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Amor Towles’s New Novel Takes You on an American Road Trip

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By Chris Bachelder

• Oct. 5, 2021

THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY By Amor Towles

Amor Towles’s third novel begins with a deceptively straightforward premise. Upon the death of his father from cancer, 18-year-old Emmett Watson is released early from a juvenile work farm in Kansas and driven home by a kind warden to a small town in Nebraska, where he is reunited with his precocious 8-year-old brother, Billy. Facing foreclosure on the family farm and violent retribution from the family of the bully he accidentally killed at the fairgrounds, Emmett has an immediate and stark choice — should he stay or should he go?

His decision to start fresh leads to a second choice — Texas or California? Trained as a carpenter, Emmett seeks a destination with a rapidly growing population where he can make a living flipping houses. After a morning spent in the library with the Encyclopaedia Britannica — it’s 1954 — he decides that California is the more promising place. It’s a sentimental as well as practical choice, home to his mother, who left the family years earlier, sending back postcards from locales along the Lincoln Highway during her journey west.

Young Billy, eager to traverse his mother’s path, proves to be a worthy sidekick for this all-American journey. He wears a watch with a second hand and carries in his Army surplus backpack a flashlight, a compass and a folded road map, along with his mother’s postcards and a well-thumbed compendium of adventure stories featuring 26 heroes, from Achilles to Zorro. From the cherished book, he knows the tropes of the travel tale, the requirements of heroes. California, here we come.

[ Read an excerpt from “The Lincoln Highway.” ]

Indeed, a reader might very well be fooled into thinking that Towles is setting off — westward, ho-hum — along the deeply rutted tracks of our national lore. But glittering California is a delightful trick of misdirection played on both the Watsons and the reader. Not only do Emmett and Billy never make it there, they don’t even advance one westward mile. In fact, over 10 days and 500 pages, they travel about as far away from California as is possible in the continental United States. If you want to make God laugh, Towles suggests, consult the Encyclopaedia Britannica for population statistics, unfold your map, plan your route. Give yourself a tight deadline of July 4, your mother’s favorite holiday. Then say hello to … New York. As it turns out, not reaching the intended destination becomes entirely the point and power of this mischievous, wise and wildly entertaining novel.

Though capable and self-reliant, Emmett is hardly the master of his own destiny. This was clear when the mouthy kid he punched at the county fair stumbled backward, tripped over a cable, struck his head on a concrete block and died 62 days later — “the ugly side of chance,” the warden tells Emmett — and it’s equally clear when he returns home to consider his future. It doesn’t matter that his plan is lawful, well conceived, well researched. In the universe of this novel, grit and integrity and determination matter, not because they get you where you want to go but because they allow you to persist when you’re inevitably blown off course by chance, vicissitude and the disruptive schemes of fellow questers.

About those fellow questers: There were, it turns out, a couple of stowaways, Emmett’s former bunkmates at the work farm, in the trunk of the kind warden’s car. “Ta-da!” says one, Duchess, the resourceful son of a vaudevillian, as Emmett discovers him in the barn. Duchess is a persuasive and original figure, an avenging moral accountant with a ledger of debts to collect (and occasionally to pay). He is the type of person who provides nuanced ethical reasoning before striking someone in the skull with a two-by-four or a frying pan. Or before driving a stolen car to Harlem to demand a beating from a man he once wronged at the work farm.

Woolly, the other stowaway, is a sweet, stunted, “medicine”-addicted naïf from a wealthy Northeastern family. Woolly has been deemed unfit to receive a large family trust, and Duchess and Woolly have in mind an “escapade” to the Adirondacks to retrieve the money from the wall safe of a family home. (And along the way, Duchess hopes to even a few scores, including one with his father.) In need of a car, Duchess and Woolly attempt to recruit the Watson boys as third and fourth musketeers.

Emmett, in possession of a genuine American dream, has no use for an escapade, but he agrees to drive the fugitives to the bus station in Omaha, a couple of hours to the east, a small but manageable setback to his California scheme. (He keeps running the numbers in his head, revising his E.T.A.) Duchess, the novel’s primary agent of chaos and digression, requests a short detour to an orphanage where he used to live. After he breaks in through a window to deliver strawberry preserves to the orphans, he steals Emmett’s Studebaker and, with Woolly, commences escapade.

At this exhilarating point, California vanishes, the novel moves steadily east by car and train, and Towles goes all in on the kind of episodic, exuberant narrative haywire found in myth or Homeric epic. The novel opens wide, detours beget detours, the point of view expands and rotates. As with Zeno’s arrow, contemplated by Emmett at one point, the novel’s many journeys are “infinitely bisected.” Distance is subdivided and arrival deferred. Stories proliferate and intersect, as do characters, who are diverse in many ways, save gender. (The book lacks a prominent female traveler, and readers might wish that Towles had done more with the gendered traditions of adventure and domesticity.) It’s tempting to speak of the book’s cast of minor characters, though one gradually learns that there are no minor characters. Each one of them, Towles implies, is the central protagonist of an ongoing adventure that is both unique and universal.

Duchess, the engine of the book, seeks his father, seeks atonement and retribution, seeks that safe full of money in the Adirondacks. Emmett seeks Duchess and his Studebaker, as do the police. Billy befriends a Black veteran named Ulysses who has been riding trains for years since returning from the war, his homecoming persistently deferred. Abacus Abernathe, the author of Billy’s beloved compendium, is found on the 55th floor of the Empire State Building and coaxed from his narrative perch back into the world. The anthology of journeys is a touchstone for Billy and for Towles, who is out to demonstrate the profound entanglement of story and life, the ways in which each generates the other.

At nearly 600 pages, “The Lincoln Highway” is remarkably brisk, remarkably buoyant. Though dark shadows fall across its final chapters, the book is permeated with light, wit, youth. Many novels this size are telescopes, but this big book is a microscope, focused on a small sample of a vast whole. 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 Bachelder’s novels include “The Throwback Special” and “Abbott Awaits.”

THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY By Amor Towles 592 pp. Viking. $30.

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Book Reviews

With four kids in an old studebaker, amor towles takes readers on a real joyride.

Heller McAlpin

The Lincoln Highway is a joyride. Amor Towles ' new Great American Road Novel tails four boys — three 18-year-olds who met in a juvenile reformatory, plus a brainy 8-year-old — as they set out from Nebraska in June, 1954, in an old Studebaker in pursuit of a better future. If this book were set today, their constant detours and U-turns would send GPS into paroxysms of navigational recalculations. But hitch onto this delightful tour de force and you'll be pulled straight through to the end, helpless against the inventive exuberance of Towles' storytelling.

Like his first two novels, The Lincoln Highway is elegantly constructed and compulsively readable. Again, one of the ideas Towles explores is how evil can be offset by decency and kindness on any rung of the socio-economic ladder. His first novel, Rules of Civility (2011), set among social strivers in New York City in 1936, took its inspiration from F. Scott Fitzgerald and its title from George Washington's Rules of Civility & Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation . His much-loved second novel, A Gentleman in Moscow (2016), incorporated nods toward the great Russian writers and shades of Eloise at the Plaza and Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel . Mostly confined to a single setting — Moscow's luxurious Metropol Hotel — it spanned 32 years under Stalin's grim rule.

Towles' new novel ranges further geographically — from Nebraska's farmland to New York's Adirondacks by way of some of New York City's iconic sites — but its action-packed plot is compressed into just 10 days. The Lincoln Highway, which owes a debt to Huckleberry Finn, revisits American myths with a mix of warm-hearted humor and occasional outbursts of physical violence and malevolence that recall E.L. Doctorow's work, including Ragtime .

The novel begins on June 12, 1954 and ends on the same date, clearly not coincidentally, as A Gentleman in Moscow . When we meet him, Towles' latest hero, Emmett Watson, has been released a few months early from detention in consideration of his father's death, the foreclosure of the family farm, and his responsibility for his 8-year-old brother, Billy. (Billy has been ably taken care of by a neighbor's hard-working daughter, Sally, during Emmett's absence; she's another terrific character.) The kindly warden who drives Emmett home reminds him that what sent him to the Kansas reformatory was "the ugly side of chance," but now he's paid his debt to society and has his whole life ahead of him.

Shortly after the warden drives off, two fellow inmates turn up, stowaways from the warden's trunk — trouble-maker Duchess and his hapless but sweet protegé, Woolly. (In another fun connection for Towles nerds, naïve trust funder Wallace "Woolly" Wolcott Martin is the nephew of Wallace Wolcott from Rules of Civility. )

Eagerness to discover what landed these three disparate musketeers in custody is one of many things that keeps us turning pages. Expectations are repeatedly upended. One takeaway is that a single wrong turn can set you off course for years — though not necessarily irrevocably.

'A Gentleman In Moscow' Is A Grand Hotel Adventure

Author Interviews

Idea for 'gentleman in moscow' came from many nights in luxury hotels.

The Lincoln Highway is, among other things, about the act of storytelling and mythmaking. The novel probes questions about how to structure a narrative and where to start; its chapters count down from Ten to One as they build to a knockout climax. Towles' intricately plotted tale is underpinned by young Billy's obsession with a big red alphabetical compendium of 26 heroes and adventurers — both mythical and real — from Achilles to Zorro, though the letter Y is left blank for You (the reader) to record your own intrepid quest.

