I found this to be a fascinating, emotional and really interesting read. The research that must have went into this book is astounding. Despite the difficult subject matter (and it really was a heartbreaking read) I found that this was written in a very readable manner.

A fascinating look into both an extraordinary family and the history of psychology and its treatment of mental illness in general and schizophrenia, in particular. The Galvin family had twelve children between 1945 and 1965. Of those twelve, six of the boys developed schizophrenia and were treated over decades. During that same period and into the 2000s some remarkable advancements have been made in how schizophrenia is viewed, why it originates , and how it is treated. This book will interest any who are interested in medical history and who can stand the raw pain and devastation of a family living through constant illness, violence, sexual abuse, and more.

WOW! This book! Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family is written by Robert Kolker. While telling the story of the Glavin family, he also gives the history of how schizophrenia has been understood, or misunderstood, and the breakthroughs that have happened along the way.

The Galvin family's story seems too preposterous to be based on a real life family and yet, it's all too real. As Don and Mimi began their family they moved around, eventually bringing them to Colorado. Both Don and Mimi enjoyed falconry. As their family grew, eventually having 10 boys and 2 girls, Mimi is left to raise the children while Don is in the air force and not always home. Often times, the way of training the birds, became how Mimi also raised the children. Sometimes the birds had more freedom.

Having this many children is amazing itself. Mimi seemed to enjoy the notoriety having a large family brought, especially since her children were seen as perfect examples of how children should be, starting with the oldest Donald. Even when things weren't ok, they were dismissed as being the way all children are. Of course there would be fights. Or things were denied altogether because Mimi couldn't see that her star child would do anything considered inappropriate. It was easier for Mimi to pretend that there was nothing wrong and everything was ok.

Eventually, one by one, six of the boys are diagnosed with schizophrenia. The perfect life the Galvin family portrayed was anything but perfect. There was violence, sexual abuse, and psychological breakdowns. Life for the children who were not diagnosed was not easy either. Each one wondering if they would be next and all of them having to navigate around what was happening inside their family.

Add to the mix that there were different perceptions of what schizophrenia was. Scientists didn't know if it was environmental, genetic, bacterial, neurological, genetic, biochemical or viral. The thoughts on how it should be treated was also diverse. Some of the treatments are bizarre and cruel. Some psychiatrists leaned towards nurture calling mothers like Mimi schizophrenogenic. Others leaned towards nature and it would be a long time before the idea that it could be a mix of both would catch on.

Kolker has written a well researched book that gives an account of one family's journey through mental illness and what they did and didn't do to get answers and survive. My heart broke for these children and I wonder if we've really come any closer to some of the answers the Galvin family were in desperate need of.

I like how Kolker weaved together the family story and the scientific aspect of schizophrenia. It was also super helpful to have the list of the family members at the beginning of each chapter to keep everyone organized in my head and to know who the chapter was focusing on.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about mental illness.

Bookworm Rating: 🐛🐛🐛🐛🐛

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Canada for the free digital copy for an honest review.

I've heard so many positive reviews about this book. If you're looking for an emotional read, this is the book! I enjoyed reading this non-fiction that sometimes look like fiction.
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for this arc in exchange of an honest review.

The story of the Galvins is one that I had honestly never heard before, through my reading about psychology recently. It's definitely one of the most interesting, though, by far. A family that's been through so much pain due to mental illness, coming from a time where almost anything out of the ordinary was stigmatized heavily, it makes sense that there would be not only lingering effects on the generations to come but an almost paranoia about it, as Lindsay says close to the end. It's proof positive that there's still so much we don't know to this day about how schizophrenia manifests, and the fact that there are not only movements that are causing the people who have it harm but continuing that stigma.

The Galvins themselves are portrayed through an empathetic eye, though, one that I'm glad to have. Kolker never makes any attempts to show those with mental illness as monsters like some other media does, and it's both refreshing and telling for how the members of the family who are not schizophrenic feel about their siblings. They see them as the people they were, still, which is such an honest viewpoint to take. The entire book isn't just a telling of their story, it's a cry for help. The fact that they're trying to get answers to this day about why the system failed them so horribly.

Ultimately, a well written and researched piece about a family who was struggling for too long. One that the system let slip through the cracks far too deep considering their legacy now. The Galvins are a story of what needs to change, and why studies need to happen.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the opportunity read this arc in exchange of an honest review.

I do not read a ton of non-fiction, but I found this story, these lives, equally heartbreaking and fascinating. I could not wait to find out what happened next and at the same time was shocked with each turn of events. At times it felt like a real visceral punch, almost like the book itself sucker punched me, as out of nowhere as something else horrible would be revealed. But I suppose that is very much what life with so much mental illness in one family could be like.

