Redhead at the Side of the Road is the story of a very ordinary man. So ordinary in fact that the narrator of the opening and closing sections of the book questions “what goes through the mind of a man like Micah Mortimer?” Narrator’s musings over, the reader is then invited into the world of Micah and his thoroughly average life.

He has a steady job, a home, a vibrant family (somewhat at odds with his life of convention and order), and a girlfriend, although he openly struggles with the nuances of their relationship. He does the same things at the same time every day until one morning he arrives back at his apartment from his daily run to find a young man, Brink, on the doorstep who claims to be his son.

What follows is a narrative of what it is to be Micah Mortimer. What he thinks about, why he does some of the things he does and the minutiae of his daily life. He learns lessons along the way and recognises what he wants in order to be happy with his lot in life but that is all that really happens.

Anne Tyler has made her name from writing stories about people without the flash and drama of many of her contemporaries. Tyler’s books are neat little volumes which focus more on the dialogue and on the character than on exciting plot and unexpected twists and this in turn lays them bare; reliant on the high quality of writing only.

The reader is drawn into the free flowing style of the prose and is more taken in by Micah than it may initially appear; particularly apparent when the novel ends rather abruptly and the reader is left wondering what happens next. Not much probably and so that is the tale - what it is to be perfectly ordinary and perfectly happy with the little things in life like a coffee percolator and a clean kitchen.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC of this book.

Anne Tyler is probably my absolute favourite author. I look forward to reading each new novel she writes. It’s hard to put my finger on why I love her writing, because very little happens in her books, there is rarely an exciting plot or much action. Instead, her books are full of beautiful observations of everyday family life and she writes characters really well. It is simply really pleasant to read Tyler’s writing, even though her books are not unpredictable or thrilling.

Nobody writes lonely, emotionally stunted men as well as Tyler, and her latest book features a classic example. Micah Mortimer is a finicky iT technician in his 40s who is ambling through life never committing to anything. The arrival of the teenage son of one of his ex-girlfriends on his doorstep causes him to contemplate what is important in his life. You might expect the boy to be his unknown son, but Tyler is never that melodramatic, instead he is the catalyst for Micah to address what he actually wants from his life.

This is a short, beautifully written novel, with a very predictable ending and is a pleasant way to spend a few hours. There is nothing groundbreaking about this book but the joy of Tyler is in her lovely prose and her ability to observe human life so accurately.

Well now I can say I’ve read an Anne Tyler novel, and I can also say that I will be reading more!

What a charming story. I’ve noticed reviews on Anne Tyler in the past - particularly how she is adept at capturing the essence of what makes us human. Quiet stories, not relying on heavy plot, but rich in characterisation. I have to agree - this book is no exception.

The main character, Micah, is realistic and likeable. His idiosyncrasies and supposedly mundane routine are such a pleasure to read, you soon find yourself absorbed. Tyler does not rely on hooks or explosive events to move the story along, instead she quietly depicts everyday life for one man with such tender meaning, they are just not needed. This I think, is what Tyler fans enjoy.

My only criticism would be the length of the book - it’s a bit too short. Not particularly unresolved - I just wasn’t quite ready to leave!

I’ve now added some of Tyler’s previous novels to my ever-growing TBR pile - grateful to have another author to recommend and enjoy.

With thanks to Netgalley and vintage books for a copy of this book in return for an honest review. Anne Tyler is without question my favourite contemporary writer. Breathing Lessons was my first Tyler and I remember exactly where I was when I picked up the book and said, ‘Is this any good?’ Gosh yes it was, and is beyond good and so is ‘Redhead at the side of the Road’. I slip into a Tyler novel as into a warm bath, soaking up words and sentences which just flow effortlessly ... Within pages i felt I’d stepped into Micah’s life, the minutia of his daily existence. Tyler’s talent is not in describing big things but in observing little things in a big way. This is life, the day to day, and so brilliantly and intuitively depicted. Micah is a man of habit, a man who has not achieved great things, who flounders from one relationship to another. The drama is that of every day existence, all the fragility of that which holds us together - ‘maybe he was one skipped vacuuming day away from total chaos’. Anne Tyler’s ordinary is extraordinary. She remains my favourite contemporary writer.

Spell-binding narrative, as always, from Anne Tyler.
All her characters are fully realised but I am particularly captivated by her male protagonists - and this one is especially endearing, with his imaginary 'Traffic God' commenting on his driving (I have one too).
I think this one is my second favourite novel of hers after 'Breathing Lessons' but there are no duds in any of them. If you haven't read any yet, then what are you waiting for?

Well I honestly wasn’t expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. I picked it up today to read a chapter or two and before I knew it I was on the last chapter. Admittedly it is a short book probably more of a novella but it really was such a good read. This is way different to what I’d usually read but I was hooked from the first page. This isn’t a fast paced book nor is it one full of suspense but one that just moves along nicely. A lovely descriptive book with great characters and a few laugh out loud moments..

I really enjoyed this short novel. I had such a lovely afternoon reading it. It is gentle but the narrative flows so well. The story is about Micah, a decent guy in his early forties who had high hopes of success as a Computer Science major at college but who has drifted in life and now runs a tech guy service alongside being the janitor of a block of flats for which he receives the free rental of a dismal basement flat. Micah seems attractive to women but his realtionships stall. He is a bit obsessive aboout his routines and structures in his life. He can't see his own faults clearly just as objects have started to seem obscured when he doesn't wear his glasses. One day an 18 year old boy shows up at his apartment, the son of an ex who claims Micah could be his father and he starts to realise a whole heap of things about his life and his behaviour.

