IN SHORT: In this Historical Fiction Book, a group of young men released from a juvenile reformatory take a road trip to return home.

REVIEW

Duchess, Townhouse, Woolly, and Emmett are all sentenced to a juvenile reformatory in 1950s Nebraska. Each one is guilty of some kind of infraction that is not completely their own fault, yet they are all philosophical about their punishment and do the best they can to endure until their respective liberation dates. All of them have at least one item of unfinished business to complete when they return home. Thus, they do not wish to do anything significant that may increase the length of their stays.

This tale spans 10 days, beginning with Emmett’s release: he is reunited with his younger brother, his neighbor Sally, and his beloved 1948 Studebaker. This young man has detailed plans for himself and his brother and is in a bit of a hurry to execute them. Unsurprisingly, the subsequent nine days involve myriad challenges to those plans, as his former bunkmates from Nebraska intersect his path, and all of their individual histories combine into a grand adventure.

These young men have emotional scars from their younger lives, and as we learn how they address those wounds, we are led to feel compassion for their experiences and patience with their resultant decisions. Even though this is a work of fiction, much of the delinquency is presented from different angles, giving one the opportunity to consider her or his own values and judgments, even seeking alternative interpretations to personal experiences. This is a very well-written book.

Each day is counted down from 10, and each chapter is written from the point of view of one character, with distinct voices. There are very few overlaps, yet it is surprisingly easy to keep up with all the movements and changes. I personally enjoyed the chapters from Sally’s perspective the most. In fact, her very first chapter (Day Two, page 101) made such an impression on me that I photographed portions of it to read again and again. In subsequent pages, she displays herself to be the most intelligent and capable member of this collection of misfits, and I will remember her long after I have forgotten the others.

Parallels to Shakespeare and Ulysses figure noticeably and artistically in the overall story and are presented in such a way that you want to go and learn more of those writings.

The Lincoln Highway itself, however, is not nearly as prominent in this historical fiction book as one would expect from the title. We get some facts about it, but little else. I have traveled and photographed portions of that highway in Illinois, and although it is not as well known as Route 66, I felt like it deserved a little more exposure.

Rated: High. Profanity includes 10 instances of strong profanity, about 15 uses of moderate language, 5 to 10 usages of mild language, and about 10 instances of the name of Deity in vain. There is one very lightweight description of a superficial intimate encounter. That incident and most of the foul language occurs on Day Seven.

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