Dennis is furious to learn that Woolly is not at Salina. 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. Ackerlys body jolts, slumps lower and his bladder releases. As he says this, Duchess picks up a whiskey bottle and thinks possibly hitting Fitzy with it. That night, Billy opens up his big red book, considering where to start his story. He then grabs Billy by his shirt collar. He says that they became friends. Emmett finds Woolly dead in his bed from a suicide. When Sally called Kaitlin, Kaitlin ended up calling Sarahs place and was unhappy when it sounded like Woolly might be there. She brings over a jar of home-made strawberry preserves as well. Abacus asks to meet Ulysses, and the two become acquainted. When Sally asks him to check in, he initially balks, but she points out the he had no problem calling her when he wanted to demand her assistance. 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. Finally, in April, he passed away. He greets Billy as he enters the boxcar. Billy has recently found some old postcards indicating their mother (who left them 8 years ago) once took the journey there down the Lincoln Highway. (He tells Martha that she is troubled by too many things when only one thing is needful.) At the risk of sounding condescending, (but that is not my intention), there are a couple of typos I would be happy to point out if youd like. However, the last few years the harvests have been bad. Sally sounds a bit whiny though she is devoted to Billy. However, his brother-in-law Dennis had him declared "unfit". 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. Woolly should have control over the money now that hes 18, but his brother in law had him declared temperamentally unfit in order to retain authority over it. 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. With no money and no mode of transportation, Emmett and Billy hitch a ride on a train to go to New York to track down Duchess and Woolly. On reflection now, I can see that Duchess is a charming psychopath (who can quote Shakespeare but cant read) and his end is kind of fitting. The title of this latest book refers to America's first cross-country roadway for automobiles, which stretched from New York City to San Francisco. Woolly looks at him with genuine surprise, and Duchess laughs until he cries. Duchess goes to Townhouses place on 126th Street in Harlem and finds him sitting there on the stoop with some other boys. Townhouse tells Emmett what transpired with Duchess, and Townhouse warns that two cops showed up yesterday looking for Duchess. However, he quickly decides that thered be no point to it. Remembering Woollys admiration for Lincoln, Duchess notices that one of the landmarks on the maps is a Lincoln statue. Emmett then considers that if he calls the cops, with Woolly dead in the house, it will quickly complicate his and Billys future. However, when they arrive, it turns out Woolly doesn't know the combination (and it never occurred to him there would be one). Billy hopes to find their mother (who left them 8 years ago) there. Then, six months ago like her father had met a woman, Alice Thompson, and hed broken his routine. A lot seemed to have enjoyed his other book, A Gentleman In Moscow . The Lincoln Highway is, among other things, about the act of storytelling and mythmaking. Billy Watson, a precocious 8-year-old portrayed by Ballerini, dreams of traveling to California on the Lincoln Highway. Duchess had referenced a building that houses all the big agencies, but Emmett cant remember what the name was. The dinner is delightful, and they ask Duchess to do a magic trick. Meanwhile, Emmett and Mr. Sheriff Peterson comments on how Emmett doesnt appear to have fought back with Jake at all. When she shows up, they all come out to greet her. In present day, Ulysses asks him if hes still coming, and he follows Ulysses up to a boxcar that was destined to take them who knows where. His father was an insurance adjuster for damaged ships and his mother was a seamstress. Duchess spent a few years in an orphanage, being raised by nuns, after his father abandoned him there for two years when he was 8. When questioned, Townhouse didnt squeal on Paco and Pico by saying that theyd rented him the car (in which case, he probably wouldve been let off with a stern warning). 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. Remember, this is spoilers, spoilers, spoilers from here on out! (view spoiler) It was the son of the man who gave the . Duchess sees that the box is labelled with his name. He advises that Emmett will eventually need to stand up for yourself like you used to. (Spoilers), Book Club Questions for Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. The next morning, Emmett heads to Harlem to pick up his now-yellow Studebaker which has gotten some other upgrades as well. He also offers to tell the Snyders to leave Emmett alone. An exhilarating ride through . 