much-acclaimed A Gentleman in Moscow . . . A remarkable blend of sweetness and doom, [ The Lincoln Highway ] is packed with revelations about the American myth, the art of storytelling, and the unrelenting pull of history. An exhilarating ride through Americana." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred) "Packed with drama, The Lincoln Highway takes place in just 10 days, with chapters narrated by a variety of characters. Towles' fans will be rewarded with many of the same pleasures they've come to expect from him: a multitude of stories told at a leisurely pace (the novel clocks in at 592 pages); numerous endearing and sometimes maddening characters; and pitch-perfect plotting with surprises at every turn...Towles has created another winning novel whose pages are destined to be turned--and occasionally tattered--by gratified readers." -- BookPage (starred) "[A] playfully thought-provoking novel . . . [Towles] juggles the pieces of his plot deftly, shifting from voice to voice, skirting sentimentality and quirkiness with a touch of wistful regret, and leading up to an ending that is bound to provoke discussion." -- Booklist (starred) "[ The Lincoln Highway ] is reason to rejoice for Towles's millions of fans, who made his first two novels, Rules of Civility and A Gentleman in Moscow , runaway international bestsellers." -- The Millions "An absolute beauty of a book. Every character is a gem, the many locations spring to vivid life, the book is an intricate and moving exploration of journeys and the infinite unexpected turns they can take--and somehow Towles makes it all seem effortless. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to read it again." --Tana French, bestselling author of The Searcher, Advance praise for The Lincoln Highway : "Towles' third novel is even more entertaining than his much-acclaimed A Gentleman in Moscow . . . A remarkable blend of sweetness and doom, [ The Lincoln Highway ] is packed with revelations about the American myth, the art of storytelling, and the unrelenting pull of history. An exhilarating ride through Americana." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred) "An absolute beauty of a book. Every character is a gem, the many locations spring to vivid life, the book is an intricate and moving exploration of journeys and the infinite unexpected turns they can take--and somehow Towles makes it all seem effortless. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to read it again." --Tana French, Advance praise for The Lincoln Highway : "The master storyteller returns..." -- Los Angeles Times "[A] captivating piece of historical fiction . . . transporting . . . a rollicking cross-country adventure, rife with unforgettable characters, vivid scenery and suspense that will keep readers flying through the pages." -- TIME "An enthralling odyssey." -- People "Absorbing." -- USA Today "[A] bracing, heroic adventure . . . Towles plays stylishly with elements of the picaresque, the coming-of-age novel and the epic quest . . . The indelible final scene, which I did not see coming, perfectly encapsulates the theme of inheritance, and what choices the characters make about what they are given, to determine their own fates." -- Seattle Times "[ The Lincoln Highway ] loses none of the author's trademark wit or style . . . a cross-country adventure packed with unexpected twists and unforgettable action." -- Town & Country "Magnificent . . . Towles is a supreme storyteller, and this one-of-a-kind kind of novel isn't to be missed." -- Publishers Weekly (starred) "Towles' third novel is even more entertaining than his much-acclaimed A Gentleman in Moscow . . . A remarkable blend of sweetness and doom, [ The Lincoln Highway ] is packed with revelations about the American myth, the art of storytelling, and the unrelenting pull of history. An exhilarating ride through Americana." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred) "Packed with drama, The Lincoln Highway takes place in just 10 days, with chapters narrated by a variety of characters. Towles' fans will be rewarded with many of the same pleasures they've come to expect from him: a multitude of stories told at a leisurely pace (the novel clocks in at 592 pages); numerous endearing and sometimes maddening characters; and pitch-perfect plotting with surprises at every turn...Towles has created another winning novel whose pages are destined to be turned--and occasionally tattered--by gratified readers." -- BookPage (starred) "[A] playfully thought-provoking novel . . . [Towles] juggles the pieces of his plot deftly, shifting from voice to voice, skirting sentimentality and quirkiness with a touch of wistful regret, and leading up to an ending that is bound to provoke discussion." -- Booklist (starred) "[ The Lincoln Highway ] is reason to rejoice for Towles's millions of fans, who made his first two novels, Rules of Civility and A Gentleman in Moscow , runaway international bestsellers." -- The Millions "An absolute beauty of a book. Every character is a gem, the many locations spring to vivid life, the book is an intricate and moving exploration of journeys and the infinite unexpected turns they can take--and somehow Towles makes it all seem effortless. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to read it again." --Tana French, bestselling author of The Searcher, Advance praise for The Lincoln Highway : "Towles' third novel is even more entertaining than his much-acclaimed A Gentleman in Moscow . . . A remarkable blend of sweetness and doom, [ The Lincoln Highway ] is packed with revelations about the American myth, the art of storytelling, and the unrelenting pull of history. An exhilarating ride through Americana." