Redhead by the Side of the Road

Micah isn’t one for surprises. A bachelor in his forties, he’s arranged his life exactly the way he likes it: nothing out of place, nothing unexpected. He has his small happinesses, his small successes, and since he lives alone, he can indulge his eccentricities without facing daily ridicule. His girlfriend, Cass, is content enough meeting Micah on his terms. But when her lease is threatened, Micah misses every hint she drops, and before he knows it, he’s alone, except for a teenager who shows up one day, convinced he’s Micah’s son. Micah’s stumbling actions and reactions are ineffective, and eventually, he starts to realize he might just have to do what he most fears: change.

Micah is a frustrating antihero, and his awkward attempts at human interactions are cringe-worthy and often very funny. In many instances, his ignorance is so total as to almost certainly be deliberate; he’s skated by for years on the assumption that he doesn’t need to expend much effort, and that if he loses relationships, he’s not the one to blame. What humanizes Micah is his affectionate and emotional family, who accept him as he is and love him anyway. Tyler gives us a character rife with unfulfilled potential and it’s a thrill to watch him wake up as his world tremors for the first time.