1913 The Lincoln Highway was the first transcontinental road for automobiles in the United States, dedicated in 1913. He decides to plan a special reunion dinner with Billy, promising that Emmett will be back before dinner to join them. Find the perfect used Lincoln Nautilus in Greensboro, NC by searching CARFAX listings. In Illinois, Duchess had gotten to Woolly just before an officer was about to cuff him for driving without a license, among other things. Duchess thinks about the times Ackerly had hit them as he as brings the skillet down on Ackerlys head. Then, theyre interrupted when they hear a loud noise coming from downstairs. Instead, they agree that they will go to tea at the Plaza, and then Woolly promises hes going back to Salina after his visit to New York. He presents Duchess with a black leather case, which Duchess recognizes. One in a thousand can look at the world with amazement," Towles wrote in his first novel. This is why his interactions with his sister seemed to have a farewell component to it. Scared, Billy backs away, clutching his backpack and calling for Emmett. He then hoped to use the proceeds to buy two more run-down properties to renovate, one to sell and the other to rent out, and so forth. Particularly, Emmett and Billy. He says that he thinks Ulyssess life could be an echo of the life of the Great Ulysses, and that after ten years you could be reunited with your wife and son. Celebrating America's first cross-country roadway New York San Francisco Est. Then, Woolly hid the phone. He asks them to make a pit stop at the orphanage he stayed in for a few years as a child (because his father abandoned him there temporarily). Warden Williams drops Emmett Watson off at his house after being released from juvenile detention at Salina after completing his sentence. Knowing the Fitzy is an alcoholic, Duchess offers to buy him a drink in an attempt to loosen his tongue. He was so focused on getting into the safe that he forgot about Woolly. Stew is surprised since Ulysses has always had a rule about not staying in the same place two nights in a row. 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. Very disappointed by death of Duchess. The Lincoln Highway for the most part steers away from the upper-class milieu of Rules of Civility, which tracks the ambitions of a winning young woman in 1930s New York City, and 2016's even . Then, in the kitchen hed found an envelope marked To Be Opened in the Event of My Absence in Woollys handwriting (which we soon learn is Woollys will). See the archives. November 17, 2020. If you havent read the novel yet, wait to visit this post until after you finished it. As he drives by the fairgrounds, it reminds him of Jimmy Snyder. I'm not 100% sure of Duchess' fate. So Emmett will not get pushed around any longer and is willing to do whatever it takes to get him and Billy to safety. The Lincoln Highway is a joyride. But Emmett is concerned that Duchess will try and find them. Instead, she asks how he ended up at Salina. Afterwards, Emmett sees Woollys will which was duly signed and dated. The day after, the paper showed an image of New York city looking completely still. He talks about The Three Musketeers, and they talk about what he would do with $50,000. Emmett immediately declines. She has learned that he has purchased the Watson farm and all their land from the bank during the foreclosure. Maurice looks dejected. And back at that camp, Ulysses and Billy are attacked by Pastor John. He finds a drawer filled with unpaid bill notices. He and his brother hit the road, but life takes more turns than any roadway ever could . The FlexFuel capability of this 2023 Lincoln Navigator L allows you to select . Emmett brings Sally and Billy to stay at a motel while he deals with the Duchess situation. Vehicle . He find Duchess in the hallway pointing a rifle at him. The police soon pat Duchess down, and to Duchesss shock, they find it on him. Mr. Randsom says Emmett was always going to leave. 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. Duchess watches as the guy in the cowboy hat walks away right when the Sheriff shows up. At first, Emmett is hesitant, telling her that he doesnt want her to have expectations regarding the two of them. I sent you a $5 tip. The warden then leaves to make the 3-hour return trip back to Salinas. His new novel, THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY, will be released on October 5, 2021. I did not appreciate the fate of Wooley. If youre new to Book Club Chat, I write spoiler-free reviews and spoiler-filled book club questions for each novel I read. 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. 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. Item #: WA9072. The legal-drama follows Mickey Haller (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), a Los Angles lawyer who inherits the practice from his colleague Jerry Vincent after the latter's murder. On the way to Professor Abernathes, Woolly had thought about how there are certain places that one was supposed to see when traveling, and he knew to be diligent about visiting all those places when he traveled. >! 