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, 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

©2021 Amor Towles (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“[A] mischievous, wise and wildly entertaining novel . . . Towles goes all in on the kind of episodic, exuberant narrative haywire found in myth or Homeric epic . . . Each [character], Towles implies, is the central protagonist of an ongoing adventure that is both unique and universal . . . remarkably buoyant . . . permeated with light, wit, youth . . . Towles has snipped off a minuscule strand of existence—10 wayward days—and when we look through his lens we see that this brief interstice teems with stories, grand as legends.”—Chris Batcheldor, New York Times Book Review

“Not only is it one of the most beautifully written books I have ever picked up, it’s a story about hope, friendship and companionship in a time when we need it so much . . . Towles brilliantly captures the inner reality of each [character] with profound and poetic prose. All eight of them are incredible forces in literature . . . Amor Towles is one of those authors that I think will become a Steinbeck of our generation and [...] I think The Lincoln Highway will be a classic that we will read for years to come.”—Jenna Bush Hager, Read With Jenna book club

“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

A story you can’t put down

Amor Towles delivers another epic page-turner with The Lincoln Highway. The plot, setting, and characters are masterfully written. It is one of those books, like the author’s previous offerings, Rules of Civility and A Gentleman in Moscow, that is an extreme pleasure to read and leaves you with a longing for the story to continue after the final page. In my opinion, Amor Towles is one of the best authors in contemporary literature today.

wonderful, entertaining, deep, thoughtful, amusing

This book is wonderful, entertaining, deep, thoughtful, amusing, and compelling. Both my sisters recommended it & I'm grateful they did. the Lincoln Highway is a marvelous read.

Another fascinating story by Amor Towles

Once again, Amor Towles has shown his mastery in creating multi dimensional characters entangled in a complex yet simple story. The novel is full of both thought provoking and entertaining passages. The narration is flawless, but I will also get the book in print to re-read and keep.

Fun!

I enjoy both Amor Towes and Edoardo Ballerini.
I had to take my time to the story and the delicious story telling.

Beautifully written

I’m sad to leave these characters. This was the best book I’ve read this year.

Reads like an American classic

Loved this heartbreaking story. The characters were so real and well interpreted by the readers. They came to life. I will read this author again!

Best I’ve read all year

This book was entertaining from beginning to end. I just loved it ! The kind of book you’re sorry when it ends

Perfect Towles

Just as with A Gentleman in Moscow and Rules of Civility, my only disappointment was that the story had ended. Perfect narration.

Fantastic read

What a fantastic book. Great characters and quite a journey. My only complaint is that it ended.

Beloved by entire book club!

It’s rare for my book club to ALL agree on a book -this is that rare example of a book beloved by all of us. I was the only one to listen to it and I wish the others had the pleasure of these wonderful voices so perfect for each character.