Valerie S. (VolunteerVal) -
I've been aware of Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker since it was published in 2020, and I finally read it this month for my library book club. Listening to the audiobook narrated by Sean Pratt while following along in a print copy (which is cleverly formatted to track family members) kept me engaged in this nonfiction biography.
The Galvins are an American family, but far from typical. Patriarch Don was involved in the early stages of developing the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, a family hobby was training falcons, and Don and his wife Mimi raised 12 children - 10 boys followed by 2 girls - in their home on Hidden Valley Road.
As teens or young adults, six of their 10 sons were diagnosed with schizophrenia. The book shares Galvin family history, the evolution of symptoms and treatment for the âsick sonsâ and the impact on other family members. Also included is the evolution of medical treatment and challenges of researching schizophrenia.
This was a tough read because my empathetic heart ached for the entire family, the sons who were ill, and their siblings who were not. At times I had to remind myself this nonfiction because their circumstances would be unbelievable if in a novel. I admired the family's willingness to participate in medical research toward advances in treating mental illness.
Our book club had a great discussion of this title; two members felt the medical/scientific data was less interesting, but most, including me, appreciated having it to allow context for the Galvin family challenges.
The Galvins are an American family, but far from typical. Patriarch Don was involved in the early stages of developing the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, a family hobby was training falcons, and Don and his wife Mimi raised 12 children - 10 boys followed by 2 girls - in their home on Hidden Valley Road.
As teens or young adults, six of their 10 sons were diagnosed with schizophrenia. The book shares Galvin family history, the evolution of symptoms and treatment for the âsick sonsâ and the impact on other family members. Also included is the evolution of medical treatment and challenges of researching schizophrenia.
This was a tough read because my empathetic heart ached for the entire family, the sons who were ill, and their siblings who were not. At times I had to remind myself this nonfiction because their circumstances would be unbelievable if in a novel. I admired the family's willingness to participate in medical research toward advances in treating mental illness.
Our book club had a great discussion of this title; two members felt the medical/scientific data was less interesting, but most, including me, appreciated having it to allow context for the Galvin family challenges.
Linda S. (punchbuggy27) reviewed Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family on + 66 more book reviews
Someday, hopefully soon, I'll learn not to pay attention to rave and wonderful reviews of books. I get these supposedly wonderful book and about half the time I find myself thinking 'what is all the hubbub about?' That's how I feel about this book; too many people/characters, too long, just boring. I read about 75 pages and realized I didn't really like what I was reading. I started skimming pages, jumping ahead to see if it got any better. For me, it didn't.