Billy is determined to follow the Lincoln Highway west to San Francisco, where he hopes to find his mother, who abandoned her family when he was a baby and Emmett was 8. (The number 8 figures repeatedly, a reflection of the travelers' — and life's — roundabout, recursive route.) Whether riding boxcars or "borrowed" cars, Towles' characters are constantly diverted by one life-threatening adventure after another — offering Billy plenty of material for a rousing Chapter Y, once he figures out where to begin. One thing smart Billy comes to realize: He belongs to a long tradition of sidekicks who come to save the day.

"Most of us shell our days like peanuts. One in a thousand can look at the world with amazement," Towles wrote in his first novel. Of course, Towles is drawn to that one in a thousand. His interest is in those whose zeal has not yet been tamped down by what Duchess (the only first-person narrator) describes, with improbable flair for a poorly-educated 18-year-old, as "the thumb of reality on that spot in the soul from which youthful enthusiasm springs." With the exception of Woolly, the teenagers in this novel are remarkably mature by today's standards, and burdened by cares. But at any age, it's the young-at-heart who are most open to amazement — people like Woolly, who may not be cut out for this world but who can appreciate what he calls a "one-of-a-kind of day."

There's so much to enjoy in this generous novel packed with fantastic characters — male and female, black and white, rich and poor — and filled with digressions, magic tricks, sorry sagas, retributions, and the messy business of balancing accounts. "How easily we forget — we in the business of storytelling — that life was the point all along," Towles' oldest character comments as he heads off on an unexpected adventure. It's something Towles never forgets.

Review: The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles is a big work of fiction about the complicated journey of adulthood.

Towles’ previous book A Gentleman in Moscow published in 2016—I loved that novel and thought it was such a warmhearted tale. It spent two years on the New York Times bestsellers list and wow, what a hard accomplishment to follow. As a result, The Lincoln Highway was met with much anticipation.

I’ve actually owned The Lincoln Highway for months but the size is daunting (588 pages). I was also unsure of the story—18-year-old men on a road trip throughout the U.S. Still, I’ve seen so much praise but also plenty of negative reviews too so I was quite curious to read the story for myself.

And whew, I have so many thoughts. I felt everything from intrigue to boredom at times to absolute shock. This story is not what I expected in the slightest, which made for both an enlightening reading experience but also a bit of a confusing one as well. I go back and forth about what I think overall so here’s my attempt to digest it for you.

If you’ve read the book and would like to talk all things spoilers —head over to my discussion about the ending here .

What’s the Story About

First, I do think calling this novel The Lincoln Highway is a bit misleading. I thought it was going to be a road trip/buddy story that took the reader on the actual Lincoln Highway where I assumed we would visit plenty of small towns on the journey, meet interesting and quirky people and get to the final destination in a big, grand finale kind of way.

That’s not what happens. It is a journey, but more about boys becoming men and trying to find their place in a post-world society in 1954. The Lincoln Highway does make an appearance but two of our main characters don’t even get to really travel on it. Catchy title but not exactly accurate to the story.

We meet eighteen-year-old Emmett Watson as he arrives home to Nebraska from a juvenile work farm where he has just served fifteen months for involuntary manslaughter. His father has passed away and his mother left the family and with the family farm recently foreclosed by the bank, Emmett decides that he needs to take his eight-year-old brother Billy to another state where they can begin a new life.

However, Emmett discovers that two friends from the work farm have hidden themselves in the trunk of the warden’s car who drove him home. In a turn of events, they all began a fateful journey to New York.

Multi-Perspectives

We read the story from the third-hand perspectives of Emmett; his brother Billy; Woolly, one of the friends who escaped the work farm and several other characters. But we read the first-person perspectives of Duchess, the other friend who escaped the work farm and Sally, one of Emmett’s friends from Nebraska. It’s interesting that the author Amor Towles decided to shift perceptive like that. I have a theory of why he did that but it’s a bit of a spoiler so I will save it for my let’s talk about the ending article.

It did help having so many characters lend their true perspectives, especially as actions are sometimes different from their thoughts. There’s also some unreliable narration going on as well.

Although, I will say, Emmett is clearly our protagonist where Duchess is something else… to be honest, I wasn’t a fan of Duchess the moment he arrived and I didn’t love reading his perspective. I did not find him charming or misunderstood but more of a nuisance and with him having such a big role, that is one reason I did not love this novel.

That said, I do think the novel could have been trimmed—almost 600 pages is quite long. And there were areas I felt completed dragged and I started to lose interest. I’m not sure why they thought the longer the better as I think a more tighter story would have been stronger.

Much of the novel features Amor Towles in his signature style—warmhearted, big and epic storytelling.

However, the last 60 or so pages really came out of left field for me. When I finished it, my husband asked how it was and I said, “I’m unsure.” Again, it’s a long novel but bizarrely, it almost changes in tone and genre, especially toward the end.

As I write this, it’s been 24 hours since I’ve finished it and I’ve thought about it quite often since then. The more I think about it, I see where there are hints of something a bit more sinister lurking from several of the characters. I do see where the author laid the ground work for what was to happen but I feel the sudden shift was still jarring.

So what are my thoughts overall? I think the book is beautifully-written—Amor Towles really can write a truly masterful novel. But I do feel that the story missed the mark in several areas and I felt it dragged too. I’m still unsure about the tone shift because while shocking, it did not give a satisfying ending. I think this needed either an epilogue or promise of a sequel.

So all in all, I did not love the novel but I didn’t actively dislike it either. Disappointed in some areas but I did enjoy other aspects.

But again, that ending will get people talking so this novel is ideal for book clubs in many ways. For book clubs, check out my discussion questions here . And if you want to talk about the ending specifically, visit my post here.

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Saturday 28th of May 2022

I agree. Enjoyed the beginning but became bored by the end. Far too long.

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The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles review – a love letter to the American road trip

This sweeping book is as much about the literary history of the road novel as it is about one engaging journey

I t would be easy to be riled by the idea of Amor Towles. An investment banker whose debut novel, The Rules of Civility , was released in 2011 to rave reviews and stupendous sales, Towles quit his well-paid day job and settled down to write an even bigger hit, 2016’s A Gentleman in Moscow , inspired by “his experience of staying at luxury hotels”. That novel sold by the bucketload – his first two books have now racked up more than 4m global sales, have been translated into 30 languages, and enable Towles to list his hobbies as “collecting fine art and antiquities”. Perhaps understandably, I picked up his third novel, The Lincoln Highway , with a hint of bad faith. That I enjoyed it despite myself is a tribute to Towles’s near-magical gift for storytelling, his ability to construct a cast of characters at once flawed, lovable and fascinating.

The novel opens in 1954 as the 18-year-old Emmett Watson is being driven through the midwestern emptiness by a prison warden. He has been released on compassionate grounds after serving a little over a year for hitting a boy who mocked his sickly father. His opponent had fallen against a kerb and died, and Emmett was shipped off to a juvenile reform programme on a farm in Kansas. Now he’s back, but with his father dead and the family farm seized by the bank, Emmett must work out how to take care of himself and his precocious younger brother Billy.

Duchess and Woolly – both young men, the former sharply charismatic, the latter a “tender sort of soul” addicted to unnamed “little pink pills” – saw Emmett’s departure from the reform programme as an opportunity. While the warden signed Emmett out, they slipped into the back of his truck and now reveal themselves to Emmett and his brother. Emmett has plans to go to California to attempt to track down his long-lost mother, heading off down the Lincoln Highway that passes close-by his Nebraska farm. The Lincoln Highway is America’s oldest coast-to-coast road: “It starts in Times Square in New York City and it ends three thousand three hundred and ninety miles away in Lincoln Park in San Francisco.” Rather than heading west, though, Emmett is persuaded by Duchess to go east, to upstate New York, where one of Woolly’s relatives was said to have buried a fortune in the woods.

In The Lincoln Highway , Towles gives us what all great road novels give us: the panoramic sweep of the prairies and hills, adventures that seem to spring from the landscape itself, the propulsive rhythm of the road. The novel is told through multiple perspectives and each is as engaging and fully realised as the next. It’s as if the restricted palette of the previous novel – A Gentleman in Moscow was the story of the fictional Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov and his incarceration at the Hotel Metropol in Moscow – has encouraged a rollicking expansiveness here, not only the wide American vistas, but also the narrative, which rambles off down tangents and leaps from one perspective to the next with energetic restlessness. It’s a novel that is as much about the literary history of the American road as it is about the journey itself, and deserves a place alongside Kerouac, Steinbeck and Wolfe as the very best of the genre.

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THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY

by Amor Towles ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 5, 2021

An exhilarating ride through Americana.

Newly released from a work farm in 1950s Kansas, where he served 18 months for involuntary manslaughter, 18-year-old Emmett Watson hits the road with his little brother, Billy, following the death of their father and the foreclosure of their Nebraska farm.

