Guides to capturing a life story

Interview questions for your mother's whole life: who she was before you, the people she loved, the family and work that shaped her, and what she knows now.

Interview questions built for fathers who answer in one word: boyhood, work, becoming a dad, and the things he keeps but never explains.

Specific interview questions about a grandmother's childhood: the house she grew up in, her family, school days, and the world around her.

Questions that get a grandfather talking about growing up, work and service, important relationships, and a world that has changed.

Questions adult children put off asking: your parents' childhoods, the relationships that shaped them, and family history they can help explain.

Family history questions for grandparents: the names, old towns, characters, and heirlooms, with room for the context behind them.

A working set of life story interview questions, era by era, plus how to run the interview so you get scenes and stories rather than a résumé.

A practical guide to recording your parents' life story: when to start, which format you'll sustain, and how to turn the recordings into a book.

A practical, research-grounded guide to recording a parent's life story after a memory-loss or dementia diagnosis.

Research on reminiscence therapy and life review, including depressive symptoms, life satisfaction, loneliness, and studies involving people with dementia.

A practical step-by-step guide to writing your parent's life story, from gathering material through drafting and editing to a finished family biography.

What an ethical will is, what to put in a legacy letter, plus a structure checklist, template, and examples to write one your family will keep.

Gift ideas for elderly parents who need nothing and want less: attention, recorded stories, practical help, and one thing only they can give back.

Real gift ideas for grandparents who have everything: shared experiences, a biography of their own, small things done well, and what grandkids can give.