In the sweeping vista of post-World War II America, nestled in the picturesque but deceptive tranquility of Hidden Valley Road, the Galvin family presents a facade of the idyllic American dream. With twelve children born into the burgeoning baby boom era, Don and Mimi Galvin play their roles in the collective national narrative of aspiration and prosperity. Yet, beneath this veneer of domestic harmony lies a chilling saga of psychological turmoil, violence, and a genetic enigma that would perplex the scientific community. Half of the Galvin sons are diagnosed with schizophrenia, catapulting the family into a nightmarish odyssey through the evolving landscape of psychiatric medicine. "Hidden Valley Road" delves into the heart of darkness that enveloped the Galvin family, offering a poignant and profoundly humanizing portrayal of mental illness juxtaposed against the backdrop of American societal expectations. As author Robert Kolker meticulously unwraps the layers of this extraordinary family's turmoil, he also charts the tumultuous path of schizophrenia research, from the brutal era of lobotomies to the cutting-edge quest for genetic markers. The Galvins’ harrowing experiences emerge not just as a story of despair, but as a beacon of hope, contributing invaluable insights to the ongoing struggle to understand, and ultimately conquer, one of humanity’s most perplexing and devastating diseases.