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A review by beebeereads
Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker
informative
medium-paced
4.25
Fascinating, horrifying, tragic...
This book is a thoroughly researched narrative of the Galvin family which consisted of two parents and 12 children, six of whom had schizophrenia. Woven through the family drama are chapters dedicated to examining the prevailing treatment theories of the time. The author had full access to primary sources and was meticulous in labeling the source in the narrative. I consistently resist the urge to comment on the content of a memoir which this resembles. Everyone is entitled to their own story so I simply follow the story where it leads. I appreciate Kolker's journalistic style combined with a strong storytelling ability. The strength of this book is perhaps its weakness as well. With a few exceptions he stays totally focused on one family-thus the memoir reference. To discover how other families coped in similar circumstances would require more reading. I believe this was Kolker’s charge when the family approached him to tell their story. For their cooperation he owed them exclusivity.
This book is a thoroughly researched narrative of the Galvin family which consisted of two parents and 12 children, six of whom had schizophrenia. Woven through the family drama are chapters dedicated to examining the prevailing treatment theories of the time. The author had full access to primary sources and was meticulous in labeling the source in the narrative. I consistently resist the urge to comment on the content of a memoir which this resembles. Everyone is entitled to their own story so I simply follow the story where it leads. I appreciate Kolker's journalistic style combined with a strong storytelling ability. The strength of this book is perhaps its weakness as well. With a few exceptions he stays totally focused on one family-thus the memoir reference. To discover how other families coped in similar circumstances would require more reading. I believe this was Kolker’s charge when the family approached him to tell their story. For their cooperation he owed them exclusivity.
Highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Pedophilia, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Death of parent and Murder