Grandtold

Their life story, in their own voice

Grandtold

Every Sunday, one good story.

Once a week, at the same time, the phone rings. A warm, patient biographer asks your mother, father or grandparent one question at a time, follows the names and places, and listens for twenty minutes. Every Sunday call becomes a recording, a summary and a chapter draft — until, twelve Sundays later, you’re holding a book.

12 weekly calls · up to 20 minutes each · recordings, transcripts and chapter drafts in your family dashboard.

Sunday · 10:00 Recording

Ruth

Hi Margaret, it’s Ruth — I’m the AI biographer from Grandtold. This call is recorded for your storybook. Ready for this week’s stories?

Margaret

Oh, yes, that’s fine, dear. Where were we?

Ruth

Last week you mentioned your brother Tom and the summer at the lake — 1961, was it? Take me back there. What did the cottage look like when you first walked in?

Chapter draft · Week 4

The Summer at Loon Lake

We arrived after dark, and I remember Tom carrying the lantern up the path ahead of us, the light swinging so the trees seemed to step aside…

How it works

Nothing to install. Nothing to remember. The phone just rings.

  1. 1

    You set it up in two minutes

    Tell us who to call, when, and in which language. Pay $299 once. We email you a consent note to share with them — every call opens with a recording reminder, and the first call only happens after they’ve said yes.

  2. 2

    Ruth calls, every week, same time

    A warm biographer asks one question at a time and follows the threads — the names, the dates, the streets. She never rushes and never interrupts. Twenty minutes, then a teaser for next Sunday.

  3. 3

    The story arrives while the tea is still warm

    Within the hour your dashboard has the recording, a short summary, a chapter draft in their own voice, and three follow-up questions Ruth will ask next week.

What the family gets

Their voice, kept. Their stories, written.

  • The recordingsEvery call, in full, safe in a private library only your family can open.
  • Chapter draftsWritten in the first person, in their cadence, with names, dates and places kept exactly as they said them. You can edit and mark them ready.
  • A thread that carriesRuth remembers. Each week she opens with what was left unfinished, so the book has a shape and not just a pile of moments.
  • Consent, alwaysThe recording notice is spoken at the top of every call, and the storyteller can stop at any time.

The Summer at Loon Lake

We arrived after dark, and I remember Tom carrying the lantern up the path ahead of us, the light swinging so the trees seemed to step aside. Mother said not to run. I ran anyway. The cottage smelled of cedar and last year’s woodsmoke, and there was a loon calling out on the water like it had been waiting for us.

That was the summer of 1961 — the year before Tom went to Sudbury for work — and I have never since had a summer that felt so long or so entirely mine.

— sample chapter draft, week 4

One price. One season.

The Story Season

$299CAD, once

  • · 12 weekly calls, up to 20 minutes each
  • · Recordings, transcripts and chapter drafts
  • · Follow-up questions carried week to week
  • · English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian or German
  • · A printable gift card, if it’s a gift
  • · Full refund if the first call never happens

Want to send it as a gift card first and set up the calls later? Tick “This is a gift” in the form — you’ll get a card to hand over, and calls begin as soon as they say yes.

Start a Story Season

Who are we calling?

$299 CAD · 12 weekly calls

The storyteller
You

You’ll pay securely on Stripe. Calls start after the storyteller confirms consent (we send you a link). Cancel within 7 days for a full refund if the first call hasn’t happened.

Questions families ask

Is it really a computer calling my mother?
Yes — and we say so. Ruth is an AI biographer. If she’s asked, she says so plainly and kindly. What matters to families is that she is patient, remembers everything, and calls at the same time every week without fail.
How does consent work?
After checkout you get a link to a short consent page with the exact words Ruth says. The storyteller (or you, on their behalf) confirms there. Then every single call opens with “this call is being recorded for your storybook” and waits for their okay. If they say no, the call ends and nothing is kept.
What if she doesn’t answer?
Ruth leaves a short voicemail and tries again next week at the same time. Missed weeks don’t count against the season.
Can we change the day or time?
Yes, from the family dashboard. Ruth will always call at the storyteller’s local time.
Who owns the recordings?
Your family. Download them any time, and email us to delete everything.