The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles Summary

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles is an adventure novel set in 1954 America that follows 18-year-old Emmett Watson and his 8-year-old brother Billy as their plan to drive to California gets derailed. Two fellow juvenile detention inmates, Duchess and Woolly, stow away and redirect them to New York City instead. Spanning just ten days and told from multiple perspectives, the story explores themes of brotherhood, moral responsibility, and the unpredictable nature of life's journey.

Amor Towles is an American novelist born in 1964 who graduated from Yale College and received an MA in English from Stanford University. After working over twenty years in investment banking, Towles became a full-time writer. His novels include Rules of Civility (2011), A Gentleman in Moscow (2016), The Lincoln Highway (2021), and the short story collection Table for Two (2024). His books have collectively sold over eight million copies and been translated into more than forty languages.

The Lincoln Highway appeals to readers who enjoy character-driven literary fiction, coming-of-age stories, and adventure narratives set in historical America. Fans of Amor Towles' previous works like A Gentleman in Moscow will appreciate his multi-layered storytelling and richly developed characters. This book suits readers interested in 1950s Americana, moral complexity, and stories exploring brotherhood, personal responsibility, and how unexpected detours shape our destinies. It's ideal for book clubs seeking discussion-worthy themes.

The Lincoln Highway is worth reading for its masterful storytelling, compelling characters, and exploration of post-war American culture. Amor Towles crafts a fast-paced yet reflective adventure with multiple narrative perspectives that reveal each character's motivations and moral struggles. The novel earned widespread critical acclaim, appeared on bestseller lists, and was recommended by both Bill Gates and President Barack Obama. Its blend of humor, heartbreak, and philosophical depth makes it a satisfying literary experience for diverse readers.

The Lincoln Highway follows Emmett Watson's release from juvenile detention in June 1954, planning to move to California with his brother Billy. However, Duchess and Woolly hijack Emmett's car to reach New York and steal Woolly's $150,000 trust fund. Emmett and Billy pursue them by train, meeting Ulysses, a war veteran. At Woolly's family estate, Woolly commits suicide, Duchess attacks Emmett, and Billy cracks the safe. Emmett leaves Duchess in a leaky boat where he drowns, then heads to California with Billy and Sally.

The Lincoln Highway features four central young men:

• Emmett Watson (18), the protagonist recently released from juvenile detention
• Billy Watson (8), Emmett's idealistic younger brother who loves adventure stories
• Duchess Hewett, a charismatic but morally compromised schemer seeking to settle debts
• Woolly Martin, a gentle, troubled soul from a wealthy family

Supporting characters include Sally Ransom, a resourceful neighbor who helps the Watsons, and Ulysses Dixon, a Black WWII veteran and experienced rail traveler who guides them.

The Lincoln Highway explores themes of:

• brotherhood and family responsibility through Emmett's devotion to Billy
• moral debt and consequences as Duchess violently settles scores
• the journey versus the destination as characters' plans constantly shift.

The novel examines:

• class and social mobility in 1950s America
• coming-of-age and self-discovery
• the stories we tell ourselves through Billy's beloved adventure book.

Towles also addresses themes of:

• past versus future
• fate and free will
• how unexpected detours shape character and destiny.

The Lincoln Highway concludes at Woolly's family estate where Woolly has committed suicide, unable to cope with his family's misunderstanding and his own unhappiness. After a violent confrontation between Emmett and Duchess, Billy successfully guesses the safe combination. Emmett places Duchess, who cannot swim, in a leaking boat with his share of money. Duchess drowns attempting to save the flying cash rather than return to shore. The novel ends with Emmett, Billy, and Sally heading to San Francisco to start their new life together.

The Lincoln Highway symbolizes the American Dream and westward expansion, representing Emmett and Billy's hope for fresh starts in California. However, the highway also represents life's unpredictability—the brothers never actually travel it as planned, instead going east to New York. This reversal emphasizes Amor Towles' theme that the journey matters more than the destination and that our carefully plotted routes often get derailed by circumstances and other people's plans, forcing us to adapt and find meaning in unexpected detours.

The Lincoln Highway shares Amor Towles' signature multi-layered storytelling and richly drawn characters with A Gentleman in Moscow, but differs significantly in scope and pace. While A Gentleman in Moscow unfolds over decades in a single confined location (a hotel), The Lincoln Highway spans just ten days across multiple American locations with a faster, road-adventure pace. Both explore themes of constraint and adaptability, but The Lincoln Highway focuses on youthful American optimism and mobility, while A Gentleman in Moscow examines European sophistication and enforced stillness.

The Lincoln Highway is set in 1954 to capture post-war America at a pivotal moment of transition—between traditional values and modern change, economic optimism and underlying tensions. This period allows Amor Towles to explore the era's racial inequalities through Ulysses' experiences, class divisions through Woolly's wealthy background versus Emmett's poverty, and the mythology of westward opportunity represented by California dreams. The 1950s setting provides rich historical texture while examining timeless themes of youth, ambition, and moral complexity in American culture.

Billy's treasured red book by Professor Abacus Abernathe serves as a narrative framework for The Lincoln Highway, containing stories of great travelers and adventurers both real and fictional. The book inspires Billy's worldview, influencing his desire to find their mother and travel west. It creates thematic parallels between classical heroes like Ulysses and the characters' own journeys. Amor Towles uses the book to explore how stories shape identity and aspirations, showing how Billy interprets his life through adventure narratives while highlighting the gap between romanticized tales and messy reality.