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. This was a good review. Instead, Paco and Pico offer to repaint the car to make it less recognizable, saying they can do it by Monday morning. The boat contains a hole and Emmett stacks stones in order to stop the boat from flooding. However, Townhouse is reluctant to hit Duchess at first, and he tells them to shut up. Hed ended up the the room with the safe (while Emmett was upstairs with Woollys body and while Duchess was in the boathouse). In June, 1954, eighteen-year-old Emmett Watson is driven home to Nebraska by the warden of the work farm where he has just served a year for involuntary manslaughter. She makes up a lie about needing to inform her cousin of her fathers passing, which gets her the information she needs. When Billy refuses to give it up, Pastor John hits Billy. 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, various cases had been lost or sold over the years. Duchess remembers Fitzy, who was an old friend of his fathers and also an actor. Before heading to Sarah's place, the group passes by the location described in Billy's big red book as the offices of Professor Abacus Abernathe. Duchess thinks about the teachings of Sister Agnes, a nun at St. Nicholass Home for Boys where his father had dropped him off. This surprises Emmett since Duchess had always implied that Delphine had abandoned them. As Ulysses attempts to run there, the winds and rough terrain fight against him. Emmett confronts Duchess about taking the car, the money and the cops looking for him. 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. In that same year, the Federal Highway Administration eliminated named roads and began a system of numbered highways. Yesterday, Pastor John been pretending to be part of a Christian revival meeting, but hed attempted to romance a lovely young member of a Methodist choir, angering the girls father, and had to leave quickly. As Duchess leaves, he thinks about how he considers Ackerlys debt to him to be repaid. When the train reaches Cedar Rapids, Emmett goes to find food for him and Billy. 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. Pastor John initially sounds like someone who is approaching Billy over concern about his well-being, but it quickly becomes apparent that thats not the case and that hes more interested in what he can get from Billy. The day before, Duchess had gone to the hardware store to look for tools to help get the safe open. Its worth noting that Woolly is described as being somewhat child-like, easily fascinated by things and also easily distracted by or led away by things that interest him. Meanwhile, Woolly mentions wanting to make a pit stop to see his sister Sarah Whitney when they get to New York. For the Great Ulysses, that meant planting an oar in the ground in the countryside in Posideons honor, but Professor Abernathe surmises that for the present-day Ulysses the tribute would be something different thats relevant to his own travels. When he comes back, he sees that Woolly has driven off with the car. Outside, Emmett smashes a windowpane to get back into the house. 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. This road show incorporates American culture, history, food, family, traditions and the changing way . Later, the doorbell rings, and Woolly hurries to get it. So, when Sally called Sarahs place, no one picked up and it kept ringing instead. In present day, Duchess takes the little brown bottle from Sarah, saying that These wont do you any good. He places them on the spice rack in the kitchen. Duchess also takes an inventory of the expenses that are owed to Emmett. Upon hearing this, Emmett flat-out rejects the plan, saying he wants no part in it and that hes going to drop them off at the greyhound station in Omaha on Monday. Sally also thinks unhappily about how Emmett had described her going through the time-consuming process of making homemade preserve as unnecessary. In Emmetts fathers room, he finds Billy reading a big red book called Professor Abacus Abernathes Compendium of Heroes, Adventurers, and Other Intrepid Travelers. Before Emmett leaves, Sally mentions that when they do finally hit the road, she plans to go to San Francisco as well. Right after, Emmett had started formulating a plan to move him and Billy into a fixer-upper that he could renovate and sell. Townhouse greets him warmly. Then, he took full advantage of it before finally sneaking out the back stairs when it was time to leave. He then sees hes next to a freshly dug grave with a casket at the bottom. In the meantime, the Snyders had told everyone that Emmett had punched Jimmy for accidentally bumping into him. Pastor John is about to collect the coins and leave when he starts to wonder what else Billy has in his backpack. He also realizes that by taking the car, Duchess and Wooly had also (inadvertently) taken all his money with them as well. Emmett and Duchess scuffle, and Emmett knocks Duchess out. And obviously the accounting class was about balancing your debits and credits, not about doling out vigilante justice. (In another fun connection for Towles nerds, nave trust funder Wallace "Woolly" Wolcott Martin is the nephew of Wallace Wolcott from Rules of Civility.). In The Lincoln Highway, the main characters undertake a would-be cross-country road trip in Emmett Watson's pride and joy, a 1948 powder-blue Studebaker Land Cruiser. 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. 