First published 2021
The Galvin family embodied the American dream after World War II. Dan and Mimi married during an era of growing prosperity, climbed into the middle class, and bought a beautiful home. They wanted a large family and got their wish with twelve children. Behind closed doors, tragedy struck repeatedly. Six of their sons lost touch with reality, one after another. The schizophrenia diagnosis devastated the entire family in those times. The Galvin tragedy became an opportunity for psychiatry. Studying so many closely related patients helped scientists and doctors better understand this complex disease, whose treatments often proved more devastating than the symptoms themselves. Kolker skillfully weaves together the gripping Galvin family story, told with detailed empathy, alongside the fascinating history of psychiatry. The book also serves as a sociological portrait of late twentieth century America, capturing its desires, ambitions, and suppressed problems.
Genres: 20th-century, biography-memoir, health, history-of-medicine, 21st-century, family-drama, academic, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-drama, true-story
Setting: America, United States
Period: Post-World War II, Late 20th Century
416 pages · Hardcover · Czarne
Content warnings: mental-illness