In her early thirties with the birth of her first child, Kate Dyer-Seeley is suddenly thrust into the role of caregiver for her mom, who is suffering from Young-onset Alzheimer’s disease. As Kate’s son, Luke, takes his first steps, her mother struggles to stand. As Luke’s language begins to blossom, her mother’s words disappear. Kate must learn how to care for their ever-changing needs. To compound matters, Kate has become the family spokesperson and advocate for her mother’s care. She begrudgingly takes on this duty while her extended family refuses to accept the circumstances. Set in the Pacific Northwest with an erupting Mount St. Helens, Underneath the Ash is much more than a story solely about Alzheimer’s disease. It’s the story of how the deterioration of one person can mirror the deterioration that misunderstanding and denial create in families. It’s the universal story of mother loss, the journey into motherhood and how we assimilate the two.