A short and sweet review of a modern novel, The Lincoln Highway, by Amor Towles.
The Lincoln Highway is not just an entertaining but a brilliant story. The plot twists and turns as two brothers head out on a quest that is continually interrupted by the differing quests of two friends who just broke out of a work camp. Bright, 8 year old Billy is the true hero of the story as he weaves together the stories of drifters and writers and tricksters alike.
I believe that if I could only bring ten novels with me to a deserted island, this would be one of them. This is an approachable Odysseus’ tale.
Note: some isolated instances of bad language. In spite of the main character’s youth, this is not a book for children. Billy’s older brother gets trapped in a brothel for a bit. While he leaves once conscious, strong innuendo makes this a less-than-clean chapter in an otherwise incredibly enjoyable book.
My Favorite Quotes from The Lincoln Highway
“Time is that which God uses to separate the idle from the industrious.”
Towles
“…the comfort of knowing one’s sense of right and wrong was shared by another, and thus was somehow more true.”
Towles