Hidden Valley Road

Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family

Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family, written by Robert Kolker, delves into the world of mental illness, specifically schizophrenia and our country’s attempt to understand and treat people suffering from it. When researchers tried to investigate whether or not there is a genetic origin of schizophrenia, they were astonished to hear of the Galvin family living in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Galvin family had twelve siblings and out of the twelve, six had already been diagnosed with schizophrenia. The book follows all the Galvins, their challenges and struggles growing in such a chaotic environment, as well as the parents and their approach to dealing with their ill children and the non-ill children. The book also explores how research and treatment have evolved over the years. This a highly informative book on a subject we still struggle to understand, but shows the progress being made after studying families such as the Galvins.

Reviewed by Stephanie Dunn, Zauel Library