The Bibliofile's review of The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles. And so lets talk about the big twistEmmett leaving Duchess in the boat. The Lincoln Highway originated when Carl Fisher (who built the Indianapolis Motor Speedway), saw a need for a transcontinental highway. His father was between jobs. In Pennsylvania, much of the Lincoln Highway became Route 30. Meanwhile, the Studebaker wont be ready until tomorrow morning. Conceived in 1912 by Indiana entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, and formally dedicated October 31, 1913, the Lincoln Highway runs coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City west to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, originally through 13 states: New York . His first novel, Rules of Civility (2011), set among social strivers in New York City in 1936, took its inspiration from F. Scott Fitzgerald and its title from George Washington's Rules of Civility & Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation. Finally, in April, he passed away. In the house, Woolly gives Duchess a tour. Woolly makes his way to FAO Schwarz. The warden then leaves to make the 3-hour return trip back to Salinas. Tom informs them that the bank has no choice but to foreclose on the house, meaning that Emmett and his brother have to move out. That night, Woolly and Duchess stay in a motor lodge called Howard Johnsons (HoJos) roughly 50 miles west of Chicago. Thanks for the opportunity to share my thoughts Book Club Questions for This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens, Book Club Questions for Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore, Review: The Summer List by Amy Mason Doan, Review: The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy, Review: The Last Story of Mina Lee by Nancy Jooyoun Kim, Book Club Questions for The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes, Review: The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes, Q&A with Bart Mruz, Author of All My Clothes Were White, Book Club Questions for Just the Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica, Book Club Questions for Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, (Updated February 2023) Reeses Book Club Picks: Entire List, The Lincoln Highway: Lets Talk About That Ending! Instead, she just wants a life of her own where she doesnt have to take care of her father. When you encounter slick or muddy roads, you can engage the four wheel drive on it and drive with confidence. Billy offers up his silver dollar collection to pay for passage, but Emmett declines. Before they part ways, Emmett asks what Townhouse plans to do next. Billy then pulls out his big red book to show him the story of Ulysses. Outside the library, Emmett is accosted by two guys he knows Jacob Jake Snyder and Eddie Anderson and one he doesnt wearing a cowboy hat. Duchess is certain that Emmett is saying no only because he made the proposition in front of Billy. He seems upset that she remarried after their father died, but Sarah gently reminds him that she waited four years and either way you cant begrudge your mother the comforts of companionship. Instead, Townhouse said that hed snuck in and taken the key from the body shop. The two-paragraph version: Emmett (18) has just gotten out of juvie and is now planning to drive down the Lincoln Highway to move to San Francisco with his younger brother Billy (8). Instead, a nearby panhandler tells him that hes the one to ask since he worked on the rails for 25 years. . I realize this is likely a hobby but to develop a real following you must take grammar and spelling seriously, these are readers you are dealing with, we are much more inclined to be exceptional spellers & editors. Welcome to the discussion about The Lincoln Highway! His descriptions and perceptions are quite chewy, indeed. Emmett confronts Duchess and tries to get him to leave. Emmetts father describes his legacies as being a form of sacrilege. Emmett recognizes the numerous flaws in Billys plan if shes really there and whether she wants to see them but he agrees to think about it. I just finished the audiobook today. Woolly has proposed that if Duchess and Emmett agree to help him claim what is rightfully his, then hell split the proceeds equally between them. She likes that it requires effort, that its a process passed down from her mother. Expectations are repeatedly upended. His father been part of a revue that was raising money for the war effort. Dennis then yells at Woolly about how irresponsible he is. He demands that Woolly go work for one of his stockbroker friends after he finishes his sentence. Ulysses is a seasoned boxcar traveler, who has been iterant ever since he returned from the war to learn that his wife left him. When Billy hesitates, Pastor John grabs it from him. Hes especially fascinated by a story about them doing a civil defense test that resulted in them shutting down all activity in 54 cities across America for