Storycall

Their life story, in their own voice.

Once a week we call your parent or grandparent with one question. By next year, their stories are a book.

Give Storycall Read a sample book
Watercolor of a sage green rotary telephone on a side table with an open book, a teacup, reading glasses and two framed family photos
Sundays at eleven, Grandma's phone rings.

One question a week. That's all it takes.

No app, no typing, no smartphone. A warm voice calls their regular phone, asks one question, and listens.

  • Follow-up questions about what they just said
  • Missed calls are tried again the next day
  • They can call back any time a memory comes
  • Pressing 9 stops the calls, no questions asked
Sunday, 11:00 am. The phone rings.
Storycall

Hi Rose, it's your story line. This week's question: what was the house you grew up in like?

Grandma Rose

Oh, a little white house on Elm Street. Four of us kids in one bedroom, and a tire swing on the maple out front.

Storycall

Who sat out on the porch?

Grandma Rose

My grandfather, with the Reds on the radio. If they won, he gave me a nickel.

That evening, a letter arrives.
To Maya, from Storycall

Grandma Rose told a new story: Peach Preserves and Porch Radio

Read it, see the picture, and hear her tell it.

One story, three books.

The same chapter, written for the grown-ups, retold for the grandkids, or drawn for coloring in. Switch any time.

Illustration for the chapter
Chapter one

Peach Preserves and Porch Radio

Watercolor of three clothbound books tied with twine and a sprig of lavender

Made to keep, and to pass down.

Read it on any screen, share one link with the whole family, or print it. Every chapter keeps the recording, so you can always hear them tell it.

You choose the questions too. There are 52 to start, from childhood to advice for the great-grandkids, and you can add your own.

Give Storycall

$129 for a year of weekly calls, with the book in all three styles

Ex Libris

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Questions families ask

Do they need to do anything?

Only answer the phone. The first call explains what it is and who it's from. They can also call the number back whenever they think of a story.

What if they miss the call?

We try again at the same time the next day, twice. Voicemail never gets the question.

Will the book make things up?

No. Chapters keep their own words and only drop the ums and repeats. Anything unclear is left out. You can edit every chapter, and the recording is always there.

Can I choose the questions?

Yes. Edit, reorder or remove any of the 52, or add your own. A new question goes next in line.

What if they want to stop?

They press 9 on any call. The calls stop right away and you get an email. You can pause from your page too.

Is the call recorded?

Yes, and every call says so. Recordings are kept only for your family and are never used to train anything.