Redhead by the Side of the Road Audiobook By Anne Tyler cover art

Redhead by the Side of the Road

A Novel

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Redhead by the Side of the Road

By: Anne Tyler
Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews
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About this listen

Instant New York Times Best Seller

Long Listed for The Booker Prize

“Tyler's novels are always worth scooping up - but especially this gently amusing soother, right now.” (NPR)

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

Micah Mortimer is a creature of habit. 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. But one day, his routines are blown apart when his woman friend (he refuses to call anyone in her late 30s a "girlfriend") 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.

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.

©2020 Anne Tyler (P)2020 Random House Audio
City Life Family Life Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Urban Inspiring Heartfelt

Critic reviews

"Tyler’s warmly comedic, quickly read tale, a perfect stress antidote, will delight her fans and provides an excellent ‘first’ for readers new to this master of subtle and sublime brilliance.... If Tyler’s large-cast, many-faceted novels are symphonies, this portrait of a man imprisoned by his routines is a concerto.... Radiantly polished and emotionally intricate...Tyler’s perfectly modulated, instantly enmeshing, heartrending, funny, and redemptive tale sweetly dramatizes the absurdities of flawed perception and the risks of rigidity." (Donna Seaman, Booklist)

"Characteristically tender... Suffused with feeling and very moving." (Kirkus Reviews starred review)

What listeners say about Redhead by the Side of the Road

Average customer ratings
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Wonerful Book Ended too Soon!

I love Ann Tyler! This was another great book with quirky characters and a seemingly simple plot.
As Usual The author delves deep into peoples human failings and their misinterpreted feelings
and how they affect their lives. This one has a happy ending.
The narrator was perfect. My only complaint? It ended too soon.
Cant wait for her next novel!

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6 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Avid Anne Tyler Fan

Drawn in. Characters and settings are the strongest elements.
Ending is left hanging in my opinion.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Relaxing

This book was a nice and enjoyable story that was very relaxing while still being interesting and enjoyable. Much needed in 2020

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Somewhat Disappointing

Book had a recurring Ann Tyler theme of a clueless man who comes to understand the value of close relationships through the help of the woman he almost loses. I might have enjoyed the book more with a more nuanced narration.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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there was no Red Head!

Did I miss something? it was a short book , but I don't recall any one at the side of the road.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Classic

This is classic Anne Tyler. Authentic characters that celebrate the simplicity and gentleness of real life. I’ve been so warmed by her everyday characters. A gentle reminder of the human spirit. Thank you

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5 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Familiar Anne Tyler

It’s a fairly typical Anne Tyler story, set in a newer generation. It felt comfortable. Good narrator!

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Quintessential Anne Tyler Triumph

Wonderful story well-told by author and well-presented by reader! This book is a sensitive portrayal of an “ordinary” man wending his way through life. Tyler’s sadly comic tale installs the reader on a journey with her plodding protagonist, and deftly manages to conclude the narrative on a life-affirming and hopeful note.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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Muy poco desarrollada y Y le falta trama.

Aprecié escucharla El Narrador hace un excelente trabajo ...Sin embargo la escritora no desarrolló la historia, le falta mucha elaboración al trama, los personajes son interesantes pero a un nivel superficial. Es como el bosquejo de una novela・

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

abandoned?

Firstly, the narrator is excellent in timbre, timing, voice characters...he is a gem.
As for the author, she may be good or not because this " book " seemed to be building up to further a story, one expects resolution of at least 2 of the strands but not an abrupt end. This would be fine as a short story but it sure isn't " a novel " , although the cost is the same as a proper, full length novel. No obligation to the reader? Really ? As it is marketed as a stand alone novel, the reader could only think that she got fed up, bailed out & didn't finish it, or she ran out if time.
Further, what's up with the title?
Seems irrelevant...that is SO out if style..

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