A heart-warming and poignant story from one of America’s best authors.
The charming tale of Micah, an eccentric tech expert who receives an unexpected visit from the son of an ex-girlfriend.
Micah reflects on his past relationships and the mistakes he has made while still struggling to understand the lessons to be learnt from his mistakes.
Anne Tyler has the ability to keep the reader hooked while presenting a very gentle story without twists or shocking revelations. Her subtly is the key to her brilliance. She understands human behaviour and writes about it with a delicate precision that is hard to replicate.
If you’ve never read her work before then this is the perfect short introduction. It's classic Anne Tyler. I loved it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Vintage for the copy.

Every time I read a book by Anne Tyler I ask myself the same question........ ‘How does a writer describe the minutiae of the lives of ordinary people is such a way as to make it absolutely absorbing, from the first word until the last?’m The subject of this gently charming book is Micah, a decent man, with tendencies towards obsessive behaviour, and an inability to understand the needs of the people he cares most about. His story is without drama, sudden revelations , twists or turns, yet still manages to hold the reader tight throughout, becoming engaged in his life and hoping against hope that everything will turn out well for him. I read this in one sitting, as I have all Anne Tyler’s other books, and hope that there are many more still to come.

Delightful. Read it in one evening. Time flew. It was so easy and rewarding to read. I laughed out loud quite a few times.
My first Anne Tyler and I have bought more. I loved Micah and his understated story. You could say not much happens and everything does. Ordinary everyday events glow like jewels. You will laugh when you find out ‘who’ the redhead of the title is. We amble with Micah through tech jobs, family meals and dates and really grow to love him and care deeply what happens to him. Luckily it is a happy ending. Thank you #Netgalley for a review copy. This review appears on Amazon and Waterstones.

5+ stars! What can I say? It's Anne Tyler. I loved it. Her unique blend of humour and eccentric characters. Brilliant!

Classic Anne Tyler - Micah, the main protagonist of Redhead by the Side of the Road, is a familiar-feeling misfit to readers of Tyler’s fiction, with a noisy, untidy family who love him but tease him for his odd, ordered life. Brink, the son of Micah’s first love, unexpectedly appears in his life and inadvertently gives him the opportunity to reassess his relationships past and present. This is a beautifully written, rather short and definitely sweet novel.

Anne Tyler doing what she does best: laying out for you the minutiae of every day and family life. Micah is in total control of his life and circumstances until two events throw a spanner in the works. I identified quite a lot with Micah- I recognised Tyler’s careful observations and was greatly entertained by her descriptions of the family gathering. Life isn’t and can never be perfect. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

The story is of the mundane life of Micah, he finds pleasure in order and routine in his daily life. He is more connected to these habits than the relationships with others around him.
His ordered life is thrown awry when he finds someone waiting for his return from his daily run one morning.
Throughout the book you warm to Micah and his ways and also to the small cast of characters that surround him in the story.
Will events pull him out of himself and let him view his ordered world in a different way?

Absolutely love Anne Tyler and absolutely love this book. Her reading of the human mind is extraordinarily accurate and her observational powers remind me of Alan Bennet . The skill of storytelling the gentle love story of Micah and Cass are second to none. The laughed out loud at the bits where Micah was driving... it was almost uncomfortably close to home.

You know what you’re getting with an Anne Tyler novel and I think this is the gentlest of hers I’ve read, perfect relaxation material for troubled times. One of the things I like about her most is her utter lack of judgement. Her characters make mistakes, learn from them or not, but they are never castigated for their lack of awareness or downright foolishness - if judgement is made, it is by the reader. In fact, the one, rare criticism aimed at one of the characters here is that she is too ‘judgy’.

She packs a lot into quite a slender volume. We follow Micah’s realisation that his life has become too small and inward-looking, partly through the introduction of a distressed young man, the reconnection with a former girlfriend and the potential loss of the one person able to bring him out of himself. All done with that light, sure touch of a writer who knows her business. A delightful read that I can heartily recommend.

A charming masterclass of fictional characterisation and human insight. Cass, Micah, and his family are quickly as real as the words on this page in this short but perfectly paced and elegant novel. Anne Tyler manages, again, to effortlessly draw you in, dance you around and let you go again when - before you know it - you've closed the last page with a smile on your face and warmth in your heart.

A soothing balm for the soul - Anne Tyler gently takes us through the life of Micah. He has lots of sisters and grew up in a loud, chaotic household. As an adult he likes routines and peace and quiet. However one can get set in ones ways and miss out.

I adore the descriptions of sibling relationships, how Micah deals with a young adult who turns up on his doorstep and how he changes his view on how his life has panned out. Perfect for my current frame of mind. A book by Anne Tyler is always something to look forward to, and this certainly delivers.

Redhead by the Side of the Road is the perfect antidote to the dystopian world we are living in at present. As with other Ann Tyler books it is impossible to describe why a slim book about an average life is so compelling, but it is. In other hands Micah would have been a rather unlovable strange oddball. Tyler makes him a very human individual a kind man with a wry sense of humour, love of family and without in any way presenting him as other than ordinary. The writing is deceptively simple yet beautifully clear and absorbing. Big thanks to Anne Tyler, Random House and Netgalley for providing me with this free ARC and a couple of hours of sheer bliss

Micah Mortimer is a set-in-his ways man in his forties. He has his own computer repair business and works as a caretaker for the building he lives in. His life is ordered and predictable.
It takes the break-up of his relationship (yet another relationship) and the reappearance of a girlfriend from long ago and her son to help him understand where he’s going wrong.
This slight novel - it feels more like a novella or long short story - is typical Ann Tyler.
The minutiae are beautifully observed and we get a real sense of who this unassuming man is.
I particularly liked Micah’s interactions with the customers whose computers he tries to fix.
It doesn’t have the heft of -say- the Accidental Tourist - but is a small gem that I’d recommend.