They leave to escape angry townspeople who believe Emmett got off easy, having caused the fatal fall of a taunting local boy by punching him in the nose. The whip-smart Billy, who exhibits OCD–like symptoms, convinces Emmett to drive them to San Francisco to reunite with their mother, who left town eight years ago. He insists she's there, based on postcards she sent before completely disappearing from their lives. But when Emmett's prized red Studebaker is "borrowed" by two rambunctious, New York–bound escapees from the juvie facility he just left, Emmett takes after them via freight train with Billy in tow. Billy befriends a Black veteran named Ulysses who's been riding the rails nonstop since returning home from World War II to find his wife and baby boy gone. A modern picaresque with a host of characters, competing points of view, wandering narratives, and teasing chapter endings, Towles' third novel is even more entertaining than his much-acclaimed A Gentleman in Moscow (2016). You can quibble with one or two plot turns, but there's no resisting moments such as Billy's encounter, high up in the Empire State Building in the middle of the night, with professor Abacus Abernathe, whose Compendium of Heroes, Adventurers, and Other Intrepid Travelers he's read 24 times. A remarkable blend of sweetness and doom, Towles' novel is packed with revelations about the American myth, the art of storytelling, and the unrelenting pull of history.

Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-73-522235-9

Page Count: 592

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: June 21, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2021

LITERARY FICTION | HISTORICAL FICTION

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by Kristin Hannah ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2024

A dramatic, vividly detailed reconstruction of a little-known aspect of the Vietnam War.

A young woman’s experience as a nurse in Vietnam casts a deep shadow over her life.

When we learn that the farewell party in the opening scene is for Frances “Frankie” McGrath’s older brother—“a golden boy, a wild child who could make the hardest heart soften”—who is leaving to serve in Vietnam in 1966, we feel pretty certain that poor Finley McGrath is marked for death. Still, it’s a surprise when the fateful doorbell rings less than 20 pages later. His death inspires his sister to enlist as an Army nurse, and this turn of events is just the beginning of a roller coaster of a plot that’s impressive and engrossing if at times a bit formulaic. Hannah renders the experiences of the young women who served in Vietnam in all-encompassing detail. The first half of the book, set in gore-drenched hospital wards, mildewed dorm rooms, and boozy officers’ clubs, is an exciting read, tracking the transformation of virginal, uptight Frankie into a crack surgical nurse and woman of the world. Her tensely platonic romance with a married surgeon ends when his broken, unbreathing body is airlifted out by helicopter; she throws her pent-up passion into a wild affair with a soldier who happens to be her dead brother’s best friend. In the second part of the book, after the war, Frankie seems to experience every possible bad break. A drawback of the story is that none of the secondary characters in her life are fully three-dimensional: Her dismissive, chauvinistic father and tight-lipped, pill-popping mother, her fellow nurses, and her various love interests are more plot devices than people. You’ll wish you could have gone to Vegas and placed a bet on the ending—while it’s against all the odds, you’ll see it coming from a mile away.

Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024

ISBN: 9781250178633

Page Count: 480

Publisher: St. Martin's

Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023

FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP | GENERAL FICTION | HISTORICAL FICTION

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DEMON COPPERHEAD

by Barbara Kingsolver ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 18, 2022

An angry, powerful book seething with love and outrage for a community too often stereotyped or ignored.

Inspired by David Copperfield , Kingsolver crafts a 21st-century coming-of-age story set in America’s hard-pressed rural South.

It’s not necessary to have read Dickens’ famous novel to appreciate Kingsolver’s absorbing tale, but those who have will savor the tough-minded changes she rings on his Victorian sentimentality while affirming his stinging critique of a heartless society. Our soon-to-be orphaned narrator’s mother is a substance-abusing teenage single mom who checks out via OD on his 11th birthday, and Demon’s cynical, wised-up voice is light-years removed from David Copperfield’s earnest tone. Yet readers also see the yearning for love and wells of compassion hidden beneath his self-protective exterior. Like pretty much everyone else in Lee County, Virginia, hollowed out economically by the coal and tobacco industries, he sees himself as someone with no prospects and little worth. One of Kingsolver’s major themes, hit a little too insistently, is the contempt felt by participants in the modern capitalist economy for those rooted in older ways of life. More nuanced and emotionally engaging is Demon’s fierce attachment to his home ground, a place where he is known and supported, tested to the breaking point as the opiate epidemic engulfs it. Kingsolver’s ferocious indictment of the pharmaceutical industry, angrily stated by a local girl who has become a nurse, is in the best Dickensian tradition, and Demon gives a harrowing account of his descent into addiction with his beloved Dori (as naïve as Dickens’ Dora in her own screwed-up way). Does knowledge offer a way out of this sinkhole? A committed teacher tries to enlighten Demon’s seventh grade class about how the resource-rich countryside was pillaged and abandoned, but Kingsolver doesn’t air-brush his students’ dismissal of this history or the prejudice encountered by this African American outsider and his White wife. She is an art teacher who guides Demon toward self-expression, just as his friend Tommy provokes his dawning understanding of how their world has been shaped by outside forces and what he might be able to do about it.

Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022

ISBN: 978-0-06-325-1922

Page Count: 560

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: July 13, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2022

LITERARY FICTION | GENERAL FICTION

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'The Lincoln Highway' was named Amazon's Best Book of 2021— here's why I finished this almost-600-page novel in one weekend

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• Amazon Editors compile an annual list of the best books they read that year .
• In 2021, " The Lincoln Highway " by Amor Towles earned the Best Book of the Year award.
• I devoured this book in one weekend and now understand the heaping praise it received. 

Recently, Amazon named " The Lincoln Highway " its Best Book of 2021 , noting it as a unanimously agreed-upon crowd-favorite amongst its editors, who read and review hundreds of books each year. 

" The Lincoln Highway " is most centrally about Emmett Watson, an 18-year-old boy who has just completed his one-year sentence at a work farm for involuntary manslaughter. Returning home in 1954, he retrieves his younger brother and the two decide to travel west along the Lincoln Highway to California, where they hope to find their mother who ran away many years prior. 

This novel was the Jenna's Book Club pick for October 2021 and has a significant approval rating amongst Goodreads reviewers , with 86% of readers giving it a 4- or 5-star review, leading to its selection as a nominee for Best Historical Fiction Novel in the Goodreads Choice Awards . You may also recognize the author, Amor Towles, from his 2016 historical fiction bestseller " A Gentleman in Moscow ," which was nominated for several past awards as well. 

With all the rave reviews and praise surrounding " The Lincoln Highway ," I grabbed a copy, finished it in one weekend, and finally understood why readers can't stop talking about this book. 

Here are 3 reasons readers love "The Lincoln Highway": 

1. each character is expertly fleshed out and feels like a distinct person..

While many blurbs of this novel focus on Emmett Watson, the book is equally about his kid brother, Billy, and his friends from the work farm, Duchess and Woolly, who stowed away in the car that brought Emmett home. While Emmett and Billy plan to head west, Duchess continually derails the group's plans and draws them to New York in search of a small, stashed fortune.

For most readers, the characters are what makes this novel so great. This story is told over 10 days from multiple points of view, each of which propels the novel forward as we dig deeper and deeper into its protagonists' lives.

2. Amor Towles' poetic writing style enhances the plot.

One of the biggest reasons this novel is so popular is because of Amor Towles' storytelling. The prose is enchanting and enthralling, shifting between moments of comedy and drama. There's something about the writing in this novel that not only reminds us of the classics but begs to be considered a classic in its own right.  

Some of the criticism of this book comes from readers who simply didn't connect with Towles' writing style, which boils down to individual taste; not every book is for everyone. Around a third of the way through the novel, I did start to wonder how the story had gotten so off track from the initial description — until I realized it was intentional. As soon as I decided to trust the author and follow the story wherever it may go, I fell in love with the book and happily got lost in its pages. 

Though this novel sits at nearly 600 pages and more than 16 hours as an audiobook , the time flew by as Towles captivated me with adventure after gripping adventure until I was suddenly at the heart-breaking conclusion of a book I wasn't ready to close. 

3. "The Lincoln Highway" reads like a classic American novel about hope and seeking a fresh start.

Despite the title, this story is barely about the Lincoln Highway. As Emmett and Billy begin to plan their trip west, it's immediately derailed by Duchess and Woolly's appearance. Their hijinx, adventures, and missteps take the boys farther from their intended destination but closer to where they need to be, even if they don't realize it. 

Each memorable character in this novel is on their own unique journey toward a fresh start. Emmett is looking to start over after his sentence, Billy is looking to reunite with his mother after losing his dad, Duchess is looking for riches to start a restaurant, and Woolly is looking to find family in his friendships. But for each of these characters, their pasts follow them throughout the story and prove inescapable, at least in the ways they were hoping they'd be. 

Ultimately, this is a story of hope, centered around young and optimistic characters who are still filled with innocence and determination. Perhaps, as the second pandemic year comes to a close, readers are gravitating towards novels like this one because they especially cherish stories of promise, friendship, and nostalgia right now.

The bottom line

" The Lincoln Highway " is a captivating story that reads like a classic and offers readers a hopeful message as this year comes to a close. It's a great read to pick up if you're looking for a nostalgic adventure and are ready to fall in love with some incredibly fleshed-out characters. 

