Your parents' life story, in a book

• Sons and daughters living abroad. You call every Sunday, but you cannot sit with Papa for weeks. Set it up in a few minutes from wherever you are, and he answers from his own phone, in his own time.
• The family memory-keeper. The daughter or daughter-in-law who has the old albums and knows which aunt is which. Snap the prints, and let the writing be our job.
• Elders who want to tell it themselves. Some grandparents want the family's roots written down for the next generation. With a little help to set it up, they can answer at their own pace.
• Siblings and cousins sharing one parent. One person starts the book. The others add photos and pick a question or two from the list, and each household orders its own copy.

• **Classic heirloom**: cream pages, serif type and sepia photo plates. Our default.
• **Bilingual editorial**: Devanagari and English on facing pages, in large type that is easy for elders to read.
• **Folk border**: chapter openers and borders inspired by Madhubani, Warli or Kalamkari, chosen to suit their home region.
• **Vintage scrapbook**: photo corners, inland-letter and postcard motifs, and a typewriter-style caption font.
• **Modern minimal**: white space and large portraits, made for grandchildren abroad.
• **Royal lineage**: jharokha frames and a family tree across two pages, made for roots and vanshavali books.

Mother's Day and Father's Day, May and June

A book about them, in their own words. Start the Express book at least a month ahead, or the 12-week book a few months ahead. For a quick gift from the children, see Mother's Day books. For her recipes, see Maa ke haath ka khana.

Independence Day, August

Many families choose this time to ask about 1947 and the journeys that followed. Experiences vary by family, region and community, so the questions are gentle and every one can be skipped. Our gentle guide to asking about 1947 can help you begin.

Grandparents' Day, August and September

Some schools mark it here, and it is a good week to start a grandparent's story. For a short illustrated book from the grandchildren, see grandparents' books.

Pitru Paksha, September and October

In many Hindu families, a quiet fortnight to remember ancestors, kept differently by family, region and community. A gentle time to start a roots and vanshavali book with the elder who still remembers the names. New to the idea? Read what a vanshavali is.

Diwali at home, October and November

Start a month or more ahead, and the family gathering becomes the day you hand the book over.

A birthday, a move or a worry, any time

A birthday, a move to a new home, or a hospital visit that made everyone think. Any of these is a good reason to start. There is no wrong time to ask.

You confirm you have the right to use the photos before every book, and we never use photos for ads. For illustrated books, up to three photos are used once to draw the character and then deleted.

Read how we handle your data

• How to make a life story book for your parents
• How to record your grandparents' stories on your phone and WhatsApp
• How to ask your grandparents about 1947 and Partition
• 100 questions to ask your grandparents, with Hindi translations
• Questions to ask your parents about their life, in English and Hindi
• What is a vanshavali and how to make one for your family