Everyone says we should
record Dad's stories someday.

This is someday.

The things he remembers — the kitchen on Maple Street, the summer he drove cross-country alone, the year everything changed — live only in his head right now. A guided set of conversations, shaped by a human editor into a book in his own voice. For your family to read for the rest of your lives.

Print-ready book Their words, their voice Full interview archive At their own pace They approve everything
See the two editions
What You Receive

A book. An archive.
Their voice, preserved.

Every memoir includes the finished book and the full archive of interview material — so nothing is lost, even what didn't make it into the final draft.

The Finished Book
A print-ready PDF — 40 to 60 pages for the Life Story Portrait, 100 or more pages for the Heirloom Edition. Laid out for print and comfortable to read on screen. You print it where you like; the Heirloom Edition includes hardcover-ready files and print-coordination guidance.
Their Voice
The book is written from what the subject tells us — in their vocabulary, their cadence, their way of telling a story. We listen for how they describe things and carry that through the draft. A human editor shapes the material; the subject reads and approves every chapter before it goes to print.
The Full Interview Archive
Every worksheet response, every transcript from recorded calls — organized and delivered alongside the book. The archive preserves everything that didn't fit in the final draft: extra stories, tangents, the long answer that wandered somewhere unexpected and beautiful.
Family Photos (Heirloom Edition)
You provide scans of family photos; we lay them into the Heirloom Edition at appropriate moments in the narrative. Captions come from the subject's own descriptions. The photos become part of the book, not an appendix.
The Interview Process

Gentle rounds,
at their pace.

The interviews are designed to be enjoyable for the subject. Many people report that the conversations themselves — the chance to sit with their own stories and be genuinely asked about them — are as meaningful as the book.

Choose your interview mode: worksheets or recorded calls
Written worksheets arrive by email — thoughtful questions the subject answers in their own time, in as much or as little detail as they like. If they prefer to talk, we can do recorded calls instead and transcribe everything. Many families use a mix: worksheets for some rounds, a phone or video call when the subject wants to talk through a particular chapter.
Rounds organized by life era
Worksheets are organized chronologically and thematically — childhood and family of origin, young adulthood, work and vocation, relationships and family, the turning points, later chapters. Each round covers a period; the questions are specific and sensory ("What did your mother's kitchen smell like on Sunday?") rather than abstract. Specific questions unlock specific memories.
No pressure on pace — silence weeks are normal
There is no deadline on the worksheet rounds. Some subjects answer quickly and eagerly; others sit with a question for two weeks before they're ready to write. Both are fine. We wait. If a round sits for a while, we may send a gentle check-in — but the pace is always theirs.
Human editor drafts from the interviews
Once we have enough material to work with, a human editor reads everything and shapes it into a draft. AI helps with the first pass; a human refines it to preserve the subject's voice and makes sure nothing invented has crept in. If something is unclear, we send a follow-up question rather than guess.
Subject reads and approves — then revision
The subject reads each chapter as it comes together. They have one revision round (two for the Heirloom Edition) to change anything — correct a detail, cut something they've changed their mind about, add something that surfaced later. Nothing goes to final print until they've approved it.
A note on the sample chapter: Want to see what the interviews produce and how it reads? Read a sample chapter and worksheet → — a fictional subject, marked clearly as a sample, showing both the finished prose and the interview questions that produced it.
How We Work

Honest about
the method.

These books are AI-assisted and human-edited. That's worth saying plainly. The subject answers interview questions; AI produces a first draft from those answers; a human editor reads every word, refines the prose, checks that the voice holds, and removes anything that doesn't trace directly to what the subject said. The subject then reads and approves every chapter.

We don't fact-check family history. If your father says he drove to California in 1962 in a red Ford, that's what the book says. His version of events is the version that goes in. We don't verify dates against external records, and we don't fill in gaps with research. If we can't confirm a detail from the interviews, we either leave it out or flag it as uncertain. Gaps stay gaps, or get a follow-up question. Nothing is invented.

The subject must want this. This is their story, and their participation shapes everything. We ask about subject consent and comfort during intake. A memoir made as a surprise gift for someone who hasn't agreed to be interviewed is not something we can complete — the interview process requires a willing subject. The best outcomes come when the person being interviewed is genuinely interested in telling their story.
Two Editions

Choose the
right scope.

The Life Story Portrait captures the essential arc. The Heirloom Edition goes deeper — more interview rounds, more pages, photos, and a book built to sit on a shelf for generations.