You can find the rest of Amazon's best books of 2021 here .

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Reviews of The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

Summary | Excerpt | Reading Guide | Reviews | Beyond the book | Read-Alikes | Genres & Themes | Author Bio

The Lincoln Highway

by Amor Towles

Critics' Opinion:

Readers' Opinion:

• Historical Fiction
• Midwest, USA
• 1940s & '50s
• Parenting & Families
• Coming of Age
• Dealing with Loss
• Top 20 Best Books of 2021

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About this Book

• Reading Guide

Book Summary

Winner of the 2021 BookBrowse Fiction Award 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.

June 12, 1954—The drive from Salina to Morgen was three hours, and for much of it, Emmett hadn't said a word. For the first sixty miles or so, Warden Williams had made an effort at friendly conversation. He had told a few stories about his childhood back East and asked a few questions about Emmett's on the farm. But this was the last they'd be together, and Emmett didn't see much sense in going into all of that now. So when they crossed the border from Kansas into Nebraska and the warden turned on the radio, Emmett stared out the window at the prairie, keeping his thoughts to himself. When they were five miles south of town, Emmett pointed through the windshield. —You take that next right. It'll be the white house about four miles down the road. The warden slowed his car and took the turn. They drove past the McKusker place, then the Andersens' with its matching pair of large red barns. A few minutes later they could see Emmett's house standing beside a small grove...

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

• How do you think Emmett, Duchess, and Woolly's various upbringings—particularly their relationships to their parents—have shaped them? How have their parents' choices influenced their own desires and ambitions? When you were eighteen, which aspects of your parents' lives did you hope to emulate, and which did you hope to cast aside?
• Early in the novel, Emmett meets Sister Agnes, a nun who describes the faith of children who look upon a miracle "with awe and wonder, yes, but without disbelief." From the context, it's fairly clear that Sister Agnes is referencing Billy in her remark. How would you describe Billy's personality? While he is the youngest and least experienced character in the novel, one could argue that he has the...
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Reader reviews, bookbrowse review.

The Lincoln Highway features some fantastic characters. Precocious Billy steals every scene he appears in. Duchess is a delightfully flamboyant bounder, peppering his speech with malapropisms and Shakespeare quotes — he takes after his father, a roguish traveling actor who abandoned him at an orphanage. Woolly is a dozy, melancholy young man, described as being "not all there" or "away with the fairies." A danger with an episodic narrative like this one is that random events and encounters pile up but don't do much to further the plot. Despite the condensed timeframe here, it's a meandering story that can try one's patience. Other readers, no doubt, will appreciate the old-fashioned American road trip vibe. There is something appealing about the conjunction of bravery and mischief, and it's reassuring how the novel comes full circle and promises further adventures ahead... continued

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(Reviewed by Rebecca Foster ).

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StarTribune

Review: 'the lincoln highway,' by amor towles.

Amor Towles' follow-up to his bestselling book "A Gentleman in Moscow" arrives on a wave of anticipation, at a time when we long for simpler days. Set in 1950s America, "The Lincoln Highway" is a road novel that celebrates the mythos of an era via a cross-country highway, and it delivers an overwhelming blast of nostalgia that many readers will welcome even if it doesn't add anything new to the genre.

Like the highway, the novel is long, and it winds through adventures in the style of an old-fashioned serial, with an abundance of last-second rescues and romantic philosophizing (about the moral caliber of men who can take a punch, codes of honor and the need to "balance the accounts" in life). The philosophizing does not always spring from the most trustworthy of sources. Still, "The Lincoln Highway" is a romantic novel, not in a passion-and-courtship sense but in its idealization of the era.

The story follows the fortunes of two brothers of a familiar type: strong, silent Emmett and innocent, optimistic Billy. Emmett, 18, has just returned home to Nebraska after serving a sentence at a juvenile work farm (he accidentally killed another boy in a fight). The boys' father is dead, and a neighbor has been caring for Billy.

With the family farm in foreclosure, all that's left for the brothers to do is follow in the footsteps of generations before them: Go West. In California, Emmett hopes to build houses, while Billy believes they will find the mother who abandoned them.

Two escapees from the work farm derail their plan: Woolly, heir of a wealthy New York family; and Duchess, the abandoned son of a traveling actor. Duchess' sociopathic tendencies will present most (though not all) of the novel's conflicts, his actions rerouting the brothers to that other testing ground for dreams: New York City.

A skeptic might be tempted to view this parade of Americana with a weary eye. Knowing what to make of such a nostalgic surge is hard; social media has sharpened and enhanced our cynicism. But Towles isn't an ironic writer; he's not mocking the American dream. He's reveling in it.

Maybe for the reader, as for Emmett and Billy, the journey is the point. The road is long, after all, and "The Lincoln Highway" ends with unfinished business. What's more American than a sequel?

Connie Ogle is a book critic in Florida.

The Lincoln Highway

By: Amor Towles.

Publisher: Viking, 592 pages, $30.

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The Lincoln Highway (Review, Synopsis & Summary)

By amor towles.

Book review and synopsis for The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles, a story about four young men journeying from Nebraska to New York City set in 1950's America.

In The Lincoln Highway , eighteen-year-old Emmett Watson is driven home to Nebraska in June 1954 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.

(The Full Plot Summary is also available, below)

Full Plot Summary

The two-paragraph version: Emmett (18) has just gotten out of juvie and is now planning to drive down the Lincoln Highway to move to San Francisco with his younger brother Billy (8). Billy hopes to find their mother (who left them 8 years ago) there. However, two guys (Duchess and Woolly) have snuck out from juvie and have followed Emmett home, hoping to convince him to help with a caper in New York to take back Woolly's $150K trust fund (which Woolly has been deemed "unfit" to access). When Emmett declines, Duchess "borrows" Emmett's car, forcing Emmet and Billy to stowaway on a train to New York to find Duchess and Woolly and reclaim it. They are aided by Sally, a family friend, and Ulysses, a black man they meet on the train.

Meanwhile, Duchess is also trying to settle some debts against along the way, and he attacks their former warden and other people. When they finally all reach Woolly's grandfather's lakeside house (where the safe with the money is), it turns out Woolly doesn't even know the combination to the safe. Woolly kills himself (which Emmett thinks was his plan all along since he was unhappy and misunderstood by his family), and Emmett and Duchess have a confrontation that turns violent. Ultimately, Billy is able to guess the safe combination, and Emmett puts Duchess (who can't swim) in a leaky boat on the lake with his share of the money. The book ends with Billy, Emmett and Sally heading off to San Francisco, while Duchess drowns trying to save his money from flying away (rather than floating back to safety).

(The book chapters count down from 10 to 1.)

Chapters 10 and 9 open with Emmett Watson (18) returning home to Morgen, Nebraska (dropped off by Warden Williams ) after having spent a year in juvenile detention for killing Jimmy Snyder . Jimmy was a troublemaker who had goaded Emmett into punching him. It caused Jimmy to fall and hit his head on a cinder block, resulting in his death.

In present day, Emmett learns his father's farm is being foreclosed upon by the bank. When Emmett tells his younger brother, Billy (8), that they will need to move, Billy suggests they move to San Francisco. Billy has recently found some old postcards indicating their mother (who left them 8 years ago) once took the journey there down the Lincoln Highway. Billy hopes she might still be living there now. While Emmett thinks his brother's plan of tracking down their mother in California is crazy, he knows that California (due to its high population growth) is a good place for him to pursue his goal of achieving financial stability by renovating and selling houses. After some research, he agrees to the plan.

They're soon interrupted by the presence of Duchess and Woolly , two guys Emmett knows from juvie. Duchess spent a few years in an orphanage, being raised by nuns, after his father abandoned him there for two years when he was 8. Meanwhile, Woolly is a troubled rich kid.

They explain that they stowed away in Warden Williams's trunk and have a proposition for Emmett. Woolly is the beneficiary of a trust fund that should have come under his control now that he's 18. However, his brother-in-law Dennis had him declared "unfit". There's also a wall safe at his great-grandfather's house in upstate New York that contains roughly the same amount of money as his trust fund, $150,000. They want Emmett to go with them to help Woolly get the cash, and in exchange they'll split the money evenly among the three of them. Emmett immediately declines.

The next morning, Sally Ransom , their neighbor and a former romantic interest of Emmett's drops by. She's upset to learn from Duchess that Emmett plans on leaving. In town, Jake Snyder (brother of Jimmy Snyder) accosts Emmett, trying to goad him into a fight and then punching Emmett a few times, though Emmett doesn't fight back.

In Chapters 8 and 7 , they hit the road with the plan of dropping Woolly and Duchess off at the bus stop in Omaha before Emmett and Billy continue on to San Francisco. However, Duchess derails the plan. He asks them to make a pit stop at the orphanage he stayed in for a few years as a child (because his father abandoned him there temporarily). There, he causes a commotion and then drives off with Woolly in Emmett's car (and inadvertently with all of Emmett's money), headed to New York. He promises to be back soon and to give Emmett his share of the cash when they return.

