At the library, he looks up the numbers tracking the population grown in Texas and California over the decades. However, the following February, a few weeks after Billy was born, his mother seemed tired all the time. How do you think Emmett, Duchess, and Woolly's various upbringingsparticularly their relationships to their parentshave shaped them? 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. As Duchess leaves, he thinks about how he considers Ackerlys debt to him to be repaid. He leaves and takes the train to Hastings-on-Hudson. He thinks about how his boarding schools had been like that, too. We all need one of those. By now, Ulysses, Emmett and Billy are settled in the boxcar together with Billy reading from his book the story of Jason and the Argonauts. Woolly makes his way to FAO Schwarz. When the train reaches New York, Billy, Ulysses and Emmett all disembark. Billy wants to move to California, and it's his wish to follow their estranged mother's presumed path on The Lincoln Highway. Follow along on Goodreads, or keep in touch via the newsletter. As the reader will quickly realise, The Lincoln Highway is not the novel that it purports to be. They say a last good-bye to Woolly, and then get in the car to pick up Sally and leave. At the door, he asks to speak to Duchess in private. Also the additional explanations in grey alerted me to basic facts of the plot, whys, and hows. Afterwards, Emmett hears Duchess telling Billy the story of the Count of Monte Cristo and the characters escape from prison. Sally had lied, saying he didnt. He offers to drive them back in the morning, but Duchess says that Woolly is unhappy there after Warden Williams fired the nurse that used to supply Woolly with drugs. Fitzy tells him that Harry is at the Olympic Hotel in Syracuse, and that he imagines Duchess will be headed there as well. Though dark shadows fall across its final chapters, the book is permeated with light, wit, youth. "The Lincoln Highway is a road novel that celebrates the mythos of an era via a cross-country highway . 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. Finally, he finds Woolly, but Woolly is already dead from overdosing. Townhouse warns, however, that the police looking for Duchesss were asking about a blue Studebaker. The night, Sally looks up the number for Father Colmore. Dennis talks about the three boarding schools that Woolly had gotten kicked out of and about how theyd lied about Woollys age to keep him from being sentenced as an adult. (He tells Martha that she is troubled by too many things when only one thing is needful.) Much worse than death of Woolly - which was so sad and a tragedy but not shocking. Duchess also uses a pay phone to call Salina to ask for the address of the retired former warden, Warden Ackerly, by pretending to be his uncle. Ulysses (a man in his early 40s) then turns to Billy and tells him (more gently) to leave as well since he wasnt kidding about riding alone. He then claims that hes going to take care of Pastor John by taking him to the police station. That night at the fair, Jimmy had set his sights on Emmett, saying insulting things about Emmetts father. He goes looking for Duchess and finds him hacking unsuccessfully at the safe with an ax. Big Sky. One day, hed decided it to burn it, dousing it with gas in the football field. Over dinner, Duchess further explains that Woolly has a trust fund, for which his brother-in-law, Dennis Whitney, is the trustee (the person who makes decisions on behalf of a minor). However, Billy starts asking Ulysses questions (since he recognizes the name from his book of adventurers) about whether he was at war, whether he crossed the sea, whether he left a wife and son behind, etc. It didn't launch a catchy song, a television series . Afterwards, Emmett sees Woollys will which was duly signed and dated. 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. Townhouse didnt make a big deal about it, but Duchess knows he owes Townhouse. He takes his medicine, and then he takes the pink pills from the little brown bottle. He knows that population growth is crucial to his plan of ensuring the profits of possible rental properties. Sure enough, Woolly is headed for the statue. The Lincoln Highway is an adventure story through and through. His interest is in those whose zeal has not yet been tamped down by what Duchess (the only first-person narrator) describes, with improbable flair for a poorly-educated 18-year-old, as "the thumb of reality on that spot in the soul from which youthful enthusiasm springs." Potentially, Emmett laid the groundwork for Duchess to have to choose between the money or survival. So the brothers take their share of the money and plan to finally go to California. Elsewhere, Ulysses takes Billy and Emmett to a vagrant camp where they can stay for the night. She was a 28-year-old-ish widow with no kids who worked as a teller at the bank. However, Duchess derails the plan. They all have a delightful dinner, but soon Dennis and Sarah come