What Is a Life Story Book?
What is a life story book?
Everything you need to know
A complete guide to life story books — what they are, what goes inside, who they're for, and how to create one.
The definition
What a life story book actually is
A life story book is a structured written record of a person's life — told in their own words. Unlike a biography (which is written by someone else) or a diary (which captures daily events), a life story book captures the big picture: the chapters, the turning points, the relationships, and the wisdom accumulated over a lifetime.
Life story books have been used in care settings for decades — particularly in dementia care, where they help carers understand who a resident is beyond their diagnosis. But they're increasingly being created by families simply because they don't want the stories of their parents and grandparents to be lost.
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Life story book
Written by the person themselves, covering their whole life in structured chapters.
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Biography
Written by someone else about a person — requires research and interviewing.
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Diary or journal
Daily entries capturing current events — not structured around a whole life.
What goes inside
The chapters of a life story book
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Childhood & origins
Where they grew up, early memories, family background.
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School & teenage years
Education, friendships, first loves, formative experiences.
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Work & career
Jobs, achievements, what they built over a working life.
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Love & relationships
How they met their partner, their marriage, key relationships.
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Family life
Raising children, family traditions, the memories made at home.
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Hard times
Challenges, losses, and the resilience they developed.
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Achievements
Proudest moments, milestones, what they built.
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Legacy & wisdom
What they want to pass on and how they want to be remembered.
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Favourite things
Foods, places, songs — the small details that make a life.
Who they're for
Life story books are created for
Elderly parents and grandparents
The most common use — capturing a parent or grandparent's story before their memories fade or they pass away.
People in care homes
Life story books are used in dementia care to help carers provide person-centred support.
People approaching end of life
A way for someone to share their story and leave something lasting for the people they love.
Family historians
Part of a wider family history project — capturing living memory to go alongside genealogy research.
As a gift
Given as a birthday, anniversary, or Christmas gift — giving someone the chance to capture their own story.
How to create one
Three ways to create a life story book
Use a guided platform like Tell Me Your Story
EasiestQuestions already written, answers saved automatically, beautifully designed book generated at the end. No blank page, no formatting, no effort.
Record interviews yourself
PersonalSit with your loved one, record the conversation on your phone, then transcribe and format the answers into a document yourself.
Written questionnaire
SimpleSend a list of questions by post or email and ask them to write their answers. Works for people who prefer to write at their own pace.
"He told me about a motorbike he saved up for two years to buy. I never knew that about him."
— From a Tell Me Your Story life story book
Create one today
Start a life story book for free
100 questions already written. Voice recordings built in. Beautifully printed book delivered to your door. Free to start.
Create a life story book free →Free to start · One-time payment · Printed book from £21.99