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Behind the Veil of Perfection

Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker

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This is a book that’s going to stay with me for a while.  In Hidden Valley Road, Robert Kolker details the story of the Galvins: A family of twelve children, made up of 10 boys and two younger girls. And in the first part of the book, we learn how six of those 10 boys, six went on to develop a form of schizophrenia.  The eldest of these boys, Don Jr, was born at the closing of WW2. An average student but a rather enthusiastic […]

“This could be the most mentally ill family in America.”

Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker

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This was the non-fiction pick for my book club, and I was really looking forward to reading it. Hidden Valley Road is the story of the Galvin family: Don and Mimi, and their 12 children, born between 1945 and 1965. Of the 10 boys, six developed schizophrenia. Kolker traces the Galvin family from Mimi and Don’s early lives, to their marriage and the beginnings of their family, all the way through to the next generation. We learn about the sick kids and the well ones, […]

“Schizophrenia cannot be understood without understanding despair.” R.D. Laing

Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker

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I first saw Hidden Valley Ranch by Robert Kolker on NPR’s Best Books of 2020. I have three brothers and one of them has Schizophrenia. It has been crippling for both him and our family. Hidden Valley Ranch caught my eye because it is the true story of a family with twelve kids: ten boys and two girls. Six of the boys were diagnosed with Schizophrenia when they were young adults. This book describes the history of the family, beginning with Don and Mimi Galvin: how they grew up, how they met, […]

“And so I was crushed,” Mimi said. “Because I thought I was such a good mother. I baked a cake and a pie every night. Or at least had Jell-O with whipped cream.” #CBRBINGO – Book Club

Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker

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This was an intense read, but very engaging. If you are interested in reading about mental health, and the history of mental health, this is a must-read. The author, Robert Kolker, was introduced to two sisters, Margaret and Lindsay (formerly Mary) Galvin, who wanted someone to document and tell the story of their family in an unbiased and informative way. The Galvins were a family of fourteen: twelve children (ten boys and two girls) and two parents, Mimi and Don. The oldest child, Donald, was […]

Each Unhappy Family is Unhappy in Its Own Way

Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker

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Bingo category: Rep Don and Mimi Galvin had twelve children, ten boys and two girls. Six of their sons were diagnosed with schizophrenia. In Hidden Valley Road, Robert Kolker tells the Galvins’ story, as well as exploring the history of schizophrenia research and treatment, and its current state. The resulting book is fascinating and incredibly depressing. The story mostly centers on the two daughters, Margaret and Lindsay, who are also the two youngest children in the family. It’s clear that Kolker primarily spoke to these […]

Six Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker

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CW: abuse, sexual assault, mental illness (violent/hallucinatory schizophrenia) Finally got around to reading this–presumably to no one’s surprise, it’s exactly the type of non-fiction book that would appeal to me. A bit of healthcare, a bit of narrative, tension as to how it’ll all end…catnip. The star lost is very specific to me–towards the end of the novel, when we catch up to the present day (or days closer to present), we transition into a bit of pharma development work which I found pretty lacking. […]



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