Genre Fiction
![Sally Koslow - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B001JRRFNS.jpg)
The Real Mrs. Tobias: A Novel
"Sally Koslow channels Nora Ephron in this lively tale of obligation versus desire and the politics of family power. Deftly written with equal parts intelligence, pathos, and humor, The Real Mrs. Tobias is a pure pleasure to read."-Therese Anne Fowler, New York Times bestselling author of It All Comes Down to This
A sharply funny and big-hearted multi-generational story about the deeply complicated relationships between mothers- and daughters-in-law, told through three women who marry into the same family, a treat for fans of The Nest and Fleischmann Is in Trouble.
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.
Will the three Tobias-women-by-marriage ever find themselves-and a way back to one another? A timely look at how women hold families together.
"With a shrewd eye and a light touch, Sally Koslow weaves a story about three strong women whose memories, dreams, and desires conflict and intersect as they navigate a series of family crises. Warm, witty, and heartfelt, The Real Mrs. Tobias is a cinematic, fast-paced treat."-Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Exiles and Orphan Train
"With razor-sharp prose, witty humor and depth, Sally Koslow's The Real Mrs. Tobias takes us down the MIL Road . . . the one that should come with a warning. You will laugh, you will cry, you will empathize-and if you happen to be a Daughter-In-Law-you will say, Better her than me. Yet just when you think there is no way back, Koslow's page-turner will prove that while family ties can strangle, they also can keep you bound together through love, loss, secrets, and healing."-Lisa Barr, author of Woman on Fire
A sharply funny and big-hearted multi-generational story about the deeply complicated relationships between mothers- and daughters-in-law, told through three women who marry into the same family, a treat for fans of The Nest and Fleischmann Is in Trouble.
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.
Will the three Tobias-women-by-marriage ever find themselves-and a way back to one another? A timely look at how women hold families together.
"With a shrewd eye and a light touch, Sally Koslow weaves a story about three strong women whose memories, dreams, and desires conflict and intersect as they navigate a series of family crises. Warm, witty, and heartfelt, The Real Mrs. Tobias is a cinematic, fast-paced treat."-Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Exiles and Orphan Train
"With razor-sharp prose, witty humor and depth, Sally Koslow's The Real Mrs. Tobias takes us down the MIL Road . . . the one that should come with a warning. You will laugh, you will cry, you will empathize-and if you happen to be a Daughter-In-Law-you will say, Better her than me. Yet just when you think there is no way back, Koslow's page-turner will prove that while family ties can strangle, they also can keep you bound together through love, loss, secrets, and healing."-Lisa Barr, author of Woman on Fire
Editorial Reviews
"With razor-sharp prose, witty humor and depth, Sally Koslow's The Real Mrs. Tobias takes us down the MIL Road … the one that should come with a warning. You will laugh, you will cry, you will empathize – and if you happen to be a Daughter-In-Law – you will say, Better her than me. Yet just when you think there is no way back, Koslow's page-turner will prove that while family ties can strangle, they also can keep you bound together through love, loss, secrets, and healing." - Lisa Barr, New York Times bestselling author of Woman on Fire
"Wry, knowing, and devastatingly insightful, The Real Mrs. Tobias illuminates the precarious bond between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law. United by their love of the same men, three very different women struggle for control of their relationships and their lives in Sally Koslow's riveting novel. I nodded in agreement and laughed out loud though the whole book, and walked away with fresh insights into my life as a mother-in-law, a daughter-in-law, and a woman." - Pamela Redmond, author of Younger
"I love mother-daughter stories, so I was delighted to see Koslow's ingenious new focus on mothers and daughter-in laws! Told by three vivid women all sharing the same family name-the matriarch, her daughter-in-law and then the next daughter-in-law-this is such a profound, powerful and smartly funny story that it made me reappreciate my own mother-in-law, even as if let me live through this oh-so-important relationship through this amazing book. Deeply original, about the bonds that break-and remake female relationships, The Real Mrs. Tobias is the real deal." - Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of With or Without You
"With a shrewd eye and a light touch, Sally Koslow weaves a story about three strong women whose memories, dreams, and desires conflict and intersect as they navigate a series of family crises. Warm, witty, and heartfelt, The Real Mrs. Tobias is a cinematic, fast-paced treat." - Christina Baker Kline, #1
