Dancing In The Face Of Death
A profound memoir of love, caregiving, courage, and what it means to live fully when everything changes.
Coming June 2, 2026
When Susan Koen’s partner, Barbara, was diagnosed with a rare and fatal form of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), their world changed forever. But instead of retreating from life, they chose to meet uncertainty with intention, devotion, humor, and extraordinary courage.
Dancing in the Face of Death is an intimate memoir about enduring love, anticipatory grief, caregiving, and the fierce beauty of choosing connection even in the shadow of loss. It is both a deeply personal story and a powerful call for greater awareness of FTD — a disease too often misunderstood and misdiagnosed.
For readers of moving memoirs, unforgettable love stories, and emotionally rich narratives about resilience, this book offers a rare glimpse into what it means to keep dancing while life asks everything of you.
Available June 2, 2026 on Amazon.
Dancing in the Face of Death: A Story of Love, Caregiving, and Courage Amid a Dementia Diagnosis is a tender memoir about devotion, resilience, and the steady choice to remain close as Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) changes everything. Through the lens of a decades-long lesbian partnership tested by illness, Dr. Susan Koen explores healthy grief, personal agency, and death with dignity—offering insight and solace to others navigating a similar journey.
Release Date: June 2, 2026.
Susan Koen, Ph.D., is a psychologist, author, and speaker whose work explores the profound terrains of love, death, courage, and human connection. For decades, she served as a researcher and management consultant, helping individuals and organizations understand circadian rhythms and the neuroscience behind human errors and safety lapses at work.
Her life and career took a transformative turn when her beloved partner of forty years was diagnosed with a genetic brain disorder, the GRN version of Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) known clinically as bvFTD. As Susan became her primary caregiver, she entered a chapter marked by advocacy, tenderness, humor, and the emotional complexity of witnessing someone you love slowly disappear.
About The Author