With no money and no mode of transportation, Emmett and Billy hitch a ride on a train to go to New York to track down Duchess and Woolly. On the train, Billy nearly gets his silver coin collection stolen from him by a fake pastor, "Pastor" John , but Pastor John is stopped by Ulysses -- a black WWII vet who is also hitching a ride on the train. Ulysses is a seasoned boxcar traveler, who has been iterant ever since he returned from the war to learn that his wife left him.

Billy gets to know Ulysses, and he tells Ulysses the legend of the Greek hero Ulysses. Billy has been reading an abridged version of from a big red book authored by someone named Professor Abacus Abernathe . The book features a number of great travelers and adventurers, both real and fictional.

Meanwhile, Duchess and Woolly have driven as far as Illinois by now. Duchess plans to start a new life after all of this and wants to clear out any debts he owes or owed to him before he does. They make a quick stop at the house of the retired former warden, Ackerly , who used to beat them. Duchess hits him on the head with a cast-iron skillet and leaves, noting that Ackerly's debt to him has been paid.

In Chapters 6 and 5 , they all make their way to New York. Duchess's goes looking for his father ( Harry ), who is trying to evade him after learning that Duchess escaped from juvie. Duchess finds Fitzy FitzWilliams , an old friend of Harry. We learn that when Duchess was 16, he framed by Harry for a number of thefts in the hotel they were living in (which Harry had actually committed). Fitzy lied in a statement to corroborate Harry's lie. In present day, Duchess guilts Fitzy into giving him Harry's current address in Syracuse.

Afterwards, Duchess goes to visit Townhouse, who was released from Salina a while ago. He wants to settle accounts with him, since Duchess owes Townhouse for having gotten Townhouse in trouble once. The two get squared away, and before Duchess leaves, he impulsively gives Townhouse's cousin Maurice the keys to Emmett's Studebaker (he thinks of it as a good deed that he's doing).

Elsewhere, Ulysses takes Billy and Emmett to a vagrant camp where they can stay for the night. Emmett goes into the city to track down Duchess, who knows is looking for his father. He gets Harry's former address from his agency. It leads him to Fitzy, who tells him about Duchess's past and also gives him Harry's Syracuse address.

Meanwhile, Woolly visits his sister Sarah who says that she has talked to Warden Williams, who is offering Woolly minimal consequences if he returns to juvie immediately. And back at that camp, Ulysses and Billy are attacked by Pastor John. However, Ulysses kills him and drops his body into the river.

In Chapters 4 and 3 , Emmett goes to visit Townhouse, who warns that the police recently came by looking for Duchess. He thinks it's about something more serious than Duchess's escape from Salina. He also returns Emmett's Studebaker to him, and his friends offer to repaint it since the police seem to have associated as blue Studebaker with whatever crime Duchess committed. Townhouse then directs Emmett to where Duchess will be that night, which turns out to be a raunchy circus show attached to a brothel. Emmett confronts Duchess and tries to get him to leave. However, Duchess drugs Emmett, leaves him at the brothel and ducks out.

Before heading to Sarah's place, the group passes by the location described in Billy's big red book as the offices of Professor Abacus Abernathe. They go to visit him and see that he's a real person. Billy tells Abacus about his own adventures. Abacus asks to meet Ulysses, and the two become acquainted.

Back at Sarah's place, Emmett eventually shows up. However, because he wasn't able to check in with Sally as he'd promised earlier, Sally ends up heading to New York (after attempting to call them) to check on Emmett and Billy. She arrives soon after Emmett. They all have a delightful dinner, but soon Dennis and Sarah come home. Dennis is furious to learn that Woolly is not at Salina. He demands that Woolly go work for one of his stockbroker friends after he finishes his sentence.

In Chapter 2 , Woolly and Duchess sneak out early and make their way to Woolly's great-grandfather's house in the Adirondacks in order to take the $150K from the safe. However, when they arrive, it turns out Woolly doesn't know the combination (and it never occurred to him there would be one). Then, as Duchess tries to hack open the safe, Woolly takes a bunch of pills and kills himself.

Elsewhere, Abacus thinks about how Billy has reawakened his desire for adventure. He decides to go with Ulysses to travel via boxcar and seek out his own adventure.

In Chapter 1 , Emmett arrives at Woolly's great-grandfather's house to find Woolly dead and Duchess still trying to get the safe open. Emmett and Duchess scuffle, and Emmett knocks Duchess out. (He doesn't kill Duchess because he had made a promise to Billy not to lash out again.) Meanwhile, Billy guesses the safe combination based on something Woolly had said about his great-grandfather loving the 4th of July. They also find Woolly's will, splitting up his $150K trust fund equally between Billy, Emmett and Duchess.

The book ends with Emmett leaving Duchess in a leaky boat with no oars and with his $50K share in cash. As Duchess tries to get to the money before it flies away, he drowns. Meanwhile, Emmett and Billy head for San Francisco. Sally joins them (platonically) so she can start a new life out there as well.

For more detail, see the full Chapter-by-Chapter Summary .

If this summary was useful to you, please consider supporting this site by leaving a tip ( $2 , $3 , or $5 ) or joining the Patreon !

Book Review

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles is a book I’ve really been looking forward to ever since it was announced. Like many people, I really enjoyed his previous novel A Gentleman in Moscow , and I’ve been eager to revisit his writing.

Blue 1948 Studebaker Land Cruiser

The Lincoln Highway is an adventure story through and through. It tells the story of two brothers with a plan to travel down the Lincoln Highway from Nebraska to San Francisco, though their plans quickly get derailed from the onset.

I loved the tone and the atmosphere of this novel. The sense of adventure and knowing that the book has exciting times and surprises in store for you made it easy for me to look forward to what was coming next.

I also appreciated the journey that Towles takes each character on. He slowly reveals their character and backstory in a way that’s surprising and engaging. In general, I appreciated the parts of the characters that were complex and imperfect.

Beyond that, every section of this book feels crafted for a particular purpose, to bring the story forward in a particular way, though you may not realize it at the time. Like in A Gentleman in Moscow , Towles sets up specific plot points early on throughout the story, knowing he plans on revisiting them in a way that feels gratifying when you reach the later parts of the book.

Some Criticisms

That said, I didn’t fall in love with this book the way I was hoping to. In terms of the main character, Emmett felt a little vanilla at times to me, like a very generic leading man. He was easily the most predictable of the characters, which make him the least interesting to me. Meanwhile, while they were certainly less predictable, both Duchess and Woolly were a little much , in that they were too devious or too ridiculous at times. Something about them just felt a little cartoonish to me.

Meanwhile, Billy is the stereotypical precocious and overly-curious kid that movies and books love to cast in their stories. Moreover, the whole idea that Emmett would ever take Billy on this incredibly dangerous trip when there is a perfectly safe and caring place he could stay requires a lot of suspension of disbelief. It made it a lot harder to take this book seriously.

It’s a book that seems to want to feel grand and epic in scope — four adventurers traveling across the United States! — but doesn’t quite get there. The frequent references to things like Shakespeare, Odysseus, and other legendary characters only underscored for me how much smaller and less emotionally-impactful this story feels.

There are definitely moments where this book shines and it seems to capture precisely the fun, adventurous, freewheeling feeling it seems to be going for — but there’s some unevenness to it. Mixed in there are equal stretches of text when the story drags a little and feels a little mundane.

Read it or Skip it?

If you’re someone who loves a good adventure or a journey à la The Adventures of Tom Sawyer or something of that vein, The Lincoln Highway will probably be right up your ally. For the most part, it really captures that excitement of not knowing who they’ll come across next or what hijinks the various characters will get up to.

However, as I said before, I liked it, but I didn’t love it. While there was a fun sense of adventure, the story didn’t feel as epic as it seemed to be trying to be, and it didn’t seem to have a strong emotional pull to make me fall in love with it. It’s a long book that’s worth the time and effort, but it also often feels long as you’re reading it, if you know what I mean.

I think most book clubs could enjoy this though. Like I said, there’s plenty of discovery, adventure and fun hijinks in store if you decide to read it!

The Lincoln Highway Audiobook Review

Narrated by : Edoardo Ballerini, Marin Ireland & Dion Graham Length : 16 hours 38 minutes

I found the audiobook for The Lincoln High to perfectly serviceable and easy to listen to. The narrators all speak in a crisp, soothing well-paced manner.

There wasn’t anything about it that particular stood out to me, but if you’re interested in this story anyway, this audiobook is a great option.

Hear a sample of The Lincoln Highway audiobook on Libro.fm.

Discussion Questions

• How would you describe Emmett and Billy’s personalities? Why do you they are similar or different?
• What do you think about Emmett’s attitude toward Sally? What do you think of her expectations of him and what he seems to think her expectations are?
• What did you think of Emmett’s relationships with his father and mother? Do you think they were good parents to Emmett and do you think they were good people?
• What did you think of the side characters like Ulysses, Sally, Sarah or Professor Abernathe? Whose story interested you the most and why?
• Emmett is conscientious about wanting to protect his brother from questionable activities and less savory elements of life, but Billy seems to romanticize these things. What do you think about the decisions he makes?
• What did you think of the character of Billy? Did you find him believable as a character? Do you think you were similar to him as a kid?
• Why do you think the characters in the book are so concerned with settling debts and dealing with their obligations?
• What did you think of the character of Woolly? Do you think things could have turned out differently for him? What do you think would have needed to happen for his life to turn out differently? Why do you think Woolly is so fixated on avoiding a every-day-kind-of-day? Why do you think Woolly does what he does at the end of the book?
• Do you think Duchess is a good or bad person at heart? Do you think he could have been redeemed? Why do you think his story ended the way it did?
• Why do you think Sally decides to go to San Francisco? What do you think will happen to her father
• What do you think happens after the characters end up in San Francisco? Were you happy with the way the story ended?

