The Lincoln Highway

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

Whitley Bay Book Group discussed The Lincoln Highway in March 2023.

We mainly chose this book because most of us loved the author’s previous book A Gentleman in Moscow. Whereas the events of that book were almost all restricted to one hotel, this is by contrast a road trip ranging across the United States, a coming of age story, a tale of friendship and bonding told from several different perspectives. Some of us loved it (“but not as much as A Gentleman in Moscow”) and some were disappointed (“it wasn’t A Gentleman in Moscow”). An interesting discussion ensued with very divided opinions – some of us found it meandering and tedious and others meandering and engrossing, which may say more about us than the book.

Two young brothers in 1950s America set out from Nebraska to California along the Lincoln Highway to look for their long-lost mother. They are joined by two runaways and for various reasons the four end up going in the opposite direction towards New York.

Their journey is a metaphor and the people they meet (and re-meet) along the way all have their part to play. Each of the young characters seems wise beyond his years and each has his own moral code, which is not clear-cut. Emmet appears to be morally upright but has been in the penitentiary and is prone to lapses of violence. Whereas Duchess seems initially menacing and unpredictable, but it’s not that straightforward – he has been in the penitentiary for something he didn’t do.

Our views on the ending differed – “surprising”, “disappointing”, “clever”.

We gave it between 2 and 4.5 stars, with an average of 3.5.