TheheartrendingstoryofamidcenturyAmericanfamilywithtwelvechildren,sixofthemdiagnosedwithschizophrenia,thatbecamescience’sgreathopeinthequesttounderstandthedisease.DonandMimiGalvinseemedtobelivingtheAmericandream.AfterWorldWarII,Don’sworkwiththeAirForcebroughtthemtoColorado,wheretheirtwelvechildrenperfectlyspannedthebabyboom:theoldestbornin1945,theyoungestin1965.Inthoseyears,therewasanestablishedscriptforafamilyliketheGalvins--aspiration,hardwork,upwardmobility,domesticharmony--andtheyworkedhardtoplaytheirparts.Butbehindthesceneswasadifferentstory:psychologicalbreakdown,suddenshockingviolence,hiddenabuse.Bythemid-1970s,sixofthetenGalvinboys,oneafteranother,werediagnosedasschizophrenic.Howcouldallthishappentoonefamily?WhattookplaceinsidethehouseonHiddenValleyRoadwassoextraordinarythattheGalvinsbecameoneofthefirstfamiliestobestudiedbytheNationalInstituteofMentalHealth.Theirstoryoffersashadowhistoryofthescienceofschizophrenia,fromtheeraofinstitutionalization,lobotomy,andtheschizophrenogenicmothertothesearchforgeneticmarkersforthedisease,alwaysamidprofounddisagreementsaboutthenatureoftheillnessitself.AndunbeknownsttotheGalvins,samplesoftheirDNAinformeddecadesofgeneticresearchthatcontinuestoday,offeringpathstotreatment,prediction,andeveneradicationofthediseaseforfuturegenerations.Withclarityandcompassion,bestsellingandaward-winningauthorRobertKolkeruncoversonefamily’sunforgettablelegacyofsuffering,love,andhope.