Life Story Portrait
$998
One-time · human-edited
  • About 10 interview rounds by email worksheet or recorded call
  • 40 to 60 page print-ready book in the subject's own voice
  • Full digital archive of all interview material
  • One revision round before final delivery
  • Target 6 to 8 weeks from the first interview
  • Print anywhere you like — the PDF is yours
Heirloom Edition
$2,998
One-time · human-edited
  • 20 or more interview rounds — a fuller, deeper life covered
  • 100 or more page structured memoir with chapters
  • Family photos from your scans, integrated into the narrative
  • Hardcover-ready print files and print-coordination guidance
  • Complete digital archive of all interview material
  • Two revision rounds before final delivery
  • Target 10 to 12 weeks from the first interview

Not sure which edition fits? Talk to us first — describe the subject and what you're hoping to capture, and we'll give you an honest read. We reply within 48 hours.

Who This Is For

The families who
commission this.

Adult children, for a parent
The most common story: someone realizes their parent is getting older and the stories aren't written down anywhere. A birthday, a retirement, an anniversary — or no occasion at all. Just the recognition that now is the right time.
The subject themselves
Some people want to write their own story but find it hard to start alone. The worksheet format turns an overwhelming project into a series of conversations, and the human editor gives the material shape they couldn't find on their own.
Families navigating a diagnosis
When a diagnosis changes the timeline, some families find this a meaningful way to spend time together — the interviews become a reason to sit together, remember, and talk. We handle this with care. The process is gentle. There is no pressure on pace, ever. If circumstances change mid-project, we deliver everything gathered. See the FAQ.
The Legacy Trio

The rest of
the picture.

The memoir captures the story. These two services handle the practical sides of a life — the accounts, the documents, the care coordination — so nothing important falls through.

Care Administration
BOOJEE Elder Watch
Providers, medications, bills, insurance, and the emergency escalation tree — organized into one encrypted Care Command Binder. For adult children managing a parent's life from a distance.
See Elder Watch →
Digital Legacy
BOOJEE Digital Estate
Accounts, passwords, subscriptions, and what happens to a digital life. The memoir preserves the story; the Digital Estate ensures the practical pieces are in order for the people left behind.
See Digital Estate →
The Command Center
BOOJEE Private Office
For families managing a complex life — properties, people, schedules, and the paperwork that comes with all of it. Where Elder Watch and the memoir are single services, Private Office is the ongoing coordination layer.
See Private Office →
Questions

Honest answers.

The interviews are conducted through guided worksheets written by BOOJEE's team, and reviewed by a human at every stage. Written worksheets are composed by a person; a human editor reads all responses, follows up on gaps, and shapes the draft. If the subject prefers recorded calls, those are real conversations — transcribed by us, then reviewed and edited by a human. The subject is never talking to an AI directly.
The worksheets are designed for people who would never describe themselves as writers. The questions are specific and conversational — about sensory details, particular moments, named people. Short answers are fine; a few sentences per question is enough to work with. The editor's job is to take plain, un-polished answers and shape them into prose that still sounds like the person who wrote them. Some of the most moving memoirs come from people who said at the start that they didn't have much to say.
AI helps produce a first draft from the interview material — it gives the human editor something to work from rather than a blank page. A human then reads every word, refines the voice, removes anything invented, and flags gaps for follow-up questions. The subject reads and approves each chapter before it's finalized. The words ultimately come from what the subject told us. We're honest about using AI in the process because we think that honesty matters.
Photos are included in the Heirloom Edition only. You provide scans — digital photos of prints work fine, as do scanned originals. We'll give you guidance on resolution and format during intake. Captions come from the subject: we ask them what they remember about each photo. The Life Story Portrait is text only — if you want photos, the Heirloom Edition is the right choice.
A revision round means the subject (and anyone in the family they choose to involve) reads the full draft, marks any corrections or changes, and we incorporate them into the final version. Corrections to facts, tone, emphasis, things they've decided they'd rather not include — all of that is fair game. The Life Story Portrait includes one revision round; the Heirloom Edition includes two. If something significant surfaces after delivery, reach out and we'll discuss options.
We deliver everything gathered — every worksheet response, every transcript, every draft chapter — organized and formatted, at no extra charge. If we have enough material to complete a shorter version of the book, we'll do that as well and let the family decide what they want to do with it. We do not charge for delivery in these circumstances, and we handle the conversation with care. We're sorry for your loss. The material is yours.
Printing is not included in either edition. The Life Story Portrait delivers a print-ready PDF you can take to any local or online print shop — Blurb, Lulu, Shutterfly, a local copy center, or your own printer. The Heirloom Edition delivers hardcover-ready print files (formatted for standard hardcover dimensions) along with guidance on which services we recommend for that format and what to specify when you order. Printing costs vary by quantity and service and are paid directly to the printer.
Target timelines are 6 to 8 weeks for the Life Story Portrait and 10 to 12 weeks for the Heirloom Edition, measured from the first interview — not from purchase. The clock starts when we begin the first worksheet round. The pace of the project depends mostly on how quickly the subject responds to each round; a subject who answers promptly will finish faster. We don't rush. If the project takes longer because the subject needs more time between rounds, that's completely normal and not a problem.