Robert Kolker — The Vanishing Family: Love, Fate, and the Quest to End Dementia

Robert Kolker discusses *The Vanishing Family: Love, Fate, and the Quest to End Dementia*, a deeply reported account of a Pennsylvania family confronting an inherited form of frontotemporal dementia. The family’s genetic mutation can cause loved ones to change dramatically in their forties, losing their personalities, judgment, careers, relationships, and independence; each child also faces a 50 percent chance of inheriting the mutation.

Kolker follows the siblings as they recognize the same devastating pattern emerging in their own lives. Sue finds purpose in caring for her family, while Barb searches for a cure. Alongside their personal story, the book traces the scientific effort to understand dementia and explores how this rare form of the disease could help researchers develop treatments for frontotemporal dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and other forms of dementia.

When: Sunday, October 4, 2026

Showtime: 5:00 p.m.

Venue: Politics and Prose at 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Format: In-person event with a livestream option indicated on the event page

Tickets: Free

Seating: First come, first served

Accessibility: To request accommodations or ask accessibility questions, email events@politics-prose.com, ideally at least one week before the event. Requests made closer to the event will be accommodated when possible.

Featured speaker: Robert Kolker

About the author: Kolker is a contributing writer for *The New York Times Magazine*. He is the author of *Hidden Valley Road*, a number-one *New York Times* bestseller and Oprah’s Book Club selection, and *Lost Girls*, a *New York Times* Notable Book. His honors include recognition from *The New York Times Book Review*, *GQ*, *Kirkus Reviews*, and *Publishers Weekly*.

Featured book: *The Vanishing Family: Love, Fate, and the Quest to End Dementia*

Run time: Not specified