Book Review

The Lincoln Highway

by Amor Towles

They say if you have lemons, make lemonade. Following that thinking, one aspect of pandemic- induced isolation can provide opportunities for time that would have otherwise taken us away. For me, that means more time to read a pleasant book, such as “The Lincoln Highway” by Amor Towles. He is also known from his previous best seller, a book club favorite—“A Gentleman in Moscow.”

Towles is a superior storyteller in a class with Stephen King; twists and turns abound providing constant “aha” moments for the reader. Another good thing about this book is the relatively small cast of characters. “The Lincoln Highway” has only four leading characters and no more than a few co-stars. All are well-defined and will soon provoke likes and dislikes. The book may remind the reader of the movie “O Brother, Where Art Thou?,” as far as innovative and intriguing plot lines, with a little Canterbury Tales-like development of the characters. It is so satisfying to finish household chores just to get to your favorite chair and dig into a great read, and this one is it. “The Lincoln Highway” is a real page turner, and will keep you, the reader, up on many nights. It is a story of two brothers, a journey loaded with distractions and plot twists and turns, culminating in a somewhat happy ending. Everyone is encouraged to check this one out at the Leisure World Library and see how they like it.

— Marla Hamblin, Mutual 15