Redhead by the side of the road, by Anne Tyler

A slight offering from the ever-reliable Anne Tyler, who has made Baltimore her own and quirky characters, compassionately observed, her specialty. It’s more of a character study than a short novel. In his late thirties, Micah Mortimer leads if not a life of “quiet desperation” certainly one constrained by his need for order, regularity, and a peaceful life. Despite this, he is very fond of his noisy family which consists of several older sisters, two of whom already have grandchildren, and he has a steady woman friend of many years who seems content for them to maintain separate lives much of the time. Then in quick succession, this friend is threatened with losing her home and a young man shows up on his doorstep claiming to be his son by a college girlfriend. Micah knows this to be an impossibility, but nonetheless offers him a place to stay overnight. Things begin to become quite disordered indeed. 178 pp.