book review redhead by the side of the road

'You have to wonder what goes through the mind of a man like Micah Mortimer,' Tyler begins. But after several recent books about retirees - including Clock Dance, A Spool of Blue Thread, and Noah's Compass - Tyler returns with a story that shows it's never too early, either.īook Reviews Fizzy 'Vinegar Girl' Tames Shrewishness To Sparkle Whether she's writing about unfulfilled empty-nesters, lonely widowers or young control freaks, Tyler's novels demonstrate that it's never too late to change your life. He also runs a one-man on-call tech help service called Tech Hermit. He's a hyper-disciplined, fastidiously well-organized, highly competent 43-year-old geek who lives rent-free in the basement apartment of a small Baltimore building in exchange for moonlighting as its super. Micah Mortimer is another likeable oddball in Tyler's pantheon. But I'm not going to give away anything about that roadside presence except to say that the redhead is a lovely metaphor for the protagonist's inability to see clearly, which causes him to misread the relationships in his life. Redhead by the Side of the Road has a lot going for it, beginning with its alluring title. Once again, she burrows so convincingly into the quotidian details of her main character's life, home, and head that you have to wonder if she's some sort of Alexa-gone-rogue. How?Īnne Tyler's latest novel is heartwarming balm for jangled nerves. Your purchase helps support NPR programming. 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.Close overlay Buy Featured Book Title Redhead by the Side of the Road Author Anne Tyler These surprises, and the ways they throw Micah's meticulously organized life off-kilter, risk changing him forever. 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 then a teenager shows up at Micah's door claiming to be his son. 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.

From the beloved and bestselling Anne Tyler, a sparkling new novel about misperception, second chances, and the sometimes elusive power of human connection.

Book review redhead by the side of the road