home. Looking at Emmett, though, he says he doesnt look like a theatrical producer, and he recommends that Emmett pretend to be a rodeo owner. The ride there was wordless, but when the fireworks finally started, she reached out in order to squeeze her husbands hand, and gave him a tender smile as tears ran down her face. So he decides to put an unconscious Duchess on a boat with his own share of the money. Standing in front of the statue, he thinks about how his great-grandfather had always loved the Fourth of July and insisted that the whole family gather on that holiday at his place in the Adirondacks. And with Emmett, while he did not kill the bully on purpose back in Morgen, it does sound like he has anger issues and only Billy can get him to calm down. So dont read this unless youve finished the book. The novel embraces the contradictions of our character with a skillful. It shouldnt be that hard to read over your work once to skim for these blatant mistakes. He was so focused on getting into the safe that he forgot about Woolly. 62,175 miles Body Style: SUV Engine: 4 Cyl 2.0 L MPG City/Hwy: 21/26 . They also find Woolly's will, splitting up his $150K trust fund equally between Billy, Emmett and Duchess. Its now June 21st, and Emmett tells Billy they should be able to make it to San Francisco by July 4. He met his wife Macie Dixon during the depression. One day during his junior year of school, he impulsively found a way to ditch school and take a taxi to visit his sister in Hastings-on-Hudson. For him, there are three main debts one he owes to someone else, and two debts that are owed to him. New Price!CARFAX One-Owner. Emmett apologizes for forgetting to call her, but he says that her coming here was unnecessary. 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. When the subject of their mother comes up, Woolly gets upset when they mention her second husband, Richard. Enjoy the incredible handling with the rear wheel drive on this unit. Emmett works on cleaning up, and Sally joins him. The two promises Emmett has made are to help Duchess and to check in with Sally. The trust fund is worth roughly $150,000. Duchess asks him where his father is, but Fitzy claims he doesnt know. So the shift in tone during the climax to the ending was pretty shocking. Billy explains how he loves his book, and the Professor asks Billy about himself. Duchess realizes that theyre at the intersection that is mentioned in Billys big red book (I write to you from the junction of Thirty-Fourth Street and Fifth Avenue on the isle of Manhattan), the location thats described as the office of Professor Abacus Abernathe, the author of the book. So in accepting the possibility that he could drown, he killed him. He then grabs Billy by his shirt collar. They explain that they stowed away in Warden Williams's trunk and have a proposition for Emmett. Overall, the book just lacked the "delights on every page" feel of "Moscow." The writing is without a doubt excellent, and if you'd like a 1950s road trip filled with action and adventure, you may want to give "Lincoln Highway" a try. Its likely part of the reason why he struggled so much with the routine in boarding school. In Illinois, Duchess had gotten to Woolly just before an officer was about to cuff him for driving without a license, among other things. 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. CONTAINS SPOILERS. Now, as they go looking for Ulysses, they all end up at the abandoned railroad camp. The character of Woolly will remain with me. They smiled back at her, and Emmett slept well that night. It turns out that his father had sent him downstairs so he could take the watch, and when he realized the police were interested in its whereabout, he had slipped it into Duchesss pocket to avoid being caught with it. Thanks again! Book Club Questions for The Lincoln Highway Why do you think this book was titled The Lincoln Highway? The Lincoln Highway is captivating and utterly compelling, telling the story of two brothers, abandoned by their parents, who are determined to start a new life together. 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. They arrive at an area near some abandoned tracks with a makeshift encampment. Emmett is angry with Duchess but he thinks about how before they left, Billy had asked Emmett to promise that whenever you feel like hitting someone in anger, first youll count to ten. When he comes back, he sees that Woolly has driven off with the car. He says that she is accustomed to nursing her furies and speaking her mind which makes her unsuited to matrimony. It seems that Emmetts mother suffered from depression, which was exacerbated by post-partum depression, which is part of the reason why she left. Afterwards, Duchess goes to visit Townhouse, who was released from Salina a while ago. She arrives soon after Emmett. Billy says they werent strangers since theyd spoken for a while. Mr. Hewett tends not to have a steady address, but he leaves word with the various booking agencies as to