The 2% Readers’ “Pick for Review” from 2024 was none other than The Lincoln Highway, an endearing tale about two brothers’ quest for a new start after the passing of their father. The book comes in at 576 pages, and it is a hefty yet worthwhile narrative.
Emmett returns home to the family farm after serving time in juvenile detention in order to collect his brother, Billy, intending to make a fresh start in the world upon the passing of their father. It’s 1954 and new starts are easy to come by and lost people are harder to track, or so Emmett believes upon hearing Billy’s request to track down the mother who abandoned them years ago. What ensues is a trip across the country (although not in the direction Emmett had planned) and countless misadventures along the way as the brothers grow in their relationship with each other and as individuals.
As you may have seen in my 2024 book review, it was the year I embraced the ‘slow story’, appreciating narratives that took their time to paint a picture. Towles is deliberate with his brush as he brings this story to life, taking his time to weave in and out different characters who the boys interact with along the way.
I ended up giving this book a 3 rating on Goodreads instead of a 4 only because the ending left me a bit disappointed. While I’m embracing a slower-paced narrative, there were times when the meandering felt a bit too out of purpose with the story. I loved the characters of Emmett and Billy and embraced any time I got to have with them. Through Emmett, Towles highlighted a maturity and strength in character that novels don’t often show in teenage boys (or at least, none that I read).
It’s a beautiful story and, in my opinion, well worth the page count.
2% Rating: 7/10
Recommend? Yes
Re-Read? Maybe at some point
Time: 1:53