About this item
Highlights
- "You'll finish wanting a sequel.
- Author(s): Michelle Tobin
- 328 Pages
- Fiction + Literature Genres, Historical
Description
Book Synopsis
"You'll finish wanting a sequel." Dan Mulhern, J.D., Former First Gentleman of Michigan
It's 1974 and Dr. Dorothy Morrissey becomes the first female psychologist at St. Lawrence Asylum in Lansing, Michigan.
Dorothy's patients mirror her emotional issues as they draw her into their often-chaotic lives. Thomas Perfect's impulsiveness and attention-seeking behavior-both symptoms of his bipolar disorder-often prove dangerous as a gay man in 1970s Lansing, Michigan. His flair for drama makes Dorothy laugh as much as his trauma makes her want to cry. Dorothy wrestles with an inexplicable aversion to George who had been remanded to St. Lawrence after pleading Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity. Ruth's post-partum psychiatric break threatens to draw Dorothy in with her, and Marcella, labeled as borderline frustrates Dorothy's efforts to keep her from self-harm.
As good as Dorothy is at holding and interpreting her patients' past traumas, she resists looking at her own, causing a strain on her relationship with Kenneth. It seems Dorothy has no problem saving her patients... but can she save herself?
Review Quotes
"Tobin masterfully takes us deeper and deeper into the stories and the minds and hearts of her characters. She brings us with them into their mental confusion, their efforts to cope, but then on to their heroic efforts to heal. You finish, wanting a sequel." Dan Mulhern, J.D., Former First Gentleman of Michigan (Governor Jennifer Granholm), TedX speaker, UC Berkeley professor
"It's remarkable how much ground Michelle Tobin covers with this complex, flawed, and dynamic cast of characters. I feel connected to them from the very first page. Tobin tackles HUGE subjects: grief, homosexuality, priest abuse, family denial, parental guilt, the AIDS crisis, hypermasculinity, and feminine stereotyping with a clear sense of unity and emotional richness." Beth Gylys, Ph.D., author Body Braille, English Literature professor at Georgia State
"Michelle Tobin's Home for the Bewildered is a poignant, funny, inspiring exploration of the healing power of empathy and common humanity. Dr. Dorothy Morrisey, the psychologist at the heart of the story, is a marvelous character. Tobin seamlessly weaves together the strands of Dorothy's personal life with her challenging professional work of caring for hospitalized psychiatric patients. Her psychiatric "cases" become grief-stricken human souls, each of them unique persons who have experienced profound disappointment and trauma. A compelling work of fiction that could also serve as an excellent resource for teaching the art of psychotherapy." John Neafsey, psychologist, author of A Sacred Voice is Calling