Feb 18

Feb 18 Redhead by the Side of the Road

Author: Anne Tyler
Publisher: Knopf
Goodreads | The StoryGraph

Click above to buy this book from my Bookshop.org shop, which supports independent bookstores (not Amazon). You can also find it via your favorite indie bookstore here.

Cover Description

Micah Mortimer is a creature of habit. A self-employed tech expert, superintendent of his Baltimore apartment building seems content leading a steady, circumscribed life. But one day his routines are blown apart when his woman friend 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.

TL;DR Review

Redhead by the Side of the Road is a relatively straightforward, feel-good story about opening the tradeoff between control and loneliness.

For you if: You need something short and light, but also meaningful.

Full Review

“He slowed to a walk on the last stretch approaching York Road. He momentarily mistook the hydrant for a redhead and gave his usual shake of the shoulders at how repetitious this thought was, how repetitious all his thoughts were, how they ran in a deep rut and how his entire life ran in a rut, really.”

This was my first Anne Tyler novel, and I picked it up as part of my journey to read through the 2020 Booker Prize longlist. While I do feel like it doesn’t quite fit with the weight and impact of the other Booker nominees, I did quite enjoy it, and I’m glad I read it.

Micah Mortimer’s life is finely tuned — he runs the same route at the same time each morning, has a day of the week to clean each part of his home, and so on. Then his “woman friend” starts to drop some hints, and the son of the first girl to ever break Micah’s heart shows up at his door. These two disruptions are enough to crack open his eyes so he can see that his life may not be as satisfying as he always let himself think.

This book is short, sweet, and feel-good. There’s no doubt Anne Tyler can write pleasant, flowing sentences that get to the heart of the matter and bring her characters to life on the page. And while this type of story has been told before, you still root for Micah. You’re pretty sure you know where his story is headed, but it’s a joy to watch him get there.

Anne Tyler asks us to consider our own lives — whether the walls you’ve put up serve you; whether you are satisfied; whether you are lonely. Are you are the kind of person who rolls with the punches or the kind who seeks perfection? Perhaps the “right” answer is to aim for somewhere in the middle.

If you’re looking for a lighter read that still feels meaningful, check this one out.