The Real Mrs. Tobias by Sally Koslow  – 272 pages

ARC from the author for an honest review 

Book Blurb:

The Real Mrs. Tobias by Sally Koslow: It’s 2015 in New York City, and three women all known as Mrs. Tobias–Veronika, the matriarch, her daughter-in-law Mel, and Mel’s daughter-in-law Birdie–are trying to navigate personal difficulties, some of which are with one another.Veronika and Mel, despite having little in common, are both psychotherapists who are more skilled at helping other people than solving their own problems. Birdie, still dealing with the culture shock of moving to New York City and marrying into the Tobias clan, is pushed to her limit when her husband gets into trouble. No amount of badgering from his steely grandmother, smart-mouthed mother, or disillusioned wife can convince him to own up to what he’s done. Overwhelmed, Birdie bolts–along with the couple’s young daughter–to her Midwestern hometown, hoping that space, warmth and wisdom from her own feisty grandmother will help her find a path forward. And though Birdie begins to find comfort in unexpected places–a local bookstore and the arms of her old boyfriend–her absence stirs up long simmering troubles back home forcing the Tobiases to reconsider their relationships to each other, and ultimately, what it means to be a family.

My Review: 4 stars

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The Real Mrs. Tobias by Sally Koslow is the second book I’ve read from this author and I’m now certain that she is an assured and relatable storyteller. This book is character heavy and at the beginning it took me a minute, but after just a few chapters it all flowed seamlessly, and I confidently knew all the characters. 

The book revolves around the mothering of adult children, relationships with mothers-in-laws, being a grandmother and wanting your kids to do the right thing when they’ve done something very wrong. It’s about family acceptance, fitting in, marriage and familial pride. You can see how all the above can make this book quite relevant. When I finished reading, I couldn’t wait to talk to other readers about it. 

Having both the mother and mother-in-law both part of the psychotherapy world was satirically appropriate. Getting inside Mel’s head during her sessions with clients was very interesting to read as well. 

I really enjoyed this story and think it’s a perfect for women’s fiction readers. 

Quotes I liked:

I have a single grandchild, but the difference between one and none is infinite.”