where he can be reached. However, based on Woollys schooling background and family name, Ma Belle is able to deduce that Woolly must be from a very well-to-do family from the Upper East Side. Warden Williams reassures Emmett that everyone knows that what happened wasnt an indication of Emmetts character and that bad luck played a role in what happed. He tells Pastor John to leave Billy alone and demands that Pastor John exit the moving train, saying that he rides alone. Duchess now turns to setting accounts with Townhouse, who was the one had gotten in trouble at one point after Duchess convinced him to sneak out to see a movie, Hondo. Given what Duchess did to Ackerly, we can only imagine what Duchesss current relationship with his father is and what he might do when he does catch up with him. Woolly admits that one of the four cars, a Cadillac convertible, is his, something he inherited from his father. 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). When Townhouse was 16, he rented out one of the cars a Buick Skylark convertible for a date with a girl, Clarise. The day after, the paper showed an image of New York city looking completely still. Hed then spotted the encampment due to the campfire, and saw that Billy and Ulysses were there. Remembering Woollys admiration for Lincoln, Duchess notices that one of the landmarks on the maps is a Lincoln statue. Odometer is 4078 miles below market average! Ackerlys body jolts, slumps lower and his bladder releases. Meanwhile, the Studebaker wont be ready until tomorrow morning. Emmett reminds Billy that its not necessarily safe to take food from random strangers. He doesnt know the address, but Billy says Woolly marked a spot on his map. As he drives by the fairgrounds, it reminds him of Jimmy Snyder. But at any age, it's the young-at-heart who are most open to amazement people like Woolly, who may not be cut out for this world but who can appreciate what he calls a "one-of-a-kind of day.". Duchess notes now as they drive, Woolly listens intently to the commercials. He promises to be back soon and to give Emmett his share of the cash when they return. "The Lincoln Highway" is a road-trip-buddy book with a myriad of mixed agendas and detours. 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. Each chapter covers one hero, adventurer or traveler. Billy hopes to find their mother (who left them 8 years ago) there. If you'd like me to review your book, contact me! Amor Towles is the author of New York Times bestsellers RULES OF CIVILITY and A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW. Duchesss father abandoning him when he was 8, and him seeing his trickery helps to explain his manipulative personality and willingness to lie. Instead, as he heads to another agency, a man name Mr. Morton (along with his African grey bird, Mr. Winslow, who is part of his act) stops him. Next to him is a picture of Ackerly with two boys, presumably his grandsons. (And the teachings of Jesus Christ can free you through atonement for guilt or forgiveness for others). Emmett Watson, just released . In present day, Emmett goes to the public library. I did not appreciate the fate of Wooley. Afterwards, Emmett picks up Billy to head out, but Sally says her car isnt working and she needs a ride, too. He had been named Sam as a boy. Billy hopes she might still be living there now. Fitzy soon shows up as expected. He recalls going to see the show in Seward on the 4th of July when Emmett was 8. Pastor John initially strikes up a conversation in hopes that Billy will share any food he has with him. He takes the bat with him, and he takes some clothes from Denniss closet as well. (At one point, Maurice walks in and is upset to see that Townhouse is giving the car back to Emmett, but Townhouse just tells Maurice off, who stalks off angrily.). So Emmett will not get pushed around any longer and is willing to do whatever it takes to get him and Billy to safety. In town, Jake Snyder (brother of Jimmy Snyder) accosts Emmett, trying to goad him into a fight and then punching Emmett a few times, though Emmett doesn't fight back. When Billy refuses to give it up, Pastor John hits Billy. Woolly says that Duchess is nearby, and Emmett leaves Billy with Woolly to go look for Duchess. The Lincoln Highway is a journey in multiple layers the escapades of a road trip, coming of age passages and a storytelling odyssey. He seems like such a giving person. This horrifies Emmett and hes determined for Duchess to finally go to the police to own up to his crimes and thats when the two get into a fight. Later, it rings again, and he lets it keep ringing. The Lincoln Highway: About the Book Click the image to expand A #1 New York Times Best Seller In June, 1954, eighteen-year-old Emmett Watson is driven home to Nebraska by the warden of the juvenile work farm where he has just served fifteen months for involuntary manslaughter. She thinks about how they say the Lord answers all prayers, its just that sometimes he answers no.. by Jessica Lachenal.