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred), Advance praise for The Lincoln Highway : "Magnificent . . . Towles is a supreme storyteller, and this one-of-a-kind kind of novel isn't to be missed." -- Publishers Weekly (starred) "Towles' third novel is even more entertaining than his much-acclaimed A Gentleman in Moscow . . . A remarkable blend of sweetness and doom, [ The Lincoln Highway ] is packed with revelations about the American myth, the art of storytelling, and the unrelenting pull of history. An exhilarating ride through Americana." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred) "[A] playfully thought-provoking novel . . . [Towles] juggles the pieces of his plot deftly, shifting from voice to voice, skirting sentimentality and quirkiness with a touch of wistful regret, and leading up to an ending that is bound to provoke discussion." -- Booklist (starred) "[ The Lincoln Highway ] is reason to rejoice for Towles's millions of fans, who made his first two novels, Rules of Civility and A Gentleman in Moscow , runaway international bestsellers." -- The Millions "An absolute beauty of a book. Every character is a gem, the many locations spring to vivid life, the book is an intricate and moving exploration of journeys and the infinite unexpected turns they can take--and somehow Towles makes it all seem effortless. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to read it again." --Tana French, bestselling author of The Searcher, Advance praise for The Lincoln Highway : "[A] captivating piece of historical fiction . . . transporting . . . a rollicking cross-country adventure, rife with unforgettable characters, vivid scenery and suspense that will keep readers flying through the pages." -- TIME "Magnificent . . . Towles is a supreme storyteller, and this one-of-a-kind kind of novel isn't to be missed." -- Publishers Weekly (starred) "Towles' third novel is even more entertaining than his much-acclaimed A Gentleman in Moscow . . . A remarkable blend of sweetness and doom, [ The Lincoln Highway ] is packed with revelations about the American myth, the art of storytelling, and the unrelenting pull of history. An exhilarating ride through Americana." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred) "[A] playfully thought-provoking novel . . . [Towles] juggles the pieces of his plot deftly, shifting from voice to voice, skirting sentimentality and quirkiness with a touch of wistful regret, and leading up to an ending that is bound to provoke discussion." -- Booklist (starred) "[ The Lincoln Highway ] is reason to rejoice for Towles's millions of fans, who made his first two novels, Rules of Civility and A Gentleman in Moscow , runaway international bestsellers." -- The Millions "An absolute beauty of a book. Every character is a gem, the many locations spring to vivid life, the book is an intricate and moving exploration of journeys and the infinite unexpected turns they can take--and somehow Towles makes it all seem effortless. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to read it again." --Tana French, bestselling author of The Searcher, Advance praise for The Lincoln Highway : "[A] captivating piece of historical fiction . . . transporting . . . a rollicking cross-country adventure, rife with unforgettable characters, vivid scenery and suspense that will keep readers flying through the pages." -- TIME "An enthralling odyssey." -- People "Absorbing." -- USA Today "[ The Lincoln Highway ] loses none of the author's trademark wit or style . . . a cross-country adventure packed with unexpected twists and unforgettable action." -- Town & Country "Magnificent . . . Towles is a supreme storyteller, and this one-of-a-kind kind of novel isn't to be missed." -- Publishers Weekly (starred) "Towles' third novel is even more entertaining than his much-acclaimed A Gentleman in Moscow . . . A remarkable blend of sweetness and doom, [ The Lincoln Highway ] is packed with revelations about the American myth, the art of storytelling, and the unrelenting pull of history. An exhilarating ride through Americana." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred) "Packed with drama, The Lincoln Highway takes place in just 10 days, with chapters narrated by a variety of characters. Towles' fans will be rewarded with many of the same pleasures they've come to expect from him: a multitude of stories told at a leisurely pace (the novel clocks in at 592 pages); numerous endearing and sometimes maddening characters; and pitch-perfect plotting with surprises at every turn...Towles has created another winning novel whose pages are destined to be turned--and occasionally tattered--by gratified readers." -- BookPage (starred) "[A] playfully thought-provoking novel . . . [Towles] juggles the pieces of his plot deftly, shifting from voice to voice, skirting sentimentality and quirkiness with a touch of wistful regret, and leading up to an ending that is bound to provoke discussion." -- Booklist (starred) "[ The Lincoln Highway ] is reason to rejoice for Towles's millions of fans, who made his first two novels, Rules of Civility and A Gentleman in Moscow , runaway international bestsellers." -- The Millions "An absolute beauty of a book. Every character is a gem, the many locations spring to vivid life, the book is an intricate and moving exploration of journeys and the infinite unexpected turns they can take--and somehow Towles makes it all seem effortless. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to read it again." --Tana French, bestselling author of The Searcher
Synopsis
#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, #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
