Home for the Bewildered

A new novel & social commentary about therapy, mental illness, and healing in the wake of trauma 

“If your life can be ruined suddenly, why can't it also be saved suddenly?”

Inside the book:

In 1974, as asylums are shuttered due to changing public attitudes about caring for the mentally ill, 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 1970’s 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. Dorothy has no problem saving her patients... but can she save herself?

What readers are saying

  • “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.”

    — Beth Gylys, Ph.D., author of 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. 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

  • “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

If you’ve been waiting for a novel that tackles complex trauma without oversimplifying what it looks like to heal, you’re in the right place.

Purchase your copy of Home for the Bewildered today and experience firsthand why this new novel is making a splash in the mental health and therapy community.