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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
This was a really interesting read, but I found myself tiring of the chapters that were research-heavy. While the research component is certainly important and shouldn’t be left out, I was more interested in the storylines of each of the Galvin family members.
This is a fascinating story if you have any interest at all in mental illness. It's the saga of a couple who had 12 children over 20 years even though they weren't very good parents: the father was mostly absent and the mother was extremely perfectionistic and came across as cold and detached. Of the 10 sons, six developed schizophrenia. One committed murder and another one attempted to kill his wife.
I'd give this 4 stars for the story, which is fascinating, but only 2 for the writing. The author met one of the sisters and I assume got a lot of his information from her, and yet the story is told in a very detached manner, almost glossing over some of the more interesting parts. For example, when the one son kills his girlfriend and himself, there's really no detail about how that affected the parents. I never felt as if I got any real insight into either parent or any of the children. In contrast, I would recommend "His Brother's Keeper" by Jonathan Weiner, which tells the story of a close-knit family in which one son develops ALS and another tries to find a cure. In that book, I felt as if I really KNEW the people, rather than just reading a detached rendition of events.
I'd give this 4 stars for the story, which is fascinating, but only 2 for the writing. The author met one of the sisters and I assume got a lot of his information from her, and yet the story is told in a very detached manner, almost glossing over some of the more interesting parts. For example, when the one son kills his girlfriend and himself, there's really no detail about how that affected the parents. I never felt as if I got any real insight into either parent or any of the children. In contrast, I would recommend "His Brother's Keeper" by Jonathan Weiner, which tells the story of a close-knit family in which one son develops ALS and another tries to find a cure. In that book, I felt as if I really KNEW the people, rather than just reading a detached rendition of events.
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
Raw and heartbreaking, can’t even imagine what this family must have gone through having six members with schizophrenia. Gives one lots to think about in terms of medical approaches to mental health issues. Recommended read.
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
This seems odd that it’s nonfiction, as it’s told like a fictional story. Specifically in how it discusses the inner thoughts and feelings of the people, which is something an omniscient author would be able to do. It’s an odd thing to do and it’s putting me off a bit. Man tbis was a sad and upsetting story. Everyone suffered. Almost everyone lived. What a story.
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Child abuse
Thought provoking and interesting. The history of schizophrenia and how treatments have changed with advancement and use of genetic testing.