Ask Grandma!: A Life History Keepsake Book
Dr. Michelle Swan
Description:
Ask Grandma! is thoughtfully designed to capture a grandmother’s voice, stories, and experiences in her own words. Each section guides her through life’s stages with meaningful questions and plenty of space to write, reflect, and share. The result is a deeply personal family treasure—one that connects generations and preserves memories to be cherished forever.
Synopsis:
Ask Grandma: A Life History Keepsake Book! is a beautifully designed life history keepsake book that helps families preserve the wisdom, memories, and stories of their grandmother. Featuring over 150 thoughtful and engaging questions, the book provides guided prompts with generous space for Grandma to record her reflections, from her earliest childhood memories and family traditions to her experiences as a parent, grandparent, and individual across the decades. Organized to capture the stages of life—childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and later years—Ask Grandma! encourages meaningful storytelling that will be treasured for generations. With prompts about family history, school days, friendships, first jobs, love, parenting, travel, values, and personal lessons learned, this book serves as both a memory journal and a legacy project. More than a workbook, Ask Grandma! is a heartfelt invitation to connect across generations, spark conversations, and create a keepsake filled with the voice, spirit, and wisdom of a beloved grandmother
Content Overview:
Introduction: How to use this keepsake book
Early Years: Childhood memories, family home, school days, and favorite pastimes
Teenage Adventures: Friendships, hobbies, dreams, and life lessons learned
Young Adulthood: First jobs, travel, love stories, and milestones
Family Life: Parenting experiences, traditions, and memorable moments
Later Years: Reflections on grandparenting, community, and personal growth
Life Lessons & Wisdom: Values, advice, and hopes for future generations
Family Tree & Keepsake Pages: Space for photos, letters, and special mementos
Why I wrote it:
I wrote Ask Grandma! A Life History Keepsake Book because my own grandmothers shared the most fascinating stories about their lives—and I never wrote them down. I realized too late how precious those memories were, and I didn’t want others to miss the chance to capture their family history. This book is designed to make it easy and meaningful to record those stories, so they can be treasured and passed down for generations.
Reviews:
1. “A truly heartwarming tool for preserving family stories. My children and I learned
things about my mother we never would have known otherwise. This book made it
so easy and fun.”
— Rachel Mendez, Family Blogger
2. “I gave this to my grandmother last Christmas, and it’s become our favorite
tradition. Every Sunday we fill out a few questions together. The stories are
priceless.”
— David Ng, Goodreads Reviewer
3. “A perfect blend of guided prompts and space for personal stories. It’s not just a
keepsake—it’s a bridge between generations.”
— Susan Klein, Author of Memoirs in the Making*
4. “As a professional genealogist, I’ve seen many family history books, but this one
stands out. The prompts are thoughtful and engaging, and the design invites
conversation.”
— Henry Wallace, Family Historian
5. “Ask Grandma! helped me connect with my grandmother in a deeper way. We
laughed, cried, and bonded over stories she hadn’t told in decades.”
— Laura Patel, Teacher & Mother of Two
