The Real Mrs. Tobias

In her delightful sixth novel, Koslow (Another Side of Paradise) compassionately explores the complex dynamics within four generations of the Tobias family. Psychotherapist Mel regularly plays the role of peacemaker between her steely mother-in-law Veronika, a psychoanalyst who belittles Mel’s education and therapy practice, and the rest of the NYC-based Tobias clan. Chaos ensues when Mel and Jake’s son Micah flees the scene of a hit-and-run and refuses to go to the police. Micah’s angry and disappointed wife Birdie takes their child to her family’s farm in Iowa, much to the dismay of Mel, who adores her granddaughter Alice. To add to the dysfunction, Veronika’s husband is showing signs of dementia and offending customers at the family clothing store. Callie Beaulieu’s and Kendra Hoffman’s spot-on narration brings out Koslow’s perfect balance of humor and drama. The pair marvelously manage the frequent point-of-view shifts among Veronika, Mel, and Birdie, providing listeners with intimate portraits of each character as the narrative rolls along.