“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.”
Micah Mortimer is in his 40s, but he’s very particular about how his life operates. The owner of a (very) modest tech support business and the live-in superintendent of his apartment building, he’s one of those people who lives by his routines, is usually cautious and polite, and is an excellent driver, and he makes no apologies for any of it.
One day a college student shows up at his front door claiming that Micah might be his father. And on that same day, his relationship with his “woman friend” Cass (he doesn’t believe a woman over 30 should be called a “girlfriend”) starts deteriorating and he can’t figure out why.
Over the course of a few days, things start to go awry, and Micah begins to question his life. Is he alone because he never found the right person or because he hasn’t been the right person? Does it really matter in the end, or is his life fulfilling enough? If he is the problem, how can he change when he's so comfortable with his life?
Anne Tyler once again proves her strength in character development and storytelling with her latest book. This is about 200 pages long and nothing catastrophic or earth-shattering occurs, but Micah is such a fascinating, complex character that I was hooked completely. We all know people like Micah and the supporting characters in this book, and most of us have thought similarly to Micah every now and again.
Redhead by the Side of the Road was warm and thought-provoking and it once again reminded me how much I love the way Tyler writes. She is truly a treasure.
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