How do I turn a loved one's life stories into a book?
HoldUsTogether guides your loved one through their life story with simple questions they can answer from a computer or tablet. Their memories are then shaped into a beautifully written Life Story your family can read, download, and keep.
Can I record my voice instead of typing?
Yes. They can talk on camera, talk without the camera, or simply type, whichever feels most comfortable. Talking feels like a conversation with a friend. If they talk on camera, the interview is also kept on video for your family. The experience is best on a computer or tablet.
Can this be done together as a family?
Yes. Good Old Days is a guided conversation for two to eight people sitting together — brothers and sisters, parents and grown children, grandparents, cousins, or old friends. We start a memory, everyone talks, and the stories you tell together become a keepsake. A Life Story is different: it captures the life of one person, and many families also help a parent or grandparent tell theirs. A couple’s interview, where two people tell their story together, is coming soon. Read about Your Story Together.
What happens if our Good Old Days time runs out?
Good Old Days includes two hours of guided conversation. Pause anytime and pick up where you left off. If you want to keep going, you can add more time whenever you choose. Time only counts while you are talking together, and if it runs out, you get a few minutes to finish the story you’re telling. Everything you shared is saved, and you can write your keepsake without adding more time. See how Good Old Days works.
What if my family member isn't good with technology?
The experience is intentionally simple. They receive a private link and can begin without creating a password or learning new software. The experience is best on a computer or tablet, and help is available if they get stuck.
Not sure Dad will do it? Can we try it first?
Yes. Start with our free Story Starter. It is a short guided conversation about one memory, usually 5 to 15 minutes, and it gives you a short written story to read and keep. It costs nothing, and you don't need an account or a credit card to start.
How long will the written Life Story be?
Every Life Story is different. Its length reflects how much the storyteller chooses to share. A shorter conversation creates a shorter story, while a longer interview preserves more memories and detail.
How long does the interview take?
The interview can last 20 minutes or as many hours as the storyteller wants. It depends entirely on how much they choose to share. They can stop and return across several sittings.
What if the person doesn't finish?
That's okay. They can stop whenever they like and pick up where they left off another day, across as many sittings as they need. Everything they've already shared is kept. They can also choose to finish early. Their written Life Story is created from what they chose to share, so a shorter conversation simply creates a shorter story. If it still isn't right for you, our 90-day money-back guarantee applies whether the interview was never started, is partly finished, or is complete.
When will the finished story be ready?
Once the interview is finished, the written Life Story is usually ready within several minutes, but could be longer. The timing depends on the length of the interview.
What can be downloaded, printed, or shared?
The Written Life Story, In Their Own Words, A Portrait of Who You Are, and A Deeper Look can all be downloaded, printed at home, and shared. If the interview was recorded on camera, the video can be downloaded as well, and can also be watched privately on HoldUsTogether. Families can create short clips to text, email, or post on social media.
Who can see their story?
Their story is private. It is not posted on the open internet, and it does not show up in search results. They can see it, and so can the family members your family invites. If you bought their Life Story as a gift, you can see the finished story too, unless they decide after reading it to keep it to themselves. Anything your family downloads, prints, or shares goes wherever you send it. Our Terms explain the details.
Can two people share one email address?
Yes. Two people, such as a husband and wife, can use the same email address and the same sign-in. Each Life Story still belongs to the one person who told it.
What is the difference between sharing a clip, offering a testimonial, and sending feedback?
Share a clip when you want to send a short part of a family video to relatives or post it on social media. Offer a testimonial when you want to give Hold Us Together permission to consider something you shared for our marketing; nothing is published automatically. Send feedback when you want to tell our team about a problem, make a suggestion, or request a feature. Feedback can be typed or sent as a video and comes to us privately with the page you were on so we can understand the context.
What do we receive at the end?
Every finished Life Story comes with four keepsakes: The Written Life Story, the finished story shaped from everything they shared; In Their Own Words, every question and answer, word for word; A Portrait of Who You Are, a warm letter to them about the person who came through in their stories; and A Deeper Look, a longer, thoughtful look at their character, values, and relationships. If they talk on camera, the interview video is kept too. If they would rather type, there is no video, and the four keepsakes are the same.
What is the Life Story 90-day money-back guarantee?
Our 90-day money-back guarantee applies to the Life Story purchase. If you change your mind for any reason, request a full refund within 90 days of purchase. No questions asked. This applies whether the Life Story interview is unstarted, in progress, or finished. Email stories@holdustogether.com with your order number. You do not need to explain why. See our refund terms for what happens to paid access after a full refund.
How do I reach a real person?
Email us at stories@holdustogether.com, or send a message from our Contact page. A real person on our team reads every message and writes back.
Why does preserving stories matter so much?
Over time, family stories fade — even the important ones. HoldUsTogether exists to help preserve memories, experiences, and personal stories while loved ones are still here to share them.
How do I interview my parent or grandparent about their life?
HoldUsTogether guides the conversation for you with thoughtful questions about childhood, relationships, life experiences, memories, and major moments — so you never have to wonder what to ask.
Can I use Hold Us Together like an app on my phone or tablet?
Yes. Hold Us Together works in your web browser, so there’s nothing to download from an app store. On a phone or tablet, you can add Hold Us Together to your Home Screen for easy access, where it works much like an app. You can use it on your phone, but for longer interviews and the best overall experience, we recommend a tablet or computer.
Is it safe to add my child or grandchild to the family tree?
Yes. A family tree here is private. It is never on the open internet, and there is no public link anyone can stumble onto. A child you add is only visible inside your own family to begin with.
We connected our tree with another family. Can they see my kids?
Not unless a parent says so. When two families connect, children stay protected by default. The other family sees only that a child is there — shown as “Private,” with no name and no photo. A parent decides if that ever changes.
I'm the parent. How do I control who sees my child?
You're in charge. On your child's page you choose how far their information reaches — just our family, close family, or all connected family — and you can allow or block specific people on top of that. You can change it anytime, and a block always wins.
What if I haven't joined yet?
Until a parent is on, whoever started the tree is only a temporary caretaker, and your child stays locked down. The moment you join, control of your child's privacy becomes yours automatically.
Is any of my family’s information shared or sold? Can I change who can see it?
We do not sell your personal information or your family’s information. Your family’s private stories, photos, videos, and other family content are not made public or shared with other families unless someone with the appropriate permission chooses to share or connect them. You can change or remove access at any time. Children receive additional privacy protections when families or family trees are connected. See our Privacy page for more details.