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The Lincoln Highway

by Amor Towles

It’s 1954. 18 year-old Emmett Watson has just been released from a work farm in Kansas after serving 18 months for involuntary manslaughter. He is headed home to Nebraska to pick up his 8 year-old brother, and set out for California to restart their lives. There is nothing to keep them in Nebraska: the boys’ father has recently died and the family farm is in foreclosure. But, Emmett’s plans immediately go awry at the appearance of two friends who have escaped from the work farm with plans of their own. These include New York City, the Adirondack Mountains, and the promise of a family inheritance. Equal parts humorous and heartbreaking, filled with adventure and unforgettable characters, The Lincoln Highway is rich storytelling at it’s best. – Diana