The Lincoln Highway is a historical fiction set in 1952 that chronicles a road trip of four young boys.

Emmett Watson is coming home from a juvenile center after serving 15 months for involuntary manslaughter. At 18 years old, with his father recently deceased, his mother long gone, and their farm foreclosed by the bank, Emmett sees no hope of the future for himself and his 8-year-old brother Billy in Nebraska. So he decides to take his brother with him and start a new future in California.

However, Emmett discovers unexpected companions when he arrives. His two friends from the juvenile center apparently stowed away in the trunk of the warden’s car who came to drop Emmett off; Duchess and Wolly. They want to get in on the ride and Emmett cannot refuse. Together they embark on their new journey. While Billy is determined to follow the Lincoln Highway west to California, their tumultuous journey sees them in an entirely opposite direction, to the city of New York.

How did it make me feel?

The Narrative

Amor Towels doesn’t disappoint. The Lincoln Highway is such a beautiful story, told from multiple POVs that intensely takes hold of the reader’s attention. I was so engaged in this storytelling that while Emmett and Billy were going through a series of unfortunate events, I found myself praying for them. There are many heart-warming and heart-crushing moments, that make the Lincoln Highway so worthwhile. The strongest aspect of this story for me is how beautifully Towels has managed to build it over a psychological substratum, which gives a profound depth to such a pure and simple story. A downside for me was that I felt that a subplot featuring one of the characters (that I mention below) didn’t have any contribution to this story. I could have done without it.

Audiobook Narration

Narrators: Edoardo Ballerini, Marin Ireland, and Dion Graham

The narrators are successful in instilling personalities to their respective characters. Overall, it was a pleasant experience listening to this audiobook.

The Characters

I loved every character except Sally. Whenever her chapters came around, I was a bit frustrated. I didn’t feel that she had anything significant to add to this story. If her character and the subplot were taken out, it would still leave this story as beautiful.

Would I recommend it?

Absolutely yes! If you’re a fan of historical fiction, you’re gonna love it. 

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