The author interweaves a poignant family chronicle and the latest medical research findings in this true story of his Midwestern family’s discovery that it carries a unique gene for early onset Alzheimer’s; a family history like no other. [In 1766 Johannes and Catherine Reiswig, with their young son George, left the Hesse area in Germany and arrived safely in Russia settling in the village of Walter.] As the Reiswigs face this destructive genetic legacy, they play an important role in the discovery of a key genetic marker for Alzheimer’s, give valuable testimony to the US Congress that influences research and scientific development, and learn to understand each other and the disease that bonds them together and tears them apart. Each family member whether affected or not finds a way to meet this challenge, through faith, or advocacy, or a desire to understand the science behind this illness.