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Quick answer: If you loved The Lincoln Highway, try A Gentleman in Moscow, Rules of Civility, This Tender Land, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, On the Road and Travels with Charley. Each one offers a rich American journey, a charming cast of characters or a big-hearted coming-of-age story.
Amor Towles's 2021 novel opens in 1954, when 18-year-old Emmett Watson comes home to Nebraska from a juvenile work farm, planning to drive to California with his little brother Billy. Then two fellow inmates, Duchess and Woolly, take his car and head for New York. Told over ten days by a range of narrators, it is a warm, witty road story. These books share its American sweep, its storytelling charm and its unforgettable young men.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Setting | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Gentleman in Moscow | Amor Towles | Moscow | readers who want more Towles charm |
| Rules of Civility | Amor Towles | New York | readers who like old New York |
| This Tender Land | William Kent Krueger | Midwest | readers who want a boys' river journey |
| Adventures of Huckleberry Finn | Mark Twain | Mississippi River | readers who want the classic journey |
| On the Road | Jack Kerouac | Across America | readers who love road novels |
| Travels with Charley | John Steinbeck | Across America | readers who want true road stories |
| The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay | Michael Chabon | New York | readers who like big American stories |
| Water for Elephants | Sara Gruen | Traveling circus | readers who like period adventure |
| Plainsong | Kent Haruf | Colorado | readers who like plain Midwestern writing |
| The Cider House Rules | John Irving | Maine | readers who like big-hearted orphan tales |
| The Nickel Boys | Colson Whitehead | Florida | readers who like reform school stories |
| Demon Copperhead | Barbara Kingsolver | Appalachia | readers who love a great young narrator |
| The Goldfinch | Donna Tartt | New York and beyond | readers who like long, rich novels |
| Cloud Cuckoo Land | Anthony Doerr | Multi-era | readers who like interlinked stories |
| Lonesome Dove | Larry McMurtry | American West | readers who love a long journey |
1. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
A Russian count is sentenced to life inside a grand hotel.
Best for: readers who want more Towles charm.
2. Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
A young woman climbs through New York society in 1938.
Best for: readers who like old New York.
3. This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
Four orphans escape a brutal school and travel the Mississippi in 1932.
Best for: readers who want a boys' river journey.
4. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
A boy and an escaped slave travel down the Mississippi.
Best for: readers who want the classic journey.
5. On the Road by Jack Kerouac
Young friends crisscross the country in search of freedom.
Best for: readers who love road novels.
6. Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck
Steinbeck drives across America with his poodle in 1960.
Best for: readers who want true road stories.
7. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
Two cousins become comic book stars in wartime New York.
Best for: readers who like big American stories.
8. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
A young man joins a circus train during the Great Depression.
Best for: readers who like period adventure.
9. Plainsong by Kent Haruf
Neighbors in a small town look after each other in hard times.
Best for: readers who like plain Midwestern writing.
10. The Cider House Rules by John Irving
An orphan grows up in the care of a doctor at a Maine orphanage.
Best for: readers who like big-hearted orphan tales.
11. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
Two Black boys are trapped in a brutal Florida reform school.
Best for: readers who like reform school stories.
12. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
A boy born in Appalachia survives foster care and addiction.
Best for: readers who love a great young narrator.
13. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
A boy who survives a museum bombing holds on to a stolen painting.
Best for: readers who like long, rich novels.
14. Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
An ancient story links lives across centuries.
Best for: readers who like interlinked stories.
15. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Two retired Texas Rangers drive cattle to Montana.
Best for: readers who love a long journey.
How to Choose
Readers who want more Towles should start with A Gentleman in Moscow, which is his most beloved book and has the same warmth, while Rules of Civility gives you a sharper taste of 1930s New York. The closest match in plot is This Tender Land, which also follows young travelers on a long American journey. For the classic road feel, read On the Road or Travels with Charley. If Billy and Emmett's bond was what you loved, The Cider House Rules and Demon Copperhead are both moving stories about boys making their way alone. For sheer scope and pleasure, try The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay or Lonesome Dove.
Related: The Lincoln Highway Book Club Discussion Questions (With Summary and Themes) · 15 Best Books on Abraham Lincoln: Biographies, Histories and Novels
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Lincoln Highway about?
In 1954, Emmett Watson plans to take his brother to California, but two runaways steal his car and head east.
How long is The Lincoln Highway?
It runs close to 600 pages, but it covers just ten days.
Is The Lincoln Highway a real road?
Yes. It was one of the first transcontinental roads in the United States, running from New York to San Francisco.
Is The Lincoln Highway related to A Gentleman in Moscow?
No. The stories are separate, though both are by Towles.
Who is the best audience for this book?
Readers who enjoy long character-driven American novels and gentle humor.