The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles is one of those audiobooks that my husband and I still find ourselves talking about months after we finished listening – especially the ending. It’s the kind of story that lingers.
Set in 1954, the novel opens with Emmett Watson, who has just been released from a juvenile work farm and plans to head west to California with his younger brother, Billy. Those plans are quickly derailed, sending them on a cross-country journey that borrows themes from The Odyssey (home, wandering, fate, found family, even a character riding the rails named Ulysses).
Towles, author of Rules of Civility and A Gentleman in Moscow (a New York Times bestseller), is a wordsmith who creates vivid, believable characters, each fully realized with flaws, hopes, and motivations of their own. I felt as though I were travelling alongside them in a richly described, ever-shifting landscape, with its cars, trains, roadside diners, and small towns that bring post-war America to life. Although our hero is 18 years old, this does not read as young adult fiction.
The audiobook is beautifully read by Edoardo Ballerini. Ballerini gives each character a distinct voice without slipping into caricature or becoming theatrical. It’s not always easy to find a voice actor that draws you into the story rather than distracting from it. Ballerini is widely considered one of the best audiobook narrators working today.
The plot isn’t a fast-paced thriller, nor is it a slow burn, but it’s somewhere in between. There’s room for the characters to breathe while the story moves from one memorable encounter to the next.
If you enjoy character-driven fiction, beautifully crafted writing, and stories where the journey matters as much as the destination, The Lincoln Highway deserves a place on your listening list.
Reading Desk Recommendation: Highly Recommended
My Verdict: Worth the Listen
Final Word: Add it to your listening list.
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