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. Emmett works on cleaning up, and Sally joins him. I don't understand why when Emmett understood that Woolly did indeed want to leave them the money that he couldn't have given Duchess his share and said - good luck. However, in April, hed come back from home on a Friday smelling like whiskey, and she sensed it was over. When he finishes, Professor Abernathe asks to meet Ulysses. 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. The cowboy was thoroughly nasty and the violence to Ackerly was provoked - Ackerly treated those in his care callously. As as and Billy now stand over Pastor Johns unconscious body, Stew gets up as well. Woolly explains that it wasnt too bed there, except that every day there was an every-day day meaning that the days were structured so that each one was exactly like the last. 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. The Lincoln Highway is a joyride. It also becomes clear that Pastor John isnt really a pastor, but perhaps someone who uses the moniker to his benefit. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. (The number 8 figures repeatedly, a reflection of the travelers' and life's roundabout, recursive route.) In spring of 1953 his father had a flu he couldnt recover from. He then thinks about how encountering Billy had reawakened his love of life and adventure. Sally considers herself a good and believing Christian, but thinks of it as proof that the Bible was written by a man. Emmett insists he has no intention of going there, but Duchess points out that hes stuck here until Monday anyway. Advance praise for The Lincoln Highway "Towles' third novel is even more entertaining than his much-acclaimed A Gentleman in Moscow. Woolly is someone who grew up wealthy on the Upper East Side, but was troubled and got himself expelled from various boarding schools. And in this book the last day in the book is the first day of summer! He thinks it's about something more serious than Duchess's escape from Salina. Over at the Ransom home, Sally thinks about a parable that Reverend Pike had read to the congregation where Jesus chides Marys sister Martha when she complains about doing all the housework while Mary sits at Jesuss feet. It left his $150,000 trust fund to be split between Emmett, Billy and Duchess. Billy has been reading an abridged version of from a big red book authored by someone named Professor Abacus Abernathe. They all have a delightful dinner, but soon Dennis and Sarah come home. Finally, she packs a suitcase and heads out. I also do think he could read a little bit. When Emmett was 15, he asked Mr. Schulte, the carpenter, to work for him in the summers. The Lincoln Highway: A New York Times Number One Bestseller Towles, Amor Published by Penguin, 2022 ISBN 10: 1529157641 ISBN 13: 9781529157642 Seller: WeBuyBooks, Rossendale, LANCS, United Kingdom Contact seller Seller Rating: Book Used - Softcover Condition: Good US$ 1.60 Convert currency US$ 9.55 Shipping From United Kingdom to U.S.A. Marcelines account in Paris was wiped out, too. Mr. Cohens information leads Emmett to room 42, where he learns that Harry is gone, but that Duchess had there stayed last night. If Emmett didnt stop Duchess, Emmett believes that Duchess would again get in the way of their plans. Stranded, Emmett calls Sally to pick him and Billy up. His sister Kaitlin Wolcott Wilcox had been angry when his mother had given it away. They're soon interrupted by the presence of Duchess and Woolly, two guys Emmett knows from juvie. When the train reaches New York, Billy, Ulysses and Emmett all disembark. 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. That night, Emmett approaches Fitzy. He then hands back the envelope of money. Emmett awakes to see Duchess take Billy inside and close slam the door. However, because he wasn't able to check in with Sally as he'd promised earlier, Sally ends up heading to New York (after attempting to call them) to check on Emmett and Billy. I dont feel he was misunderstoodI believe his actions were loud and clear. Duchess looks at Maurice, who still looks unhappy, and feels badly for him. Im not surewhat do you think about that scene? When you encounter slick or muddy roads, you can engage the four wheel drive on it and drive with confidence. I think so. Back downstairs, Duchess books rooms for him and Woolly for the night. He advises Emmett that the only type of person these receptionists are inclined to help are producers, since they hold the purse strings. The latter is 3.390 miles long, and it's the U.S.'s very first. When Emmett declines, Duchess "borrows" Emmett's car, forcing Emmet and Billy to stowaway on a train to New York to find Duchess and Woolly and reclaim it. However, he soon realizes a tornado is approaching. ( Penguin Books Australia, 2021) Genre: Literature, Historical, Drama, Adventure The idea of debts. After Emmett had failed to check in with her on Friday, Sally had reached out to Father Coleman at Episcopalian church the in New York, knowing that Woollys family is Episcopalian. When Duchess inquires about his fathers whereabouts, the attendant Bernie says that the person to ask is Fitzy FitzWilliams. When it was his turn to recite the Gettysburg Address, he remembers how the whole family had chimed in happily when he forgot the words. Ironically I can see the NYC police finding her registration for her truck and tracking her down in Morgen to pay for the tickets and impounding fees she would have likely incurred. 