Their life story in a book, in their own words and voice
Every week your mum, dad or grandparent gets one question about their life. They answer by email, on a web page or simply by talking on the phone. At the end their stories become a hardcover book, and a QR code beside each story plays their voice.
From $41, paid once, for as long as you choose
A gift they can simply talk into
- No app and no account for them. An email, a web page or an ordinary phone call is enough.
- Their words stay theirs. They decide what the family reads and what goes in the book.
- Their voice is kept. Scan the QR code next to a story and hear them tell it.
How it works
You set it up in a few minutes. Then the questions do the asking, for as long as you choose, up to a year.
A question every week
On the day and at the hour they choose, in their own time zone. Warm, easy questions first: their childhood home, how they met, the job they loved.
They answer their way
Reply to the email, write on a calm page made for big text, or, on the plans with calls, talk on the phone for up to 30 minutes. They can skip a question or ask for another.
The family reads along
Each new story arrives by email for everyone they invited, brothers, sisters and grandchildren, wherever they live.
A book at the end
Their stories and photos become a hardcover book, printed and posted to your door. A QR code next to each spoken story plays their voice.
Three ways to answer, and they can mix them
Whatever feels natural that week. Every answer lands in the same story.
Reply to the email
The question arrives as an ordinary email. They press reply, write as much or as little as they like, and can add photos.
Write on the web
One question on a quiet page with large letters. They can add photos from the family album or record their voice right there.
Just talk on the phone
On the plans with calls, we ring them at the time they choose and read the question aloud. They talk, we record and write it down word for word. It works on any phone, even a landline.
The book
A 6 by 9 inch hardcover in cloth, with their stories, their photos and the voice behind every QR code.
For you
For Mum, who always had one more story. Now they are all in one place, for the grandchildren and theirs.
With love, Anna
Chapter 3
The house where I grew up
Summer 1958, before the new road came
It was a small yellow house at the end of the lane, with a pear tree my father planted the year I was born. In the summer we slept with the windows open and listened to the trains. My mother kept the kitchen warm from morning until night, and there was always someone at the table.
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Every Sunday my grandmother walked over from the village with a basket of bread. My brother and I would wait for her by the gate, and she always had sweets in her coat pocket. When I think of home, I think of that gate, the smell of bread and the sound of her laughing at something my father said. I did not know then how lucky we were. I know it now.
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- A cloth hardcover that lasts, about the size of a novel
- Their photos next to the story they belong to, in full colour or in black and white with a colour cover, depending on the plan
- A QR code by every spoken story, so the grandchildren can hear them tell it
- The same book as a PDF to keep and share, at no extra cost
Choose a plan
Choose how long the questions go on. Paid once for the questions and the book. No subscription.
Basic
For a parent who likes to write: answers by email and on the web.
$69for a year
Another year later: $39
- Included:Questions about their life for a year
- Included:Answers by email, on the web or by voice recording
- Included:Family members without limit, reading along
- Included:One hardcover book, posted
- Included:Black and white pages, colour cover
- Not included:No phone calls
Phone
Most chosenFor a parent who would rather talk: we call them every week.
$109for a year
Another year later: $59
- Included:Questions about their life for a year
- Included:Answers by email, on the web or by voice recording
- Included:Family members without limit, reading along
- Included:One hardcover book, posted
- Included:Colour photos throughout the book
- Included:Phone calls, 300 minutes in all
Unlimited
More time on the phone and more books, for a big family.
$199for a year
Another year later: $99
- Included:Questions about their life for a year
- Included:Answers by email, on the web or by voice recording
- Included:Family members without limit, reading along
- Included:2 hardcover books, posted
- Included:Colour photos throughout the book
- Included:Phone calls, 900 minutes in all
Extra copies of the book cost $49 each, shipping included, on every plan.
Prices are for one question a week. Each extra question day adds 30%.
When the time is over it simply ends. We let you know before it does, and you decide whether to go on.
Questions people ask
Do they need an app or a computer?
No. They can answer every question by replying to an email or on a simple web page, and on the plans with calls just by talking on the phone. They never need an account, a password or an app.
Does it work on a landline?
Yes, on the plans with calls. We ring them at the time they choose, read the question aloud and record their answer, up to 30 minutes each time. Any phone that can take a call works.
Can they call you instead of waiting for our call?
Yes, on the plans with calls. They can tap Call me now on their own page, or ring our number from their own phone, and we call them right back, so they can answer whenever it suits them.
How do the call minutes work?
The plans with calls include call minutes for the length you choose, shown with each plan above. Minutes count while they talk with us: the weekly call, Call me now and the call back after they ring us. If the minutes run out, they can still answer by email or on the web, and going on for another term brings new minutes.
Which languages can they answer in?
The questions, the emails, the phone calls and the book come in 12 languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Portuguese, Italian, Korean, Polish and Dutch. Your page can be in one language and theirs in another.
Can the book be sent abroad?
Yes. The book is printed and shipped to most countries in the world, and extra copies can go to different addresses. Each copy costs $49, shipping included.
Who can read the stories?
Only the people they agree to: you, and the family members you or they invite. They can hide a story from the family, leave it out of the book, or turn off its QR code. Stories, photos and recordings are stored encrypted.
What if they stop answering?
Nothing bad happens. If a question goes unanswered, they get one gentle reminder and then nothing more. After a few quiet weeks we let you know, so you can ask how it is going. Every story they told is kept for the book.
Can I give it for a birthday or Christmas?
Yes. Choose the day it starts, and on that day they get a welcome from you: by email, or on their first call when they answer by phone only. You can also pause it, or send the next question early.
The stories you will want to hear again
One question a week, for as long as you choose, and a book of their stories at the end. From $41, paid once.