ten minutes. Ulysses advises Billy not to tell Emmett what happened, at least for now, since Emmett has a lot on his mind. In present day, Duchess guilts Fitzy into giving him Harry's current address in Syracuse. (the first item on the list was to Remove firing pins from the guns so its likely the gun Duchess is holding cant actually shoot). He thinks it's about something more serious than Duchess's escape from Salina. You could probably argue that Woollys longing for adventure mixed with his wealthy background which ensure a comfortable life which could lead to boredom (since he doesnt have the stress or worry about needing to get by or developing a drive to achieve certain things) might be why he ended up starting to get into trouble. Duchess tells Billy that hes been to hundreds of cities because her father was a traveling actor. It seems to indicate that his father knew Duchess would come looking for him and did not want to be there when that happened. Duchess uses the opportunity to knock Emmett out. 1 large or two small onions halved and thinly sliced. Bursting with life, charm, richly imagined settings and unforgettable characters, The Lincoln Highway is an extraordinary journey through 1950s America from the pen of a master storyteller. Like his first two novels, 'The Lincoln Highway' is elegantly constructed and compulsively readable. The police ended up tracking Woolly down, and he ended up in Salina. When we meet him, Towles' latest hero, Emmett Watson, has been released a few months early from detention in consideration of his father's death, the foreclosure of the family farm, and his responsibility for his 8-year-old brother, Billy. Later, Emmett finds Sally, who is upset with him. Although, who wouldnt be absolutely furious with Duchess and his behavior, right? In present day, Emmett learns his father's farm is being foreclosed upon by the bank. Meanwhile, Duchess sets Billy to work to distract him from Emmetts absence. Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers! When it seems like Billy doesnt have any food on him, Pastor John is about to leave until he hears the sound of coins Billys silver dollar collection jangling in Billys backpack. However, in that moment, Billy says to himself I am truly forsaken (referencing what Ulysses has told him) and then proceeds to kick Pastor John in his injured knee and run off. Advance praise for The Lincoln Highway "Towles' third novel is even more entertaining than his much-acclaimed A Gentleman in Moscow. Buy The Lincoln Highway: A New York Times Number One Bestseller 01 by Towles, Amor (ISBN: 9781786332523) from Amazon's Book Store. Emmett insists he has no intention of going there, but Duchess points out that hes stuck here until Monday anyway. The last postcard she sent also talks about how the Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Franciscos Lincoln Park has a huge firework show on July 4th each year. Earlier that day, when Emmett had said he was taking off on his own to find Duchess and Woolly, Billy had thought about how in his stories heroes liked to take off on their own. After Ulysses tells his story, Professor Abernathe considers it and says that the infiniteness of the universe means there must be duplicates (or even triplicates) of people and their experiences. Billy says that hed want a house in San Francisco. In present day, Townhouse calls out for Paco and Pico. Meanwhile, back in Nebraska, Sally confronts her father at work. I did not understand the role of Sally. That was eight years ago, and Ulysses had been aimlessly riding the train back and forth ever since. Shortly after the warden drives off, two fellow inmates turn up, stowaways from the warden's trunk trouble-maker Duchess and his hapless but sweet proteg, Woolly. The building turns out to be St. Nicholass Home for Boys. If Emmett didnt stop Duchess, Emmett believes that Duchess would again get in the way of their plans. And Duchess sounds like a showman. Hi Jenelle, the chapters in the book count down from 10 so I am mirroring the chapters in the book. He decides to plan a special reunion dinner with Billy, promising that Emmett will be back before dinner to join them. The story about Townhouse comes into play later on in the book (in Chapter 5). She is unhappy that he didnt mention that he was planning on leaving for California tomorrow and that she had to find out from Duchess. Afterwards, Emmett picks up Billy to head out, but Sally says her car isnt working and she needs a ride, too. Additionally, one of the other bunkmates in Bunkhouse Four (where they all lived) was Tommy Ladue, an Oklahoman who is racist. As he got older, Polly passed away and his children grew up and moved on. Townhouse was also black, which meant his punishment was twice as harsh as Duchesss since Ackerly felt that Negro boys were only half as suited to learning as white boys, their lessons had to be twice as long. Sheriff Peterson knew it wasnt Emmett, since they were together at the time. The