Redhead by the Side of the Road by Anne Tyler

Micah Mortimer is a creature of habit. A self-employed tech expert, superintendent of his Baltimore apartment building, cautious to a fault behind the steering wheel, he seems content leading a steady, circumscribed life.

But one day his routines are blown apart when his woman friend (he refuses to call anyone in her late thirties a “girlfriend”) tells him she’s facing eviction, and a teenager shows up at Micah’s door claiming to be his son. These surprises, and the ways they throw Micah’s meticulously organized life off-kilter, risk changing him forever.

An intimate look into the heart and mind of a man who finds those around him just out of reach, and a funny, joyful, deeply compassionate story about seeing the world through new eyes, Redhead by the Side of the Road is a triumph, filled with Anne Tyler’s signature wit and gimlet-eyed observation.

sweet

What a lovely story about a man and his relationships. Not just relationships with people, but with the objects in his house. Well written, exquisitely paced, and a super short novel worth every moment of your time.

“If ever there was a perfect time for a new Anne Tyler novel, it's now — and this one doesn't disappoint . . . Heartwarming and very funny — one of Tyler's best yet.” —People

Agree, agree, agree.

Micah Mortimer is a fellow who has his life completely organized. He is a self-employed tech guy, working when he gets a call, and he manages the apartments where he lives, getting an apartment for free in the bargain. Every day is a day to do a different household task—cleaning out a cabinet, mopping the floor. Organized to the nth.

There's his love life, and maybe that's not as organized as he had hoped. And who is this eighteen-year-old boy showing up at his house unexpectedly? His sisters and their families? Well, maybe his life has a few places he could work to improve.

Someone had told me that Anne Tyler wasn't going to write any more novels after her last book, Vinegar Girl. Maybe that was her intent, but, in any case, I am thrilled she wrote this little gem. Her writing is wonderfully quotable; you read her character's thoughts and you nod your head. She knows her people.

Some quotes:

“Like most families, the Mortimers believed that their family was more fascinating than anybody else's.”

Tyler, Anne. Redhead by the Side of the Road . Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

“'What's the point of living if you don't try to do things better?'”

Tyler, Anne. Redhead by the Side of the Road . Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

“Women kept the world running, really.”

Tyler, Anne. Redhead by the Side of the Road . Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

‘“He asks Joey, ‘Do you love her?' And Joey thinks awhile and then he says, ‘Well, sometimes.' ” “Sometimes!” Micah said. “Oh,” Ada said breezily, “all in all, I guess that's about the most a couple can hope for.”‘

Tyler, Anne. Redhead by the Side of the Road . Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

“Sometimes when he was dealing with people, he felt like he was operating one of those claw machines on a boardwalk, those shovel things where you tried to scoop up a prize but the controls were too unwieldy and you worked at too great a remove.”

Tyler, Anne. Redhead by the Side of the Road . Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

I'm a big fan of Anne Tyler and i loved this book. The central character of Micah is someone comfortable in his own skin. He has his quirks which are something of an Anne Tyler specialty. The family scenes are all great, and the book is filled with plenty of humour as well as great heart.