How It Works

You give the gift.
They tell the stories.
A book arrives.

The whole process takes about five minutes on your end. Their part? Just talking, typing, or hitting reply to a weekly email. Here's exactly what happens.

The Short Version

Three steps. That's it.

No accounts to set up for them. No apps to download. No tech skills needed.

1

You give the gift

Pick a plan, add a personal note, and send it. Takes about five minutes. You can schedule delivery for a birthday, holiday, or send it right now.

2

They share stories

Each week, a thoughtful question arrives. They reply by email, type online, record their voice, or chat with Ali. However they're comfortable.

3

A hardcover book arrives

Their stories, their photos, their voice. Printed on premium paper with hardcover binding. Shipped free to your door. The kind of book families keep.

For the Gift-Giver

Your part takes
five minutes

You pick a plan, write a personal message if you want, and choose when to send it. That's it.

Your recipient gets a personalized email explaining the gift and exactly how to get started. No account setup, no app downloads, no confusion.

  • Send immediately or schedule for a birthday, holiday, or anniversary
  • Add a personal note they'll see when they open the gift
  • Print a gift card to hand them in person, if you prefer
  • Follow their progress from your own dashboard
Start Their Story for $99
Gift Preview

Someone special has a gift for you

"Mom, I've always loved your stories. The one about Grandma's kitchen, the summer you spent in Maine, the day you met Dad. This is your chance to write them all down, in your own words. I can't wait to read every one. Happy Birthday. Love, Sarah."

52 weekly story prompts, starting this week
Stories are completely private and encrypted
Five ways to share: email, type, speak, chat with Ali, or upload
Begin Your Story
Five Ways to Tell Their Story

Everyone shares differently.
We built for all of them.

Some people love to type. Others prefer to talk. Some need a little help getting started. Your storyteller picks what feels right, and they can switch methods anytime.

The simplest option

Reply to a weekly email. That's the whole process.

Each week, a thoughtful question arrives in their inbox. They hit reply and write. No logging in. No apps. No passwords. If they can send an email, they can write their life story.

Zero tech skills required
KT Kindred Talesstories@kindredtales.net

Hi Margaret,

"What's a tradition from your childhood you wish more people knew about?"

Hit reply and write as much or as little as you'd like. Your words become the next chapter of your book.

For the writers

Write directly. Place photos right where they belong.

Log in and type in our clean, quiet editor. Add photos between paragraphs with captions, exactly where they fit in the story. Not dumped in a section at the back like other services.

Photos go with the story, not after it
B I U
Chapter 7

The Summer I Worked at the Diner

The screen door never closed right. You could hear it slap shut from the kitchen, and every time it did, Manny would yell "customer!" whether someone walked in or not. He thought it was funny. After two weeks, so did I.

"Ocean City, summer of '78. That's me on the left, pretending I knew how to waitress."
For the talkers

Ali asks the questions you always meant to.

Ali is a guided interviewer who asks thoughtful follow-ups that draw out stories people forgot they had. Like talking to a patient friend who genuinely wants to hear the whole thing. Type or speak. Ali listens either way.

Draws out stories they forgot they had
A Ali Your AI Biographer
What made your grandmother's kitchen feel so different from anywhere else?
Oh, the smell! She always had something baking. And those yellow curtains she made herself...
Tell me more about those yellow curtains. Do you remember what they looked like?
They had little daisies on them. She sewed them on our old Singer. I remember sitting under the table watching her feet on the pedal.
That's a beautiful detail. Did she make other things on that Singer, or was it mostly for the house?
Type or tap the mic to speak...
No typing at all

Press record and talk. We handle the rest.

Real-time transcription turns spoken words into written chapters. For parents who'd rather talk than type, this changes everything. They can keep and share the audio recordings with family, too.

Built for storytellers, not typists
Recording
2:34

"We used to go fishing every Saturday morning. Just me and Dad, before anyone else woke up. He'd have the coffee ready and the rods in the truck by 5am..."

Already have recordings?

Upload old audio. We turn it into chapters.

Family interview from five years ago sitting on your phone? A voicemail you saved? Upload it. We transcribe the audio into written chapters, and you keep the original recordings as family heirlooms.

Turn archives into book chapters

Drag audio files here or click to browse

MP3, WAV, M4A, MP4 supported

grandpas_war_stories.mp3
24.3 MB
Not sure which is right? They can use all five. Mix and match anytime.
What Arrives

A hardcover book built to last generations

This isn't a pamphlet or a printout. It's a real book with weight to it. Premium archival paper. Hardcover binding. Photos placed where they belong in the story, with captions. The kind of book that sits on a shelf and gets pulled down at every family gathering for the next fifty years.

Binding
Hardcover
Paper
Premium Archival
Photos
Inline + Captioned
Shipping
Free (US)
The Stories of
Margaret
Sullivan
1948 ~ 2025
What to Expect

From gift to book,
here's the timeline

You'll know what's happening every step of the way. No surprises.

Day 1

You send the gift

Pick a plan and checkout. Add a personal message. Schedule delivery for a specific date or send immediately. Takes about five minutes.

Day 1 (or your chosen date)

They receive the invitation

A personalized email arrives explaining the gift, your message, and exactly how to get started. Clear, warm, and simple. Nothing to install.

Weeks 1 through 52

Stories come in, one week at a time

A new question each week. They answer by email, voice, the online editor, or Ali. Some weeks they write a paragraph. Some weeks they write three pages. There's no wrong pace.

Along the way

Photos and memories take shape

They add photos anywhere in their stories with captions. You can follow their progress from your dashboard. The book builds itself, chapter by chapter.

When they're ready

The book prints and ships free

When they've shared enough stories (10 or 50, there's no minimum), the book goes to print. Premium hardcover, archival paper, shipped free to your door. Additional copies are available for other family members.

Common Questions

The things people ask
before they buy

"My parent isn't tech-savvy. Can they do this?"

That's the most common question we get, and the answer is yes. The simplest path is email reply: a question arrives, they hit reply and type. That's it. No app to download, no account to create, no password to remember. If they can send an email, they can do this.

"What about privacy? Where do the stories go?"

Your family's stories are private. Always. We never share, sell, or use personal stories for any purpose beyond creating your book. Stories are encrypted and stored securely. Only you and your family can access them.

"What if they don't finish all 52 weeks?"

Many families don't, and that's completely fine. The book prints with whatever stories have been shared, whether that's 10 chapters or 50. There's no minimum. Some of the most beautiful books we've printed have 15 or 20 deeply personal stories.

"What if they don't like it? Can I get a refund?"

We offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. If your recipient hasn't started their stories within 30 days, we'll give you a full refund, no questions asked. We also offer responsive email support if anything comes up along the way.

4.8 ★
Average Rating
1,000+
Books Printed
5
Ways to Share Stories
$99
One-Time. No Subscription.

Their stories won't
tell themselves forever.

Give someone you love the chance to tell their whole story. One prompt at a time. One book for generations.

Start Their Story for $99 Buy Yourself a Gift
✓ Free US Shipping ✓ 30-Day Guarantee ✓ One-Time Purchase ✓ No Tech Skills Needed