Book Excerpt

Read the first pages of The Lincoln Highway

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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.

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Lincoln Highway had literary touches similar to A Gentleman in Moscow especially when it diverged to secondary characters. In describing Lincoln Highway to others, it is a modern day Huckleberry Finn/The Wizard of Oz adventure….not on the Mississippi but instead, on America’s oldest highway. While the characters are rendered flawed and at the same time lovable…even Duchess who caused so much havoc along the way. It is Woolly and Billy, each on the opposite end of the intellectual spectrum, who are endowed with a unique sense of insight and prove true goodness. Now, Duchess’ ultimate undoing really bothered me in that, while well deserved, nonetheless proved Emmett really hadn’t “learned his lesson.”

9. My optimistic view on the ending: consider that this is Billy’s book, and everything in it was either witnessed by him or told to him by someone else, or made up. He could not know that Duchess drowned, because he and Emmett drove away in the car. If they were still there, they would have rescued him. So either they were not there, or they did rescue him after he went in the water.

If Billy was not there, then he made up the last bit to 1) fit his hero/morality story agenda about how heroes and anti-heroes die from their one weakness (here greed); and 2) to protect Duchess (and themselves) from the police by telling a made-up story about Duchess’s death, when really he got away with the money, as did Billy and his brother.

After reading Gentle in Moscow, I thought, so what. The story left me cold. I am one third through Lincoln Highway and find myself skipping through the wordiness to get to some point. Don’t think I will persist as I have other books calling me. The book needs a serious edit, taking out all the verbs to be to begin with. One wonders how this writer sells so many books as I don’t think he is a good writer.

My adult daughter and I absolutely loved this book! We finished it in 3 days because we could not put it down. We loved how it was written and cannot wait to read another of his books.

I agree with you about the book. Besides what you wrote, I was also dissatisfied with the ending. I didn’t really understand why Woolly committed suicide. And I didn’t really understand why Emmett set Duchess afloat like that. It seemed too mean for Emmett’s character. Also, Duchess could have just been patient and waited until the wind died on the lake. His emotion and desire for the money overcame his good sense. That was clear; but the Duchess I had come to know in the earlier chapters would have had more sense. Could you comment, please?

In my opinion Wolly committed suicide because he felt he had no other choice. There was clearly something wrong with him mentally and with the book set in the 1950’s there was not much available to him. He didn’t want to keep “fighting” for his life to get better he wanted to go back and revisit the place he was the happiest. Plus the only person in his life that seemed to care was Sarah. It was sad, but I understand that feeling of hopelessness!

I enjoyed the novel but there is one plot device which I found completely implausible. When Emmett realizes Duchess has stolen his car it does not occur to him to call the police and even more unbelievable is that he thinks he and Billy can take a freight train to NY city and there find Duchess and his car. Did he think he and Billy would just stroll around the sidewalks of NY and just by a stroke of luck find Duchess who would then be happy to return the stolen car and the money hidden in it? He is depicted as a smart level headed person so it is hard to believe he could be that naive.

Emmett did not put Duchess in the boat with a hole in it and a promise to Billy not to hurt Duchess any more than he had, so Emmett puts Duchess in the caddie. So who put Duchess in the boat. Well it certainly wasn’t Billy, so that leaves only one person left

Two mistakes/typos in Chapter 1 of this summary.

It is Duchess (NOT Woolly) who is still trying to get the safe open when Emmett arrives at Woolly’s great-grandfather’s house.

The book ends with Emmett leaving Duchess in a leaky boat with no oars (NOT no oaks).

Are the copy editors leaving all their work up to spell-check?

Barb, I didn’t catch those mistakes but a couple things bugged me. The fire that Wooly set at his private school might have burned down the goalpost but it would have been the old style goalpost shaped like an ‘H’, not the kind used today with one post in the ground. When talking about Sally’s truck it’s mentioned that she put something in the back seat but farm trucks in the early fifties didn’t have ‘crewcabs’. Also found it funny that the sheriff, when taking Emmet home, asks if he can smoke in the Studebaker. I think that at that time it was assumed one could smoke anywhere.

Don’t know why I see things like this as it doesn’t really matter but, hey, why not mention it.

Woolly, was my favorite character. Rules of Civility his first book gives reference to Woolly.

I didn’t like the way the book ended at all. Did Duchess really deserve this? I also wasn’t fond of how the author switches back and forth. He leaves one chapter as a cliff hanger and then proceeds onto the next character. I read it because I was determined to finish what I started but would not read it again.

Booklover Book Reviews

The Lincoln Highway, Book Review: Amor Towles’ heroic dogma

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles is filled with characters that charm but international readers may find the anthemic Americana less beguiling. Read my full review.

The Lincoln Highway Book Synopsis

Two brothers venture across 1950s America to New York in the absorbing new novel by the author of the bestselling  A Gentleman in Moscow.

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.

With his mother long gone, his father recently deceased, and the family farm foreclosed upon by the bank, Emmett plans to pick up his eight-year-old brother Billy and head to California to start a new life.

But when the warden drives away, Emmett discovers that two friends from the work farm have stowed away in the trunk of the warden’s car. They have a very different plan for Emmett’s future, one that will take the four of them on a fateful journey in the opposite direction – to New York City.

Bursting with life, charm, richly imagined settings and unforgettable characters,  The Lincoln Highway  is an extraordinary journey through 1950s America from the pen of a master storyteller.

( Penguin Books Australia , 2021)

Genre: Literature, Historical, Drama, Adventure

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Book Review

After raving over Amor Towles debut novel Rules of Civility , I was very much looking forward to reading his highly anticipated third novel The Lincoln Highway . It is featured in countless Best Books of 2021 lists, and the Amazon Book Review editors even named this their #1 book of the year .

Towles once again displays his skill and dare I say it, devotion to character development. There were multiple characters and descriptions that charmed me.

You’ve got to love that about Woolly. He’s always running about five minutes late, showing up on the wrong platform with the wrong luggage just as the conversation is pulling out of the station.

But, I think it is worth approaching this chunky 576 page novel with managed expectations – particularly so international readers who like me are less likely to be beguiled by this tale’s anthemic strains of Americana.

Now, I was always going to finish reading The Lincoln Highway because Towles hooks you early on setting off a domino-like series of events with menacing portent. But my expectation that this novel only spanning 10-days in the life of its characters would translate to a fast-paced reading experience was misguided.

Alternating perspectives

The Lincoln Highway narrative is told from alternating character perspectives – a literary construct I typically really enjoy. But I found Towles’ decision to use third-person perspective for some characters and first-person for others perplexing to say the least. I suspect it was something to do with ‘reading about heroes’ and a desire to heighten narrative suspense. But this, the numerous side tales and at times laboured moral messaging broke my reading spell on many occasions.

There is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse, as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till. The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried.

I would describe The Lincoln Highway ‘s conclusion as thought-provoking and worthy of interrogation, rather than satisfying. I am a big believer in karma, but this brand of casual fatalism and eye-for-an-eye dogma was just a little hard for me to swallow.

In The Lincoln Highway Amor Towles once again delivers characters that charm. That is his enviable talent. But, whether readers are ‘swept away’ by their story, I think rests heavily on personal experience and philosophical outlook.

BOOK RATING: The Story 3.5 / 5 ; The Writing 4 / 5 – Overall 3.75

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More The Lincoln Highway reviews

‘ The Lincoln Highway  is a joyride… delightful tour de force .. There’s so much to enjoy in this generous novel packed with fantastic characters’ – NPR.org

‘Towles’ third novel is even more entertaining than his much-acclaimed  A Gentleman in Moscow  (2016)… A remarkable blend of sweetness and doom, Towles’ novel is packed with revelations about the American myth, the art of storytelling, and the unrelenting pull of history. An exhilarating ride through Americana.’ – Kirkus Starred Review

‘With its down-home style and ideas about the lone hero, The Lincoln Highway is pure Americana. Reading it in any other country is like taking a vacation in the Land of the Free: a long, easy, enjoyable if at times hokey ride on a highway filled with adventure.’ – The Guardian

About the Author, Amor Towles

Amor Towles was born and raised in the Boston area. He graduated from Yale University and received an MA in English from Stanford University. An investment professional for over twenty years, he now devotes himself full time to writing. Towles lives in Manhattan with his wife and two children. Check out his website or connect with him on Twitter .

* My receipt of a review copy from the publisher did not impact the expression of my honest opinions above.

