The Lincoln Highway transports readers to 1950s America on an epic journey with eighteen-year-old Emmett Watson. Released from a juvenile detention farm after serving time for involuntary manslaughter, Emmett plans to rebuild his life with his young brother, Billy, in California. These plans take an unexpected turn when Emmett finds that two acquaintances from the farm have clandestinely stowed away in the warden's car, steering all of them on an unforeseen odyssey towards New York City. Narrated from multiple perspectives over a transformative ten-day window, this cross-country tale weaves a rich tapestry of destiny, kinship, and self-discovery.