"Valley of Forgetting" by Jennie Erin Smith explores the impact of a genetic mutation linked to early-onset Alzheimer's disease in rural Colombia. The book intertwines the personal story of Francisco Piedrahita, a neurology nurse who lost several family members to the illness, with research on the paisa mutation affecting a significant portion of his community. Through interviews and detailed accounts of affected families, Smith highlights not only the scientific aspects of the disease but also the communal burden and emotional connections surrounding dementia, emphasizing memory's significance in identity and experience.
"Smith follows researchers who, over four decades, have studied the paisa mutationâa gene passed down from a single common ancestorâwhich causes the illness in nearly everyone who inherits it."
"Piedrahita eventually became a neurology nurse, caring for families, including his own, who were marked by a rare genetic mutation linked to early-onset Alzheimer's disease."
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