Amor Towles’ The Lincoln Highway is the latest pick for Jenna Bush Hager’s Today show book club.

Towles’ novel, published Tuesday by Viking, follows a young man who’s finished serving a prison sentence for manslaughter, and who embarks on a road trip ,with his little brother, in search of their long-lost mother. In a starred review, a critic for Kirkus called the novel “a remarkable blend of sweetness and doom” and “an exhilarating ride through Americana.”

Hager praised Towles’ “profound and poetic prose.”

“Not only is it one of the most beautifully written books I have ever picked up, it’s a story about hope, friendship and companionship in a time when we need it so much,” she said.

Towles’ last novel, A Gentleman in Moscow, was published five years ago. The novel was a bestseller and a finalist for the Kirkus Prize.

“Amor Towles is one of those authors that I think will become a Steinbeck of our generation, and you know it’s hard to say this about many books, but I think The Lincoln Highway will be a classic that we will read for years to come,” Hager said.

Towles reacted to his novel’s selection on Twitter, where he wrote, “Thanks @JennaBushHager for selecting THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY as your next #ReadWithJenna pick. I hope your viewers enjoy reading it! [author holds up Hi Mom sign.]”

Michael Schaub is a Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.