The Vanishing Family

'This is a triumph of reporting, and an absolutely compelling exploration of neuroscience and genetics. At its heart, though, it's a poignant, heartfelt story about family and how love sustains even in the most difficult circumstances. Like Kolker's other work, it is full of deep humanity. It's a beautiful book' Susan Orlean, bestselling author of The Orchid Thief From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Valley Road comes the heart-wrenching journey of a family facing a tragic genetic destiny, set against the scientific search for hope for all of us who fear losing our selves to dementia. None of us knows how our story will end, or what shape we will be in by the time the end comes. Here, however, is the story of a family filled with people who do know - or could know. Each family member has a 50-50 chance of inheriting a genetic mutation that causes frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a cruel disease that emerges in middle age. As more and more family members begin to show symptoms, The Vanishing Family offers an intimate exploration of the family's emotional journeys and relationships, and the difficult decisions they face as they confront their genetic fate. Through first-rate reporting and compassionate storytelling, Kolker brings to life the experiences of those in the family who are afflicted by FTD and those who are not. Interwoven with this devastating narrative is the relentless search for a cure-and a glimmer of hope that FTD research could also help us understand more common forms of dementia like Alzheimer's. The decision of whether to get tested for the genetic mutation looms over all members of the family, surfacing a haunting question: if you were going to lose yourself-in a year, or two, or ten-would you even want to know? The Vanishing Family is a powerful allegory for our anxieties about aging and the unknown, offering a roadmap through the unthinkable.

ROBERT KOLKER is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Valley Road, which was an Oprah's book club pick and was named a top book of literary journalism in the 21st century by GQ and a top nonfiction book of the century by Kirkus Reviews. Kolker is also the author of bestselling book Lost Girls, named one of the New York Times's 100 Notable Books and one of Publishers Weekly's Top Ten Books of 2013. He is a contributing writer at The New York Times Magazine. He is a National Magazine Award finalist and a recipient of the 2011 Harry Frank Guggenheim Award for Excellence in Criminal Justice Reporting from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York.