Science reporter Jennie Erin Smith investigates a Colombian community's battle with early-onset Alzheimer's and follows the global scientific race to find a cure.

Alzheimer's is typically a disease of old age, but in the Colombian community of Medellín, early-onset Alzheimer's is far more common.

A tragedy for the families, the phenomenon has nevertheless provided an opportunity for scientists worldwide looking to find a cure.

In her 2025 book, Valley of Forgetting, science reporter Jennie Erin Smith tells the remarkable story of a family in Medellín, where multiple generations developed Alzheimer's in their 40s and 50s.

Smith reports how, amid Colombia's paramilitary struggles, the community faced violence, stigma, and loss to contribute to science in hopes of a cure.