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). At the park, Woolly notices a man feeding the birds and some squirrels (the Birdman) by placing kernels of popcorn all over himself. He still feels guilt over the killing. Someone needs to proofread the summery. The highway itself acts as nothing more than a MacGuffin, or a device that motivates the plot but ends up being entirely irrelevant to the work. It was also accompanied by five other cases Hamlet, Henry, Lear, Macbeth and Romeo. Emmett removes the chairs barricading the doors and tells the nuns what happened. By all means, I always love a good journey yarn. Sarah is painting one of the rooms, and Emmett offers to help. The Lincoln Highway in New Jersey Billy wants to move to California, and it's his wish to follow their estranged mother's presumed path on The Lincoln Highway. Anyway, still bit troubled by the ending just as I was with A Gentleman - did occur to me would make great ending for the film though. Duchess had instead flagged a car to hitch a ride back, but the driver was a cop who had reported him to the warden. Emmett feels unsure about how to explain what theyre doing to Billy. She also talks about the parable of the Good Samaritan and how we do not always get to choose to whom we should show out charity.. I found this summary very helpful.thank you. At that moment, he had felt abandoned by God and by fate. As Dennis yells about needing to catch the 6:42 train each morning, Woolly had realized that his boarding schools had been designed to train them to become adults who had every-day days as well. Townhouses friends and his cousin Maurice goad him on. He also thinks about how his mother had loved firework shows. (The book chapters count down from 10 to 1.). I think its left vague on purpose. After some research, he agrees to the plan. 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. Ulysses advises Billy not to tell Emmett what happened, at least for now, since Emmett has a lot on his mind. At his great-grandfathers house, Woolly reminisces about the various parts of the house. Duchess sees wrongs as misdeeds essentially put someone in anothers debt, which can only be put right by finding a way to balance the accounts. This morning, Emmett had recalled that the Statler building was where Duchess had said all the big agencies were housed. In present day, Sarah eventually comes home to find Woolly there. When he exits, Billy informs Emmett that Duchess and Woolly have taken the Studebaker and are on their way to New York. The old man says Duchesss father recently vacated the room and left something behind. However, by the next morning, she was already gone. Duchess's goes looking for his father (Harry), who is trying to evade him after learning that Duchess escaped from juvie. The Lincoln Highway is a journey in multiple layers the escapades of a road trip, coming of age passages and a storytelling odyssey. 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.". If this summary was useful to you, please consider supporting this site by leaving a tip ($2, $3, or $5) or joining the Patreon! . The wind also causes some bills to fly away. Duchess finds Fitzy FitzWilliams, an old friend of Harry. 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 he sees Emmett shove Duchess, Billy decides to interrupt to prevent Emmett from continuing to lash out. Book Club Questions for The Lincoln Highway Why do you think this book was titled The Lincoln Highway? "The Lincoln Highway" is a road-trip-buddy book with a myriad of mixed agendas and detours. 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. In that moment, a black man named Ulysses who knows Pastor John enters the boxcar. In Chapters 8 and 7, they hit the road with the plan of dropping Woolly and Duchess off at the bus stop in Omaha before Emmett and Billy continue on to San Francisco. Emmett ends with two two addresses, one for Kaitlin in New Jersey and the other for Sarah in Hasting-on-Hudson. At the library, he looks up the numbers tracking the population grown in Texas and California over the decades. Meanwhile, the Studebaker wont be ready until tomorrow morning. Just about to start another Amor Towels. I can't wait for his next book. There were no firemen around, and he somehow became convinced that someone accidentally left it there. With the exception of Woolly, the teenagers in this novel are remarkably mature by today's standards, and burdened by cares. She was a singer who got sick and died. Afterwards, Duchess goes to visit Townhouse, who was released from Salina a while ago. Mr. In 1914, Coan was made honorary vice president of the national LHA. 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). She says that he was off at boarding school when he was wandering around in town and spotted a fire truck.