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meag_mcb 's review for:
Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family
by Robert Kolker
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Well researched and interesting with some entertainment value with real life dialogue and accounts of what happened to and among this family.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Drug use, Incest, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Animal cruelty, Suicide attempt
(Trigger descriptions hidden behind spoilers) This book is about a family diagnosed with schizophrenia some of them may have been misdiagnosed but overall the mental illness in this family leans toward psychosis. Add that to the giant family dynamic and parents who preferred to let them fight it out rather than teach them healthy coping mechanisms and relationship skills, the abuse that happens is inevitable. There are graphic and descriptive incidents of child molestation by an older brother and gang rape by others. Sexual abuse by the family priest is mentioned but not in detail.
Those with mental illnesses are victims of the time with no intervention and with that comes neglect.
There is one instance of a successful murder-suicide and one attempt. Also mentions of attempted suicides, no details were shared outside that there was an attempt. Family dynamics explore abandonment and betrayal, manipulation by family members, physical violence among siblings, and caring for those unable to care for themselves.