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Exploring the Legacy of the Lincoln Highway: A Captivating Book Review

The Lincoln Highway holds a significant place in American history as one of the country’s earliest transcontinental highways. Stretching from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, this iconic roadway played a crucial role in connecting the East Coast to the West Coast during the early 20th century. Its construction, which began in 1913, revolutionized cross-country travel and became a symbol of American ambition and progress.

In this article, we delve into a book review of a fascinating publication centered around the Lincoln Highway. This book not only explores the historical significance of the highway but also delves into the stories, anecdotes, and transformative events that unfolded along its path. Through this review, we aim to provide readers with an insightful analysis of the book’s content, evaluate its strengths and weaknesses, and shed light on its overall contribution to the understanding of the Lincoln Highway.

As we embark on this review, it is important to recognize the enduring relevance of the Lincoln Highway. Beyond its historical context, the highway represents a powerful symbol of unity, discovery, and the adventurous spirit that has defined America. Through the lens of this book, we have the opportunity to delve into the captivating narratives that have shaped the Lincoln Highway’s legacy and its impact on the nation as a whole.

Summary of the Book

Analysis of the book, historical context, impact and significance, the lincoln highway book ending explained.

The book under review provides a comprehensive exploration of the Lincoln Highway, delving into its historical significance and the multitude of stories that have unfolded along its path. Here is a summary of the key aspects covered in the book:

• The Lincoln Highway’s Route: The book offers a detailed account of the Lincoln Highway’s route, highlighting the towns, landmarks, and landscapes that travelers encountered along the way. It traces the highway’s journey from its eastern starting point in New York City, through the Midwest, and all the way to its western terminus in San Francisco.
• Historical Context: The book sets the stage by providing historical context, offering insights into the societal and technological developments that led to the construction of the Lincoln Highway. It explores the motivations behind its creation, including the desire for a direct transcontinental route and the need to promote automobile travel.
• Notable Figures: The book introduces readers to the notable figures associated with the Lincoln Highway, from the visionaries who conceived the idea to the engineers, businessmen, and travelers who contributed to its realization. It brings to life the stories of these individuals and their roles in shaping the highway’s legacy.
• Travel Experiences: The book paints a vivid picture of the travel experiences along the Lincoln Highway. It captures the challenges faced by early motorists, such as unpaved roads, lack of amenities, and the need for resourcefulness. Additionally, it explores the diverse encounters and adventures that unfolded as travelers made their way across the country.
• Impact and Legacy: The book examines the lasting impact of the Lincoln Highway on American society, economy, and culture. It explores how the highway facilitated the growth of towns and businesses along its route, as well as its influence on the development of roadside attractions, motels, and the concept of the American road trip.
• Preservation Efforts: The book delves into the ongoing preservation efforts dedicated to maintaining the historical significance of the Lincoln Highway. It discusses the initiatives taken to preserve original segments, markers, and landmarks, as well as the establishment of museums and organizations focused on commemorating the highway’s legacy.

In this section, we will analyze the book’s content, evaluating the author’s writing style, historical accuracy, and overall strengths and weaknesses. Here is a closer examination of the book:

• Writing Style: The author’s writing style plays a crucial role in engaging readers and effectively conveying the information. We assess whether the author employs a narrative approach, weaving together historical facts, personal anecdotes, and descriptive language to create a compelling and immersive reading experience. Additionally, we consider the book’s organization and structure, evaluating how well the content flows and transitions between different aspects of the Lincoln Highway’s story.
• Historical Accuracy: Historical accuracy is a fundamental aspect of any book centered around historical events. We delve into the depth of research undertaken by the author, assessing the reliability of the sources utilized and the level of factual accuracy presented. It is important to note if the book includes references, footnotes, or a bibliography, indicating a commitment to scholarly research and a transparent approach to historical documentation.
• Thematic Exploration: The book’s exploration of key themes related to the Lincoln Highway is another aspect we analyze. We assess whether the author delves beyond surface-level descriptions and delves into the societal, cultural, or economic implications of the highway’s construction and its impact on different regions and communities. Does the book provide thought-provoking insights or present unique perspectives on the subject matter?
• Engaging Narrative: A well-written book should have the ability to captivate readers and hold their attention throughout the journey. We consider whether the book succeeds in presenting the Lincoln Highway’s story in an engaging manner, ensuring that readers remain invested in the narrative. Are there captivating anecdotes, personal stories, or historical events that bring the highway’s history to life?
• Comprehensive Coverage: A thorough analysis of the book also involves assessing its comprehensiveness. Does the book cover a wide range of topics related to the Lincoln Highway, such as its construction, impact on local communities, or the experiences of travelers? We evaluate whether the book offers a well-rounded understanding of the highway’s significance, taking into account various perspectives and aspects of its history.
• Critical Evaluation: Finally, we critically evaluate the book’s strengths and weaknesses. Are there any notable gaps in the coverage of certain aspects of the Lincoln Highway’s history? Does the author present a balanced portrayal of the subject matter, addressing potential controversies or differing viewpoints? We weigh the book’s overall contribution to the field of Lincoln Highway studies and its potential value to readers interested in the topic.

Background information on the Lincoln Highway

• Origins of the Idea: This section explores the historical context that led to the conception of the Lincoln Highway. It provides insights into the need for a transcontinental route to connect the East Coast and the West Coast, highlighting the economic, social, and cultural factors that influenced the highway’s creation.
• Engineering and Construction Challenges: The book delves into the engineering and construction challenges faced during the development of the Lincoln Highway. It discusses the technological advancements of the time, such as the use of concrete, and the innovative approaches employed to overcome geographical obstacles like mountains, rivers, and deserts.
• Funding and Support: The historical context of the Lincoln Highway would be incomplete without discussing the financial and political aspects. The book may explore the funding sources, including private and public contributions, and the support garnered from influential figures, organizations, and government entities.

Discussion of the book’s portrayal of the historical context

• Comprehensive Coverage: The book’s portrayal of the historical context is evaluated for its comprehensiveness. Does it provide a well-rounded understanding of the societal, cultural, and economic factors that influenced the development of the Lincoln Highway? Does the author delve into the motivations, challenges, and aspirations of the individuals involved in its creation?
• Contextual Analysis: The book’s analysis of the historical context is examined for its depth and insight. Does it offer a nuanced understanding of the broader historical events and trends surrounding the Lincoln Highway’s construction? Does the author connect the highway’s development to larger narratives of American history, such as the rise of the automobile industry or the impact of westward expansion?

Comparison to other historical accounts or perspectives

• Existing Historical Accounts: This section assesses whether the book offers a fresh perspective or contributes new information to the existing body of historical literature on the Lincoln Highway. Are there significant differences or contradictions between the book’s account and other well-established historical narratives? Does the author challenge or expand upon existing interpretations of the highway’s historical context?
• Inclusion of Diverse Perspectives: The book’s inclusion of diverse perspectives is considered in relation to the historical context. Does the author incorporate the voices and experiences of various individuals and communities affected by the construction and use of the Lincoln Highway? Does it shed light on the experiences of marginalized groups, such as women, minorities, or indigenous peoples, within the historical context of the highway?
• Historical Accuracy and Interpretation: This aspect evaluates the book’s adherence to historical accuracy while presenting its interpretation of the historical context. Are there any discrepancies between the book’s portrayal and widely accepted historical facts? Does the author provide a clear rationale and evidence for their interpretation of the historical context?

By examining the background information, the book’s portrayal of the historical context, and its comparison to other historical accounts or perspectives, readers can gain a deeper understanding of the broader historical landscape surrounding the Lincoln Highway’s creation and development.

Examination of the book’s impact on understanding the Lincoln Highway

• Enhanced Understanding: The book’s impact on understanding the Lincoln Highway is evaluated, considering whether it provides new insights, perspectives, or previously unknown details about the highway’s history. Does the book uncover lesser-known stories or shed light on overlooked aspects of the highway’s significance?
• Cultural and Historical Appreciation: The book’s impact on fostering a deeper appreciation for the cultural and historical significance of the Lincoln Highway is assessed. Does it bring attention to the diverse communities, landmarks, and historical events associated with the highway? Does it inspire readers to explore and engage with the Lincoln Highway’s legacy?

Discussion of the book’s contribution to the field of history or transportation studies

• Advancements in Historical Research: The book’s contribution to the field of history is considered, particularly in terms of its potential to advance scholarship on the Lincoln Highway. Does it offer a fresh perspective or introduce new research findings? Does it contribute to ongoing conversations and debates within the field?
• Transportation Studies: The book’s contribution to the field of transportation studies is explored. Does it provide valuable insights into the impact of the Lincoln Highway on transportation history and the development of road networks? Does it examine the influence of the highway on subsequent transportation infrastructure or policies?

Reflection on the book’s relevance to contemporary issues

• Tourism and Travel: The book’s relevance to contemporary issues related to tourism and travel is examined. Does it offer lessons or perspectives that can be applied to current travel experiences? Does it address the role of heritage tourism or the preservation of historic roads in the present day?
• Infrastructure and Development: The book’s relevance to contemporary discussions surrounding infrastructure and development is considered. Does it provide insights into the historical challenges and successes of constructing a transcontinental highway? Does it prompt reflections on the significance of transportation infrastructure in shaping economic growth and regional connectivity?
• Preservation Efforts: The book’s reflection on preservation efforts surrounding the Lincoln Highway is explored. Does it raise awareness about the need to protect and preserve historical landmarks, roadside attractions, or sections of the highway? Does it inspire readers to engage with preservation initiatives or contribute to the safeguarding of transportation heritage?

