A gift for someone you love
Give them a way to tell their story.
Is there someone in your life who carries stories only they can tell? Every Chapter gives them Emily, a patient interviewer who asks the questions you never got around to, and keeps every answer in their own voice before those stories slip away.
From $11.95. The printed book is $79.95.
An invitation
For Mom
Mom, the grandkids keep asking about the old days, and so do I. Tell it your way, and take your time. We want to hear all of it.
Love, Sarah
Sample invitation, with a photo tucked in
How the gift works
You send the invitation. They bring the story.
Write a short note
Add their name, a few words about why their story matters to you, and an old photo if you have one.
Send the invitation
Text the link to their phone, email it, or print it and hand it to them in person.
They talk with Emily
On a computer or tablet, whenever they like. Every conversation is saved.
The book arrives
When their chapters feel complete, they choose what belongs. We print the book and mail it.
The question every family asks
Will they actually do it? They will, because someone is listening.
Most life-story gifts send a question and wait. A journal waits for them to write. An app sends a prompt and waits for them to talk into silence. That's where the stories stall. Every Chapter is a real conversation: Emily listens, answers back, and asks the next question because of what they just said.
A prompt
How most life-story gifts work
Describe the home you grew up in.
Next question arrives in 7 days
They answer alone, to no one. Nobody asks what happened next, so the answer stops at the surface.
A conversation
How Every Chapter works
What did the house you grew up in sound like at night?
The trains, mostly. The late freight rattled the teacups in the cupboard.
Whose teacups were they?
Mother's wedding china. We weren't allowed to touch it. Oh, I haven't thought about that in years. She gave me one cup the day I married Frank.
A story she hadn't planned to tellEmily hears the small detail and follows it. That's where the best stories are hiding.
“I told Sarah I didn't have much to say. We talked for three hours.”Maggie
What being heard does
They feel heard.
Emily answers back, and every so often she reflects on what she's heard, so they know their words landed somewhere.
The details come back.
One good follow-up question unlocks the memory behind the memory. Those details are what make the book worth reading.
They keep going.
A conversation pulls people forward. It's hard to stop in the middle of a good story when someone wants to hear the rest.
Being truly heard is the real gift. The book is what it leaves behind.
Give them a way to tell it
Other things families wonder about
Sarah had the same worries about her mom.
“Mom isn't comfortable with computers.”
If she can hold a conversation, she can do this. One big button to start talking and one to stop. Maggie never typed a word.
“She'll put it off.”
Emily remembers where she left off and welcomes her back to it. Sarah could see each new chapter as it was added.
“Some of it will be hard to talk about.”
Emily never pushes. When a question touches something painful, they choose whether to say more or move on.
“She'll say her life wasn't that interesting.”
She did say that. Then Emily asked what the kitchen smelled like on Sunday mornings, and an hour went by.
Choose your gift
A book you can hold, a story to share, a voice to keep.
Every gift starts with the same conversations with Emily, a few hours in all, at whatever pace suits them.
Maggie EllisMaggie EllisMaggie EllisExtra copies for every branch of the family.
The printed book
$79.95 one time
The stories and photos they choose, printed, bound, and mailed. The written story and the recordings come with it.
Give the printed bookEverything included
Or give one on its own
The written story
$14.95 one time
Their conversations turned into a readable story, with their own words quoted throughout.
Give the written storyThe recordings
$11.95 one time
Every conversation saved in their own voice, with a written transcript.
Give the recordingsWhat the family will read
Their story, told with their own words.
Each chapter tells their story and quotes them along the way, so it still sounds like them. They can keep it exactly as they said it, too.
A page from Maggie's book, after six conversations.
Sunday at the river, about 1954. Mother, Teddy, me, Father, and little June.
Chapter 3
Summers at the River
Every Sunday from June to September, the family carried a wicker hamper down to the grass below the old bridge. Father rolled up his sleeves but never took off his tie. Mother brought deviled eggs and a jar of lemonade wrapped in a dish towel to keep it cool.
“We didn't have much, but we had Sundays.”
A few things to know
Who tells the story?
The person you invite. They decide what to share and what goes in the book.
Do they need to be a writer?
No. They just talk with Emily. Typing is there if they'd rather.
When does the book arrive?
Whenever they're ready. When their chapters feel complete, they choose the stories and photos, and we print and mail the book.
Can I give it for a birthday or Christmas?
Yes. Choose the day and we'll send the invitation then, or print the card and wrap it.
Will I see their story?
You'll see what they choose to share. It's their story, and they decide who reads it.
Is it private?
Yes. We never sell or share their story. Emily's voice is powered by OpenAI, and conversations sent through their business service aren't used to train their models. Questions? Reach us here.