The Lincoln Highway
"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"--
Themes & atmosphere
Books in conversation with The Lincoln Highway
A few of the closest reads from our full list.
What you might want to know about The Lincoln Highway
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
In June 1954, eighteen-year-old Emmett Watson is driven home from a Kansas work farm to bury his Nebraska father and pick up his eight-year-old brother Billy. Their plan to take the Lincoln Highway west to California is hijacked when two friends from the farm crawl out of Emmett's car trunk.
No. The Lincoln Highway is a separate standalone Amor Towles novel, set in 1954 America rather than the Russian setting of A Gentleman in Moscow. Both showcase Towles's elegant prose.
Yes. A film adaptation has been announced. As of 2025, the project remains in development.
The Lincoln Highway was written by Amor Towles, published in 2021 by Penguin Audio.
The Lincoln Highway is 583 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, The Lincoln Highway takes most readers 9 to 13 hours to finish.
The Lincoln Highway is a standalone novel by Amor Towles, not part of a series.
The Lincoln Highway is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.