Hidden Valley Road


Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family is a 2020 non-fiction book by Robert Kolker. It is an account of the Galvin family of Colorado Springs, Colorado, a midcentury American family with twelve children, six of them diagnosed with schizophrenia. The family became subjects of researchers investigating a genetic origin for schizophrenia.
The book was selected for the revival of Oprah's Book Club. It debuted at number one on the New York Times nonfiction bestseller list.

Reception

The book has received critical acclaim. Kirkus Reviews praised the book's "astounding depth and empathy" and Kolker's account of schizophrenia's history and the complicated atmosphere and relationships between members of the Galvin family.
Publishers Weekly called the book a "haunting and memorable" account of multi-generational mental illness and praised Kolker's "taut and often heartbreaking narrative."