“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, New York Times-bestselling author of The Orchid Thief and Joyride

“Robert Kolker has somehow done it again. The Vanishing Family is an extraordinary investigation of the forms of silence and denial that come to structure a family redefined by dementia. It is also a riveting family saga about sisters and brothers trying to understand who they are as they gradually lose their memories and attachments.”
—Rachel Aviv, Pulitzer Prize finalist and New York Times-bestselling author of Strangers to Ourselves

“The Vanishing Family is a deeply intimate portrait of a family confronting a shared genetic fate, and the love, courage, and choices that follow. Robert Kolker brings clarity and compassion to frontotemporal dementia, offering both insight and urgency through his storytelling. His deep commitment to the FTD community makes this an important contribution, and this family’s willingness to share their story is both powerful and generous.”
—Emma Heming Willis, New York Times-bestselling author of The Unexpected Journey and advocate for FTD and caregivers

“Robert Kolker has written a deeply moving portrait of a family trying to outrun a mind-ravaging disorder, the researchers who can identify the genetic mutation that causes it — but can do nothing to prevent or slow its progress — and the courage of those who persist despite research roadblocks and the terror and sorrow of knowing they have inherited what cannot be averted. What gives The Vanishing Family its haunting power is the deep humanity the author brings to a story that, like the specter of dementia itself, has urgent implications for us all.”
—Jonathan Rosen, author of The Best Minds, finalist for the Pulitzer Prize

“Those who have already read Robert Kolker’s work know what to expect from The Vanishing Family — a timely, urgent story in which one family’s personal history provides a window on larger medical/ethical issues. Those who have not are in for a treat. Deeply empathetic, this book reads like a thriller, but Kolker doesn’t pretend there are any real answers for families affected by this particular form of dementia. Moving, haunting, and profound.”
—Laura Lippman, New York Times-bestselling author of Lady in the Lake and What the Dead Know