Kindred Tales is a service that transforms a loved one's life stories into a hardcover memoir, especially suited for creating an heirloom gift for a parent or grandparent. After purchase, the elder receives a weekly story prompt and responds via email, an online editor, or voice. Within a year, these responses are compiled into a book and finally delivered to the home as a full-color hardcover.
Purpose: This service is designed to help families record and preserve the life stories of their elders, creating a hardcover memoir that can be kept forever. It can be used whether as a gift or for writing one's own.
Key capabilities:
- Weekly prompts: A thoughtful question is sent to the elder each week for a full year, with no deadline pressure, and writing time and length can be freely arranged.
- Multiple sharing methods: Supports replying by email, writing in the editor and inserting photos, using the AI version to converse with Ali, recording audio directly, and uploading existing audio files.
- AI version exclusive features: Ali is an AI biographer who asks follow-up questions through natural conversation to help recall details; supports speech-to-text; offers three writing styles (original text, lightly polished, AI-written first draft); can suggest chapter titles; supports uploading existing recordings and converting them into chapters.
- Family collaboration: Up to 20 family members can be invited as co-managers to help write or contribute questions; supports dual authorship, with each person writing chapters in their own voice, ultimately merged into one book.
- Photo layout: Photos can be inserted between text paragraphs within chapters, rather than being piled up at the front or back of the book.
- Gift setup: There is no need to obtain the elder's email immediately after purchase; a welcome email can be scheduled to be sent on a specified date such as a birthday or holiday; a printable gift note is provided.
- Book specifications: Hardcover casewrap binding, matte cover, 6x9 inch US trade book size, 80# white coated paper, full-color interior, includes 400 pages, with each additional page at 10 cents.
How to use:
- After purchase, provide the elder's basic information, such as name, relationship to the user, and desired type of stories, in about two minutes, without needing the other person's email.
- The elder receives a prompt each week and shares stories by replying to email, writing in the editor, or conversing with Ali; each response becomes a chapter.
- Family members can be invited to help write or add questions, and photos can be inserted in the corresponding places.
- When the elder is ready (one year or three months), after the user approves the book, Kindred Tales prints and mails the full-color hardcover book.
Use cases: As a gift for parents or grandparents, to record and preserve family history; suitable for elders who want to leave their life stories but do not want to face a blank page or complicated technology; suitable for families to participate togetherin creation.
Limitations:
- The service currently offers free shipping only in the United States; shipping information for other regions is not yet provided.
- The 30-day refund guarantee requires that the book has not yet been printed.
- The classic version does not include AI features, and the AI version is more expensive ($115, and $20 off with promo code GET20).
- Additional copies must be ordered at purchase for $49, or after the book is completed they are priced proportionally based on the page count below 400 pages; the specific rules are not yet provided.
- After exceeding 400 pages, each page costs 10 cents.
- Independent verification information such as service effectiveness and print quality is not yet provided.
The service is rated 4.5 (Excellent) on Trustpilot, and user reviews mention being very moved when receiving it as a gift, as well as the content exceeding expectations.