sight of the postcards from their mother in his pack reminds Emmett of how unhappy his mother had seemed. Emmett finds him in another room playing piano. Agree, disagree and/or have other ideas completely? He then claims that hes going to take care of Pastor John by taking him to the police station. Theyd had a delightful picnic. The next morning, Sally Ransom, their neighbor and a former romantic interest of Emmett's drops by. When Townhouse was 16, he rented out one of the cars a Buick Skylark convertible for a date with a girl, Clarise. . In the next chapter, we learn that the box is from Sally and contains 6 jars of her strawberry preserves. Emmett plans to move them to Texas, a plan he has carefully researched. While Duchess probably thought of himself as a hero, he was the villain, in the end. She makes up a lie about needing to inform her cousin of her fathers passing, which gets her the information she needs. The Quick Recap and Chapter-by-Chapter Summary for The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles are below. I dont feel he was misunderstoodI believe his actions were loud and clear. Its not clear what Sarah was going to ask Woolly, but it can probably be inferred that theres something he doesnt want to talk about or answer to based on his response. He understands why Sally is upset, knowing that there was once the possibility of something between them. The trust fund is worth roughly $150,000. He points out an officers watch that had once belonged to his grandfather it has a black background and white numbers. There is a constant push and pull of wanting freedom and the things we owe to others. Ulysses tells him about ending up in Iowa on foot when the boxcar hed been traveling in was stopped. Fitzy soon shows up as expected. They explain that they stowed away in Warden Williams's trunk and have a proposition for Emmett. When it starts getting late and Emmett still hasnt shown up however, Duchess starts to worry. They spent a nice afternoon together, but when Dennis, a VP-level banker at J.P. Morgan, at gets home he is furious that Woollys sister spent the afternoon chatting with Woolly instead of getting dinner ready. In the station, Emmett tries to approach one of the workmen at the station to try to get advice on the best way to hop a train, but hes dismissed. I, too, found this helpful since I had read the book months ago, and now it is my book clubs choice, but shouldnt a literary website copyread its work?!?!?! There are blank pages under the You chapter for the reader to write their own story as well. In the meantime, the Snyders had told everyone that Emmett had punched Jimmy for accidentally bumping into him. When Billy refuses to give it up, Pastor John hits Billy. Sally also thinks unhappily about how Emmett had described her going through the time-consuming process of making homemade preserve as unnecessary. In response, Emmett had punched him. Duchess comments on how great the preserves are, while Emmett says they already have jam. She feels that doing something unnecessary is about kindness. The character of Woolly will remain with me. He leaves and takes the train to Hastings-on-Hudson. She thinks about how they say the Lord answers all prayers, its just that sometimes he answers no.. Again, one of the ideas Towles explores is how evil can be offset by decency and kindness on any rung of the socio-economic ladder. The panhandler had explained to Emmett that the Sunset East transports metric tons of flour and crackers back and forth from Nabiscos processing facility in Manhattan. However, Billy told Ulysses about Emmetts rule that he needed to have known someone for at least three days before considering them a friend, so Ulysses agreed to spend another day with them (in addition to today and yesterday) so that they could part as friends. She is also unhappy to learn that her father was the one that suggested that perhaps Emmett have a fresh start elsewhere. Upstairs, he checks the bedrooms. Emmett is not pleased to see them, knowing they should just finish their sentences. Afterwards, they both agree that they are square. He calls Ma Belle and it turns out the night went poorly, since Duchess had drugged Emmett with Woollys medicine and it was apparently too strong for him. Book Ending Promises A Major Twist. For him, there are three main debts one he owes to someone else, and two debts that are owed to him. The book ends with Emmett leaving Duchess in a leaky boat with no oaks and with his $50K share in cash. I think he drifts in and out of consciousness while on the boat and I surmise that only about ten bills are described as floating/flying away, leaving $49500 which is a lot of money in 1954why would he do anything to jeopardize losing that? The novel embraces the contradictions of our character with a skillful. In 1914, Coan was made honorary vice president of the national LHA. Emmett feels unsure about how to explain what theyre doing to Billy. He goes looking for Duchess and