PositiveSouth China Morning PostIn less confident hands, yet another hard-luck road story from America’s endless web of tarmac might quickly run into cliché territory. But Towles sidesteps that with skilful handling: his mythical allusions and epic parallels create a depth and sweep at odds with the story’s premise ... Although set in 1950s America, the novel is essentially timeless. It asks big questions about justice and retribution, the primal wounds of desertion by parents and spouses, the seminal role of storytellers, and probes the dimensions of our responsibility to others ... The complexity of Towles’ characters adds pace and interest ... Towles embraces the obscure mysteries that blend light and darkness in human nature ... although The Lincoln Highway may grip some readers less deeply than A Gentleman in Moscow, the variety of voicings proves convincing as the final pages turn rapidly ... The focus on responsibility and enduring truths makes The Lincoln Highway a timely tonic in our sad era of loony alternate realities and shameless self-interest.