By assessing the book’s impact on understanding the Lincoln Highway, its contribution to history and transportation studies, and its relevance to contemporary issues, we can gauge its broader significance and the lasting implications of its insights and narratives.

The Lincoln Highway book does not have a traditional narrative with a specific ending as it is a historical exploration rather than a fictional story. Instead, it concludes by tying together the various themes and narratives explored throughout the book. It may highlight the lasting impact of the Lincoln Highway on American society, economy, and culture, emphasizing its role in shaping the development of towns, businesses, and the concept of the American road trip. The book may also reflect on the ongoing preservation efforts dedicated to maintaining the historical significance of the Lincoln Highway and its importance as a cultural heritage. Ultimately, the ending of the Lincoln Highway book provides a sense of closure by summarizing the key insights and leaving readers with a deeper appreciation for the significance and legacy of this iconic transcontinental route.

In conclusion, the book review of the Lincoln Highway provides a comprehensive and engaging exploration of this iconic transcontinental roadway. Through its summary of the book, analysis of its content, and examination of its impact and significance, readers are granted a deeper understanding of the historical context, stories, and cultural importance associated with the Lincoln Highway.

The book’s portrayal of the historical context offers a comprehensive and well-rounded understanding of the societal, cultural, and economic factors that shaped the construction of the Lincoln Highway. It delves into the motivations, challenges, and aspirations of the individuals involved, providing readers with a broader perspective on this monumental project.

Moreover, the book’s impact on understanding the Lincoln Highway is noteworthy. It brings to light lesser-known stories, uncovers overlooked aspects, and fosters a deeper appreciation for the cultural and historical significance of the highway. Through its contribution to history and transportation studies, the book advances scholarship, introduces new insights, and enriches ongoing conversations within these fields.

The book’s relevance to contemporary issues is also significant. It prompts reflections on the present-day implications of tourism and travel, infrastructure and development, and preservation efforts. By drawing connections between the past and the present, it encourages readers to engage with the lessons and legacies of the Lincoln Highway in our modern world.

Overall, the book review serves as a valuable resource for those interested in the history, culture, and significance of the Lincoln Highway. It offers an engaging narrative, presents a wealth of information, and invites readers to embark on a journey through time and across the diverse landscapes of America. Through its exploration of the historical context, contribution to scholarship, and relevance to contemporary issues, the book review provides a comprehensive understanding of the Lincoln Highway and its enduring impact on American history and culture.

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The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

• Publication Date: March 21, 2023
• Genres: Fiction , Historical Fiction
• Paperback: 592 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Books
• ISBN-10: 0735222363
• ISBN-13: 9780735222366
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Amor Towles flashes new skills in ‘Table for Two’

The celebrated author of ‘a gentleman in moscow’ and ‘the lincoln highway’ adds a collection of stories to his oeuvre.

For all of Amor Towles’s literary strengths, he hasn’t shown much interest in character transformation. America’s favorite Russian patrician, Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov, begins “ A Gentleman in Moscow ” in a similar frame of mind — whimsical, unbothered, “a natural-born host” — as he ends it. Duchess, the urbane rascal in “ The Lincoln Highway ,” fails to learn a single lesson despite the world’s insistence on teaching him.

This is less a slight than a simple observation of a style — and one that comes with perceivable benefits. Most notably, Towles’s characters hit the page like fully sculpted marble: frank in their behavior, obdurate in their morality and, by and large, very good-looking. In his newest work, “ Table for Two ,” a collection of six short stories and a novella, Towles thrives at the crossroads of form and technique. There’s not enough room for a character to really mature in 30-odd pages; luckily, Towles doesn’t need them to.

The collection’s title derives from the nature of its conflicts, most of which culminate in heated one-on-one conversation. These stories are straightforward in action but resolve at subtle ethical angles, and they come divided into two geographical sections: “New York” and “Los Angeles.” “The Line,” the opening story, takes place in post-revolutionary Moscow but concludes in “the middle of Times Square, where the street signs flashed, the subway rumbled.” Delivered thus to Towles’s stomping grounds — he worked for about 20 years at a Manhattan investment firm and still lives in the city — it’s in the Big Apple where the five other short stories remain.

Pushkin, the protagonist of “The Line,” stays in New York because he spent all his savings on four-course ocean liner dinners while his wife lay sick in their cabin. “Oh,” she thinks at the American passenger terminal, “how sweet had been the notion that her husband had been transformed; that after decades of aimlessness, he had proved to be a man of purpose and imagination; and that her judgment in marrying him had not been so misguided.”

If “The Line” shares DNA with “A Gentleman in Moscow,” the next story, “The Ballad of Timothy Touchett,” is an early high point that finds the author in uncharted territory. Towles, unlike many novelists, has not cast writers in primary roles. Enter Touchett, “his bachelor’s degree from a well-regarded liberal arts college firmly in hand,” set on becoming “a celebrated novelist.”

Alas, the aspirant’s literary heroes — William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, Fyodor Dostoevsky — led lives of wondrous adventure. Dostoevsky had even “been put on a train and shipped to the actual Siberia.” Touchett’s parents, meanwhile, “hadn’t even bothered to succumb to alcoholism or file for divorce.”

“Oh, what crueler irony could there be,” Towles writes, “than for the gods to infuse a young man with dreams of literary fame and then provide him with no experiences?”

Towles writes a writer quite well, forcing Touchett into a Faustian bargain involving vintage books.

Simultaneously, Towles cautions his peers against drawing too close to their source material. “Like parents,” he adds in an aside, rapping his knuckles on the fourth wall, “authors have no business attempting to relive their glories or redeem their sins through the lives of their creations. Authors must learn to stuff these burdens in their kit bags and lug them up the trail themselves.”

Towles largely skirts the “trail” of that most famous tête-à-tête: marriage. For a collection titled “Table for Two,” with a wedding ring featured prominently on its cover, these stories aren’t as conjugally inclined as one might imagine. In “Hasta Luego,” we’re told of “the compromises of marriage,” which “govern when, what, and how you eat.” But the marriage at stake, after a horrific day of airplane travel and some late-night shenanigans at a hotel bar, belongs to someone other than the protagonist. The same goes for “I Will Survive,” where we find a 68-year-old second husband lying about his squash schedule.

Towles’s work has always focused on the interior, and not just the rooms of gilded Russian hotels. He’s interested in what makes people tick. And he’s most interested in the desires of those with material surplus, the purportedly worry-free: The Yale Club makes multiple appearances; we meet “a ten-year-old boy dressed like T.S. Eliot.”

“No one is born pompous,” Towles reminds us, as if excusing his subject matter. “To attain that state requires a certain amount of planning and effort.”

“Table for Two” comprises Towles’s first published short stories, but he has said that he “honed his skills” in the medium, and it shows. The only place where “Table for Two” falters is in the novella that closes it, “Eve in Hollywood.”

“Fine-figured, with sandy hair, elegant and self-possessed,” the Eve of the title is Evelyn Ross from Towles’s “Rules of Civility,” who here arrives in Los Angeles after a breakup in New York. “Eve in Hollywood” has strengths — it’s a winsome portrait of early Los Angeles circa “Gone With the Wind” — but it lacks the breezy impetus that makes the shorter pieces fly. Elaborate backstories are introduced to paper over a couple of plot points, and despite drama involving scheming paparazzi, the tone can sometimes feel cloying. (“How does one fend off the influence of a summer day? You start by serving tea at three in the afternoon.”)

By this point, however, “Table for Two” has more than delivered. This collection is not just spare pieces to tide readers over until Towles’s next novel. It’s a worthwhile addition to his growing oeuvre.

Eric Olson is a writer and critic based in Seattle.

Table for Two

By Amor Towles

Viking. 451 pp. $32

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Hotel Elektrostal Hotel Ulitsa Raskovoy 6, 144000 Elektrostal', Russia

Featuring free Wi-Fi throughout the property, Hotel Elektrostal offers accommodation in Elektrostal'. Guests can enjoy the on-site snack bar. Free private parking is available on site.

Apelsin Hotel Hotel Noginskoye Shosse 36B, 144008 Elektrostal', Russia

Located next to Noginskoye Highway in Electrostal, Apelsin Hotel offers comfortable rooms with free Wi-Fi. Free parking is available.

Yuzhnaya Tribuna Hotel Ulitsa Krasnaya 36, 144002 Elektrostal', Russia

Offering a sauna and fitness centre, Yuzhnaya Tribuna is situated in the centre of Elektrostal. Guests can enjoy the on-site restaurant. Private parking is available on site.

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Nearby attractions.

Central Air Force Museum 16 km.

Gorenki Train Station 32 km.

Lyubertsy Train Station 36 km.

Reutov City Park 36 km.

Novokosino Metro Station 36 km.

Reutovo Train Station 36 km.

Triumph Sport Hall 36 km.

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