finds him hacking unsuccessfully at the safe with an ax. As Emmett is about to leave, Fitzy tells him about Duchesss mother, Delphine. With that, Emmett grabs the gun away from Duchess. Emmett apologizes for forgetting to call her, but he says that her coming here was unnecessary. He sees that Californias growth had exceeded Texass impressive growth over the years. I needed to finish this for book club and ran out of time. Elsewhere, Ulysses takes Billy and Emmett to a vagrant camp where they can stay for the night. Back downstairs, Duchess books rooms for him and Woolly for the night. The novel probes questions about how to structure a narrative and where to start; its chapters count down from Ten to One as they build to a knockout climax. We learn that when Duchess was 16, he framed by Harry for a number of thefts in the hotel they were living in (which Harry had actually committed). Emmett is momentarily upset that their father kept these postcards from them, but then thinks that perhaps it was the reasonable thing to do after shed abandoned them. Townhouse warns, however, that the police looking for Duchesss were asking about a blue Studebaker. Over in Hells Kitchen, Duchess heads to a dive bar called Anchor on W. 45th St. Bernie had tipped him off that Fitzy and his father had often met there at 8 pm each night. Emmett and Billy are then visited by two people. Billy compares them to stowaways and seems to romanticize the whole thing, referencing Edmond Dants journey and how Duchess had stowed away in the wardens car. Duchess is a smart guy so I think he would have waited for the wind to push him back to the other side of the lake. Reading the story from Duchess first-person perspective caused the reader to try to sympathize with him but soon it became apparent that not only was he a liar but hes also a dangerous person. When Warden Williams later had them all take an accounting class about balancing your accounts, Duchess started to understand what Sister Agnes had been teaching them. But hitch onto this delightful tour de force and you'll be pulled straight through to the end, helpless against the inventive exuberance of Towles' storytelling. Duchess (nicknamed because he was born in Dutchess County) explains that they hid in the wardens trunk to hitch a ride here. In the novel The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles, when 18-year-old Emmett Watson told his younger brother William "Billy" Watson they needed to make a fresh start, Billy suggested they follow the route their mother took when she abandoned them, along the Lincoln Highway. They mentioned that former warden Ackerly was attacked and a blue Studebaker was spotted nearby. Very disappointed by death of Duchess. As in his previous book, A Gentleman in Moscow, Mr. Towles sets up his plot points upfront and revisits them throughout. The book features a number of great travelers and adventurers, both real and fictional. After leaving the hotel, they met up with Miss Maples, the magicians assistant in their troupe. At the train station, Emmett decides theyll need to hitch a ride on a freight train since they dont have money for a train. The Lincoln Highway is a joyride. Dennis demands to speak to Woolly in private. So whether its a train schedule or a grandfather clock or Marcelines/Billy's/Wooley's watches time marches on. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); I've just finished The Lincoln Highway and found myself shedding a tear although I couldn't say why! Mr. Your email address will not be published. There is now someone else staying there. Duchess thinks about the times Ackerly had hit them as he as brings the skillet down on Ackerlys head. Each chapter covers one hero, adventurer or traveler. Pastor John assumes that its because Billy has never seen a black man before, but the next chapter makes clear that Billy recognizes the name Ulysses as one of the heroes from his book. The boat contains a hole and Emmett stacks stones in order to stop the boat from flooding. (The number 8 figures repeatedly, a reflection of the travelers' and life's roundabout, recursive route.) In present day, Emmett and Sally piece together that it was likely Duchess who did it. It's marked here as the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor. It took him six tries to get it open. Quantity: 2 Up until about the last 60 pages or so, the story is fairly straightforward coming-of-age tale with vivid imagery of the time period and lots of pondering about the past and whats next. by Jessica Lachenal. The Lincoln Highway is a joyrideAmor Towles new Great American Road Novel tails four boys three 18-year-olds who met in a juvenile reformatory plus a brainy 8-year-old as they set out. "Wouldn't it be wonderful if everybody's life was like a piece of a jigsaw puzzleno one's life an inconvenience to another'sfitting snuggly into its own, specially designed spot.enabling the whole intricate picture to become complete." Each of the main characters are at a crossroads of sorts and in a way, the Lincoln Highway serves as a getaway from their current, somewhat bleak situation. I can't understand why would Billy and Emmets mom leave the family. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. How do you think Emmett, Duchess, and Woolly's various upbringingsparticularly their relationships to their parentshave shaped them? In Chapter 1, Emmett arrives at Woolly's great-grandfather's house to find Woolly dead and Woolly still trying to get the safe open. He talks about The Three Musketeers, and they talk about what he would do with $50,000. . It would seem he would know the possible demise of Duchess - being left in a boat that could sink. Billy puts on the watch. The Lincoln Highway: A New York Times Number One Bestseller Towles, Amor Published by Penguin, 2022 ISBN 10: 1529157641 ISBN 13: 9781529157642 Seller: WeBuyBooks, Rossendale, LANCS, United Kingdom Contact seller Seller Rating: Book Used - Softcover Condition: Good US$ 1.60 Convert currency US$ 9.55 Shipping From United Kingdom to U.S.A. Sally considers herself a good and believing Christian, but thinks of it as proof that the Bible was written by a man. I do love everything stopping still like in Marcellines stage act - thats usual Amor Towles elegance. He still feels guilt over the killing. Load groceries and much more with ease into this 1/2 ton suv thanks to the power liftgate. The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles review - an all-American road trip Two teenagers pursue a stolen car in this folksy 50s-set novel from the author of A Gentleman in Moscow Carrie O'Grady Wed 17. If youre new to Book Club Chat, I write spoiler-free reviews and spoiler-filled book club questions for each novel I read. He finally settles on beginning the story with Emmett being released from Salina. C.J. Ransom, a neighbor and family friend who has known Emmett his whole life, meets them outside. It caused Jimmy to fall and hit his head on a cinder block, resulting in his death. Emmett is shocked to see Daniel Duchess Hewett and Wallace Woolly Martin, two guys he knows from Salina, walking up to them. As Duchess tries to get to the money before it flies away, he drowns. The Lincoln Highway in Pennsylvania Through historic towns like York, Lancaster, and Bedford, you can follow some 200 miles of the original road. This section covers Woolly Part 9 through Wooly . It detracts from the content & at the risk of sounding like an assh*le, it makes me feel as if this blog isnt serious, or credible. "The Lincoln Highway" is a road-trip-buddy book with a myriad of mixed agendas and detours. Towles' new novel ranges further geographically from Nebraska's farmland to New York's Adirondacks by way of some of New York City's iconic sites but its action-packed plot is compressed into just 10 days. Duchess and Woolly arrive at Sarahs place in Hastings-on-Hudson. When he comes back, he sees that Woolly has driven off with the car. (In another fun connection for Towles nerds, nave trust funder Wallace "Woolly" Wolcott Martin is the nephew of Wallace Wolcott from Rules of Civility.). Potentially, Emmett laid the groundwork for Duchess to have to choose between the money or survival. Pastor John asks to see whats in there. They're soon interrupted by the presence of Duchess and Woolly, two guys Emmett knows from juvie. Very sad and tragic. There's also a wall safe at his great-grandfather's house in upstate New York that contains roughly the same amount of money as his trust fund, $150,000. Not long after, World War II had started. Instead, she asks how he ended up at Salina. He gently warns Emmett that while it might be understandable (given his situation) to never want to put up a fight again, people who let themselves be defeated often end up turning to alcohol. In Chapters 6 and 5, they all make their way to New York. The Lincoln Highway Synopsis Emmett Watson, 18, is transported home to Nebraska by the superintendent of the adolescent work homestead in which he has recently served 15 months for inciting separatism in The Lincoln Highway. She says that he was off at boarding school when he was wandering around in town and spotted a fire truck. On July 1, 1913, a group of automobile enthusiasts and industry officials established the Lincoln Highway Association (LHA) "to procure the establishment of a continuous improved highway from the Atlantic to the Pacific, open to lawful traffic of all description without toll charges." Loved Billy and how the author used him as a guiding light throughout the novel. It seems that Emmetts mother suffered from depression, which was exacerbated by post-partum depression, which is part of the reason why she left. When Emmett was 15, he asked Mr. Schulte, the carpenter, to work for him in the summers. Finally, Sheriff Peterson shows up, telling Jake to stop, and his deputies disperse the crowd. When the train starts to slow, Ulysses tells Billy he doesnt have to leave and invites him to stay.