Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker on April 7, 2020
Genres: Biography & Autobiography / Medical (incl. Patients), Psychology / Psychopathology / Schizophrenia, Science / Life Sciences / Biology
Pages: 400
Format: Paperback
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If you’re looking for a nonfiction book to pick up, you need to read this one. It’s a haunting and powerful examination of mental illness—specifically schizophrenia—told through the devastating story of one family.
The narrative alternates between the Galvin family’s personal story and the scientific developments around schizophrenia that unfolded during the same time. Don and Mimi Galvin had twelve children—ten boys and two girls. Shockingly, six of the boys were eventually diagnosed with schizophrenia. The first son, Donald, and five of his brothers experienced symptoms ranging from intense delusions and hallucinations to self-harm. Their home became a frightening and chaotic place, especially for the other siblings, some of whom endured abuse.
Much of the story is told through the voices of the two youngest daughters, who recall in vivid detail the horrors that occurred in their home. Their perspectives bring emotional depth and urgency to the story.
Don, the father, worked for the military and seemed largely absent from daily family life. Mimi, the mother, dreamed of raising a large, loving family. Even after doctors warned her to stop at ten children, she chose to have two more. While she was devoted to her children, her focus on the ill sons often left the healthy ones feeling neglected and unsafe. It’s hard to imagine the fear and instability they lived with—violence was a regular occurrence, and the parents often seemed to look the other way.
One of the most compelling parts of the book was learning about Dr. Lynn DeLisi, a pioneering researcher in the field of schizophrenia. At a time when the “schizophrenogenic mother” theory was widely accepted—blaming mothers for their children’s mental illness—DeLisi worked tirelessly to shift the narrative. Thanks to her groundbreaking research, that harmful theory was eventually debunked. I especially appreciated the comparison of schizophrenia to a fever—a symptom rather than a singular disease—suggesting it might be one of several disorders on a neurological spectrum, including autism, bipolar disorder, and epilepsy.
This book is both heartbreaking and illuminating. It humanizes a complex illness and shows the toll it can take on an entire family, while also tracing the scientific journey toward understanding schizophrenia. If you’re interested in psychology, family dynamics, or just powerful, well-researched nonfiction, this one is absolutely worth your time. It’s a story that will stay with you long after the last page.