Interspersed with the lives of the family are chapters that focus on the science of schizophrenia research. I was honestly a little worried at first that those could get boring or slow down the narrative, but they were equally fascinating. Knowing more about what was happening with the science, helps to understand some of the decisions that were made, or not, for the brothers.

What a remarkable story. The book was written with such compassion and empathy about a subject, schizophrenia, that was initially so misunderstood.
What was especially well done was the parallel of the family history, alongside the evolving uncovering of a disease so unexplained. Every aspect of the Galvins' lives, 12 children in total, could be questioned. The mother's role, the father's role, how the children with schizophrenia behaved, how the children without coped, and so many other questions are adeptly addressed. Thanks to the Galvins and their willingness to be one of the first families studied by the National Institute of Health, we are a bit further along to understanding schizophrenia. Kolker has provided key insight into a subject that needed such in-depth investigating. The book is a must-read.

I received this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was really excited to read this book. As a historian of psychiatry, I am always looking for new books on diagnosis and psychological treatment. What initially drew me to this book was the fact that this was a story about an American family who had a high rate of schizophrenia. I thought that this book would offer a unique perspective, and it did not disappoint.

Kolker is masterful in his ability to combine both a family saga and medical history of the disease. He was able to make the medical history of schizophrenia accessible for the reader and a drama in its own right. Both of these stories were needed to show how the Galvins are such an integral family not only because of their story but their contribution to schizophrenic research.

Each chapter highlights particular individuals in the family which I though was really smart. There is such a large cast of characters throughout the book and keeping them straight was sometimes hard to do, but this was a useful tool.

There are many dark moments in this book and Kolker doesn't shy away from them. He's really good at describing these sensitive issues and showing their importance. While these details were hard to read at times, they were clearly important to the narrative and showed how schizophrenia affects families.

Overall I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the history of psychiatry and how certain mental illnesses affect families.

Having twelve children is a feat itself but having just as many suffering from schizophrenia , various other mental health issues and physical, emotional, social abuse is heart wrenching . This book chronicles the lives of the Galvin family and the search for answers to why schizophrenia was so prevalent in this family. Part of this book focuses on these twelve children and their parents and the other half the scientific study of how and why this illness occurs.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for my e-copy for review.
The book chronicles the incredible true story of the Galvin family - of 12 siblings, six of the brothers were diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Their story is absolutely saturated with all issues associated with such a disorder - disturbing behaviors and treatments alike. This does ring so true with such an illness, and the whole point of the book is to illustrate the enormity that is unknown about causes and effective management.
This is where the Galvin family has proved invaluable, in researching common denominators toward causation and outcomes.
Excellent writing and impeccable research from Robert Kolker is absolutely commended here - there's just so much of it, which would be the case regardless of topic when you have 12 main character siblings plus parents! Their stories are heartbreaking and tragic; the hand dealt this family truly cruel.
Despite it being a densely-packed read, it is presented in a truly readable manner. It is bound to become a classic of medical writings.

Hidden Valley Road is a fascinating and well-written account of a family with six schizophrenic children. It is thorough and well-researched, although it would have been strengthened if the voices of those who are schizophrenic were included more.

The best Non-fiction novel I have read thus far in 2020. Kolker, did a great job on intertwining a technical, medical story with a dramatic, human interest story. The overall format of the novel was well laid out, with enough medical discussion which allows the reader to enjoy learning more about mental health and the history of schizophrenia, coupled with the dramatics of the Galvin family story.
Highly recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the opportunity read this arc in exchange of an honest review.

Hidden Valley Road is a true story about an American family. Don Galvin married Mimi Kenyon Blayney and the couple went on to have twelve children. There were ten boys and two girls. Donald the oldest was born in 1945. The youngest Mary was born in 1965. Even during the baby boom having twelve children was extraordinary. What proved to make the exceptional Galvins even more fascinating was that six of the ten boys would be diagnosed as schizophrenic in the years to come.
The author Robert Kolker gives us insight into the family and the effects schizophrenia had on all the members of the family. Also he provides information about the disease, the treatments and the some of the research conducted. I thought Robert Kolker struck a good balance between the family story and the scientific aspects. I found the Galvin story equal parts fascinating, disturbing and heartbreaking. No surprise when this was chosen as Oprah’s latest book club pick.

Kolker presents an interesting enough story about a large Colorado family plagued by schizophrenia. He also explores some of the research that has been done on this fairly common but devastating mental illness that affects one in one hundred people. Unfortunately, Kolker is not the reliable, skilled writer the material required, and he appears not to have been assisted by an attentive, knowledgeable editor . The book is too long and the writing is sometimes careless. (For example, at one point the author confuses a hockey player’s facial “orbital” fracture with the “occipital lobe” of the brain.) The conclusion is particularly muddled, rambling, and pedestrian. Ultimately, a missed opportunity and not a book I’d recommend.