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Before the Ashes Fall
We've all heard about Dementia, and quite possibly, have even been touched personally by this disease. But when I researched content for this endeavor, Dementia's voice foretold of a terrifying and nameless world, one in which identities, relationships, and memories were hollowed from the inside out. It's a world in which every frame of life smoldered until the ashes fell, leaving a land so barren that the final destination was unmistakable. It was only after witnessing 2 relatives succumb to the disease did Dementia have a face and leave me 'what did you hear, see, and feel'?
Before the Ashes Fall illustrates this world with uniquely distinct character voices, each struggling to understand the journey. Richard, the young schoolteacher battling the disease, desperately reaches for every thread which once made him whole. Cafferty, a prominent attorney turned Memory Care Advocate, wishes to offer 'unprecedented care with dignity' unlike the experience during his mom's own fight with the disease. Danny, Richard's cantankerous and terminally ill father, hasn't found a single reason to live until fate reunites him with the son he abandoned over a half-century prior. And finally, Dementia, the ultimate puppeteer who orchestrates the modern Danse Macabre with a brutal flair.
In its purest form, the 81,000-word journey is a race toward freedom from a despotic disease and ultimate forgiveness of a father before time runs out. The manuscript has been content and line edited by a highly respected industry professional (David Aretha), who offered this impression upon
Before the Ashes Fall illustrates this world with uniquely distinct character voices, each struggling to understand the journey. Richard, the young schoolteacher battling the disease, desperately reaches for every thread which once made him whole. Cafferty, a prominent attorney turned Memory Care Advocate, wishes to offer 'unprecedented care with dignity' unlike the experience during his mom's own fight with the disease. Danny, Richard's cantankerous and terminally ill father, hasn't found a single reason to live until fate reunites him with the son he abandoned over a half-century prior. And finally, Dementia, the ultimate puppeteer who orchestrates the modern Danse Macabre with a brutal flair.
In its purest form, the 81,000-word journey is a race toward freedom from a despotic disease and ultimate forgiveness of a father before time runs out. The manuscript has been content and line edited by a highly respected industry professional (David Aretha), who offered this impression upon
309 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 28, 2019
About the author
David Serafine
2 books4 followersDavid Serafine is an author and industrial security expert with a career in each spanning 25 years. With his seminal publication, Value-Based Security Procurement, he gained international recognition after the book was featured at the 2005 Global American Society for Industrial Security Summit. The ensuing success earned him a guest column in Security World International where his work 'Cargo Crime, The Silent Killer' reached a distribution in 15 countries.
For his next venture, Mr. Serafine flexed his 'genre be damned' muscle with the deliciously irreverent Bumble Pie: The Art of Losering. This collection of comedic essays garnered overwhelmingly favorable reviews for it's highly visual, 'belt-busting' delivery. The work received an honorable mention in his Alma Mater's 'IUP Magazine'.
In 2018, Temporo Frontal Dementia touched David's extended family, inspiring a pursuit as artistically gratifying as it was personally cathartic. The fictional 'Before the Ashes Fall' is an emotional Tour de Force described by an award-winning author and editor as 'a monumental achievement inspired by love'.
Today, Mr. Serafine is editing poems he has written over the last 3 decades with a goal of publishing the works in early 2020.
For his next venture, Mr. Serafine flexed his 'genre be damned' muscle with the deliciously irreverent Bumble Pie: The Art of Losering. This collection of comedic essays garnered overwhelmingly favorable reviews for it's highly visual, 'belt-busting' delivery. The work received an honorable mention in his Alma Mater's 'IUP Magazine'.
In 2018, Temporo Frontal Dementia touched David's extended family, inspiring a pursuit as artistically gratifying as it was personally cathartic. The fictional 'Before the Ashes Fall' is an emotional Tour de Force described by an award-winning author and editor as 'a monumental achievement inspired by love'.
Today, Mr. Serafine is editing poems he has written over the last 3 decades with a goal of publishing the works in early 2020.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 21, 2026
Reading Before the Ashes Fall was one of those deeply emotional experiences that stays with you long after you finish the last page. This story doesn’t just talk about dementia—it makes you feel the slow unraveling of memory, identity, and relationships in such a hauntingly honest way 💔.
What touched me the most was Richard’s journey. Watching a young schoolteacher desperately cling to the pieces of himself that the disease is slowly stealing felt incredibly heartbreaking. There were moments where I had to pause because the reality of his struggle felt so raw and human. At the same time, the story introduces other voices like Cafferty, who fights to create a more compassionate approach to memory care, and Danny, whose complicated past adds another emotional layer to the narrative.
The way dementia itself almost feels like a character—an invisible puppeteer quietly dismantling lives—makes the story even more powerful and unsettling.
David Serafine writes with empathy and courage, turning a painful topic into a moving exploration of forgiveness, dignity, and the fragile beauty of memory. I finished the book feeling reflective, emotional, and deeply grateful for the moments we often take for granted 📖✨.
What touched me the most was Richard’s journey. Watching a young schoolteacher desperately cling to the pieces of himself that the disease is slowly stealing felt incredibly heartbreaking. There were moments where I had to pause because the reality of his struggle felt so raw and human. At the same time, the story introduces other voices like Cafferty, who fights to create a more compassionate approach to memory care, and Danny, whose complicated past adds another emotional layer to the narrative.
The way dementia itself almost feels like a character—an invisible puppeteer quietly dismantling lives—makes the story even more powerful and unsettling.
David Serafine writes with empathy and courage, turning a painful topic into a moving exploration of forgiveness, dignity, and the fragile beauty of memory. I finished the book feeling reflective, emotional, and deeply grateful for the moments we often take for granted 📖✨.
January 25, 2026
“Before the Ashes Fall” is a deeply moving and beautifully written book. The way it gives dementia a voice felt honest and haunting, and it hit very close to home for me. The story stayed with me long after I finished it. Highly recommended!
June 28, 2019
Powerfully Descriptive
I found this book to be moving and powerful in its descriptions. The way you see reality slip away, the way the world suddenly changes, is impactful. When my grandmother lost her memory, it broke our hearts. The days she was still herself were the best. Then there where the other days. Thank you for this book.
I found this book to be moving and powerful in its descriptions. The way you see reality slip away, the way the world suddenly changes, is impactful. When my grandmother lost her memory, it broke our hearts. The days she was still herself were the best. Then there where the other days. Thank you for this book.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews