Character Analysis
We know Patsy as Mrs. Loski, or Bryce and Lynetta's mom—of course she's also Granddad Chet's daughter—but to be honest, we don't see a ton of her in this book. We know that Juli thinks she's a nice neighbor, and that over time Mrs. Baker and Mrs. Loski become friends, but most of what we see are moments when Mrs. L is going through some tough stuff.
The first tough thing Mrs. L deals with is fighting with her teenage daughter. When it comes to her mom, Lynetta likes to stir up trouble. Sometimes Mrs. L holds her tongue, but other times she and Lynetta duke it out. Either way, Patsy spends a lot of time getting aggravated.
But there's an even bigger and tougher issue that Mrs. Loski faces: her husband. Here's the deal: Mr. Loski is a handsome guy who often acts pretty nice. And for a long time, that's all Mrs. L sees. When Granddad Chet talks about his daughter, he says she's "Someone who's never been able to look beneath the surface" (8.122). In other words, for Mrs. L appearances are all that matter for a while.
But after twenty years of marriage, Mrs. L starts to see her hubby's mean streak. It's a rude awakening for poor Patsy, and she sure seems to be having a difficult time handling it. Those tiffs with her daughter aren't looking quite so bad anymore.