"Wry, knowing, and devastatingly insightful, The Real Mrs. Tobias illuminates the precarious bond between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law. United by their love of the same men, three very different women struggle for control of their relationships and their lives in Sally Koslow's riveting novel. I nodded in agreement and laughed out loud though the whole book, and walked away with fresh insights into my life as a mother-in-law, a daughter-in-law, and a woman." - Pamela Redmond, author of Younger
"I love mother-daughter stories, so I was delighted to see Koslow's ingenious new focus on mothers and daughter-in laws! Told by three vivid women all sharing the same family name-the matriarch, her daughter-in-law and then the next daughter-in-law-this is such a profound, powerful and smartly funny story that it made me reappreciate my own mother-in-law, even as if let me live through this oh-so-important relationship through this amazing book. Deeply original, about the bonds that break-and remake female relationships, The Real Mrs. Tobias is the real deal." - Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of With or Without You
"With a shrewd eye and a light touch, Sally Koslow weaves a story about three strong women whose memories, dreams, and desires conflict and intersect as they navigate a series of family crises. Warm, witty, and heartfelt, The Real Mrs. Tobias is a cinematic, fast-paced treat." - Christina Baker Kline, #1
Readers Top Reviews
RMGMaxine Davidow
Sally Koslow has given us a funny and intimate portrait of a highly functioning dysfunctional Jewish family. No matter who you are, you will recognize elements of your own life in these parents and children. While some of their interactions may make you cringe, you will root for the characters to find peace with themselves and each other. The author doesn't propose too many happy endings, but there is hope abounding. And she also takes a stab at the age-old question: what is my therapist really thinking about when I'm babbling on about my problems? A very fun, light read with lots of depth as well.
Evelyn RenoldRMGM
I had a serious problem putting down Sally’s Koslow’s “The Real Mrs. Tobias”—other things I was supposed to be reading went unread. Then, when I finished this fast, funny, keenly observed novel, I felt bereft. I just wanted to spend more time in the company of the author and her highly relatable characters.
Amelia K.Evelyn R
I’ve been craving the kind of story that is engaging and entertaining enough to help me take a break from all the crazy news in the world. I’ve started then abandoned so many novels over the past year. I was so happy to realize how caught up I was in this multi-generational saga that does a delicious deep dive into how we feel about whom our kids choose as marriage partners…or the parents and relatives that come as part of the deal when marrying into a family. With four generations (if you count Alice - a strong-willed three-year-old) “going at it” with their own judgements and opinions about each other…well, from a family meal in chapter one the story is already off and running. That’s the kind of story this is…it immediately kicks off with great characters bumping heads. I loved it. And need an immediate sequel!
Roberta GrantAmel
I have read all of Sally Koslow’s novels and enjoyed them all. But I feel The Real Mrs. Tobias is her meatiest, funniest and most enjoyable achievement. Koslow dissects the tortured ties of two related families with roots in New York City and the Midwest. To this end she employs trenchant wit, warmth, social commentary and enough plot twists to keep you glued to the page. She also skillfully conveys the unique voices of two mothers-in-law and one daughter-in-law who continually veer between contempt and admiration for one another as they seek to shape the family arrangements they each want.
Carol Pierson Hol
“What if I’m living the wrong life?” asks one of Mel Glazer’s patients. With that line, The Real Mrs. Tobias comes into focus. Each of the main characters, from Veronika, the steely successful psychiatrist and matriarch, to Mel, her social worker/therapist daughter, Mel’s husband Jake, their daughter Jordan and her twin Michah and his wife Birdie, tackle the existential question in this compassionate family story. The crises of the Tobias family face are real and agonizing. I was especially touched by the illness of Veronika’s husband and how Veronika and other family members endure the heartbreak of his gradual diminishment. And the ways the two therapists handle difficult family situations were so powerful I wrote them down for future use. This is not to say this is a somber story. Sally Kaslow is a funny writer whose wonderful rhythm keeps things light. Her humorous take in particular on mother-in-laws, particularly Mel, made me laugh out loud in the realization of similar mistakes I’ve made myself. I read this book on an airplane flying to a wedding, highly recommended. My only regret is that I hadn’t finished it by the time I landed, so I spent the first hour or so in my hotel room, finishing The Real Mrs. Tobias, rather than rushing off to where I was supposed to be.
