Our score
Outstanding
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The Vanishing Family Audiobook by Robert Kolker— narrated by Sean Pratt
Love, Fate, and the Quest to End Dementia
The Vanishing Family by Robert Kolker, the author of Hidden Valley Road, is narrative science nonfiction about a Pennsylvania family of nine siblings carrying an inherited form of dementia. It braids a household's slow unraveling with the hunt for a cure, and it is hard to read and hard to put down.
Why the audiobook wins
Sean Pratt narrates a book that moves like a story and not a textbook. A Pennsylvania family of nine siblings carries an inherited dementia, and the chapters alternate between the household and the history of the research. It is a heartbreaking book with a stubborn hopefulness and a clear tenderness for the family.
At about 11 hours, it is a good fit for a week or two of listening. The cast is big, so some names will blur. It is emotionally heavy, particularly for anyone who has watched a relative change, but it is hard to put down.
One Audible credit covers the whole book.
Audiobook questions
- Who narrates the The Vanishing Family audiobook?
- Sean Pratt narrates the audiobook edition of The Vanishing Family.
- How long is the The Vanishing Family audiobook?
- The audiobook runs 10 hr 57 min.
- Is the The Vanishing Family audiobook worth listening to?
- We scored The Vanishing Family 4.6 out of 5. Sean Pratt narrates a book that moves like a story and not a textbook. A Pennsylvania family of nine siblings carries an inherited dementia, and the chapters alternate between the household and the history of the research. It is a heartbreaking book with a stubborn hopefulness…
- Can I listen to The Vanishing Family free with an Audible trial?
- Eligible new Audible members can use a free-trial credit to listen in the Audible app. Eligibility and current offer terms are set by Audible.Listen free with Audible
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- Is The Vanishing Family on Kindle+?
- No. The Vanishing Family was not included with Kindle+ when we last checked on October 26, 2026.
- What formats is The Vanishing Family available in?
- On Amazon, The Vanishing Family comes as a Kindle ebook, a paperback and a hardcover.
