From the Bookshelf of DMPL Book Chat…

Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family

Robert Kolker

Start date: March 24, 2022

Finish date: April 18, 2022

Why we're reading this: Hidden Valley Road is East Side Book Discussion's April selection! This book club will be held in person …more
[close] Hidden Valley Road is East Side Book Discussion's April selection! This book club will be held in person at East Side Library on Monday, 4/18 at 2:00 PM. Visit our website or call 515-283-4152 for more details, including current COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions.

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

No group discussions for this book yet.

What Members Thought

Jan 20, 2022 Alyson rated it really liked it

Shelves: audio-books, 21-22-40-book-challenge

I listened to this non-fiction family saga via audiobook after seeing it getting high reviews. I was also very surprised when I read the synopsis to hear that the parents' names matched my own, and the eldest son was my oldest brother's name as well! It was jarring to hear the names of my family members within this story.

As for the book itself, I learned quite a lot about schizophrenia and the history of it's diagnosis, treatment, and basic understanding of the science behind it. This is truly ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Nov 08, 2020 Courtney rated it liked it

So many people--including many of her well brothers--had stopped seeing Donald, Peter, and Matt as human beings a long time ago. Schizophrenia's inaccessibility may be the most destructive thing about it--the thing that keeps so many people from connecting to the people with the illness.

I've read many books this year about mental illness and how society defines mental illness vs. mental wellness. Perhaps those were a good baseline for me to read this book. I was incredibly interesting to hear ab ...more

Like · see review

Feb 08, 2021 Andy rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction

[3.5 stars] At one time the Galvins were described as “the most mentally ill family in America.” For a little more than a decade starting in the 1960s, six out of the 12 children would receive a schizophrenia diagnosis, but all family members felt the impact – and those alive still do.

In “Hidden Valley Road,” Robert Kolker provides an unflinching account of how mental illness, in many ways, destroyed this family. From secrets and shame to sexual abuse, rape and murder, the Galvins experienced en [3.5 stars] At one time the Galvins were described as “the most mentally ill family in America.” For a little more than a decade starting in the 1960s, six out of the 12 children would receive a schizophrenia diagnosis, but all family members felt the impact – and those alive still do.

In “Hidden Valley Road,” Robert Kolker provides an unflinching account of how mental illness, in many ways, destroyed this family. From secrets and shame to sexual abuse, rape and murder, the Galvins experienced enough tragedy to last lifetimes and struggled to keep up appearances of living the American Dream will imploding.

First and foremost, this is a remarkable piece of journalism that highlights the best of the craft: meticulous research, compelling narratives, well-rounded depictions of the individuals profiled and presenting information with editorializing.

In many ways Kolker became the 13th Galvin child, as invested in uncovering the “why” behind schizophrenia as much as the family, many of whom have spent decades giving time, interviews and medical samples in a quest to help uncover the mysteries behind, and successful treatments for, schizophrenia.

But becoming this invested in a topic can also be a detriment. Like Kate Moore’s “The Radium Girls” and Erik Larson’s “Thunderstruck,” Kolker sometimes didn’t know when to move on. To provide a rounded view of 50+ years of familial strife or centuries of medical debate, the story sometimes felt bloated and repetitive. So, while I found it captivating, it’s not for the casual reader or occasional nonfictioner.

While split into two concurrent narratives – the Galvin family and the scientific and medical communities – I think most people will be drawn to the human element, making the chapters focused on psychiatry more of a chore.

What propelled me throughout, was the honesty and candor of the Galvin family. The fact that Kolker was able to build the trust needed so the Galvins felt comfortable sharing the darkest components of their family history cannot be understated.

Audio is probably the best format for most readers given the difficult and dense subject matter. Sean Pratt provides the right amount of gravitas to honor the nonfiction aspect of the story but allows emotion to creep in when it should. ...more

Like · see review

Apr 15, 2021 Merri Monks rated it it was amazing

Hidden Vally Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker is an amazing account of the Galvin family, six of whose ten sons (but neither of their two daughters) were diagnosed with schizophrenia. A broken wrist prevents me from writing a detailed review, but it’s a well-written account of both the family’s history and the history of the research to find cause and cure this mysterious and complex illness.

Highly recommended.

Like · see review