Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family

Nonfiction | Biography | Adult | Published in 2020

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Prologue-Part 1, Chapter 4

Part 1, Chapters 5-11

Part 1, Chapters 12-17

Part 2, Chapters 18-23

Part 2, Chapters 24-29

Part 2, Chapters 30-34

Part 2, Chapters 35-40

Part 3, Chapters 41-45

Key Figures

Themes

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Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Essay Topics

Explore the significance of Hidden Valley Road’s title and subtitle in light of its major themes.

Kolker notes early on that “[i]t is hard enough to individuate oneself in any family with twelve children” (xix-xx). With that in mind, how does Kolker flesh out the different Galvin children, including those with schizophrenia?

Discuss the relationship between the theory of the “schizophrenogenic” mother and mid-20th century social norms. What impact did this have on the Galvin family?