Is a compelling debut novel about a 50-year-old woman's sudden descent into early Onset Alzheimer's disease, written by first-time author Lisa Genova, who holds a ph. D in neuroscience from harvard university. Alice howl...Is a compelling debut novel about a 50-year-old woman's sudden descent into early Onset Alzheimer's disease, written by first-time author Lisa Genova, who holds a ph. D in neuroscience from harvard university. Alice howland, happily married with three grown children and a house on the cape, is a celebrated harvard professor at the height of her career when she notices a forgetfulness creeping into her life.