Users Are Loving MyStories: A Powerful Way to Share and Preserve Life Stories

By Esther

February 3, 2026

Since its launch in early 2025, MyStories has helped many people turn their memories into beautiful printed books. MyStories makes it easy for anyone to write their life story, chapter by chapter. Users receive weekly prompts via email and can answer them however they choose. MyStories compiles these answers and any photos they’d like into a hardcover book that is printed, bound, and shipped to the user for the whole family to enjoy.

Many users say the experience brought back long-forgotten memories, opened up meaningful conversations, and gave them a way to leave something lasting for their families.

For a limited time, MyHeritage users can get 15% off MyStories with code MHLOYAL15.

In this post, we’re highlighting a few of the heartfelt stories and reactions we’ve received from some MyStories users — both those who bought MyStories for themselves and those who received it as a gift.

Angelique Biccai-Gerrits

Angelique from the Netherlands began writing her MyStories book in May 2025. The finished book came to 354 pages, and she printed 6 copies to share with her family. She didn’t know it at the time, but the experience would help her preserve her father’s final memories — and give her family something to hold on to after his passing.

Angelique Biccai-Gerrits

My story began for me on May 17, 2025, and ended with me finishing the book on November 5, 2025. It was an emotional rollercoaster; the book gave me a family history that captured the past, present, and future.

When I started writing it, I couldn’t have imagined that the book would also provide comfort. My father was very involved during the writing process and gave me instructions on what to include. Because we all enjoyed it so much, we brought forward the questions that were sent each week to answer several questions each week.

Until July 16, 2025, when my father was told he was terminally ill with acute leukemia (cancer). His desire to finish the book was so strong that I made video recordings at his bedside of the remaining questions I hadn’t yet been able to ask — the questions that still needed to be asked. This gave me the opportunity to finish it after all. I had explained to my father that the book was being written down, but he would never physically receive it. However, the legacy aspect was important to my father, and this gave him the opportunity to answer all the questions about the book.

On September 21, my father shared a final word of thanks, which I wrote down for his family in the book as a final closure. That was a very emotional moment for me and my father, but I did it anyway. On September 27, my father passed away surrounded by all who loved him, on my 50th birthday. I finished writing the book after my father’s death. It was difficult, but as a tribute to my father, I managed it.

When my mother received the book, she was able to read the acknowledgements for the first time, which my father left behind as a legacy. This was a very emotional moment for my mother. The family members then read the acknowledgments. It brought comfort to my mother and to us; our husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were still with us through the book. We are all very grateful for that.

The personalized book of our family history has enriched our lives in ways I couldn’t have imagined when I started writing it. My family and I are also very grateful that this opportunity existed. I wish you at MyStories much success, and that it reaches many people who also want to write and document their family history. MyStories brings the past, present, and future together.

Tom M.

Tom, a longtime MyHeritage user from the U.S., began writing his book A Tale of Two Brothers after receiving MyStories as a gift from his wife.

Tom M.

I will tell you that I absolutely love the product. In fact, I am in love with this new creation from MyHeritage. My wife Janice and I started our family history research in the 1980s. We have been with MyHeritage since around 2011. We have watched you grow as a company and our research has grown with you.

Janice gave me the subscription to MyStories as a gift after seeing the presentation at RootsTech 2025. What a wonderful gift! Writing the chapters and creating my own chapter titles was a blast. The weekly questions prompted many thoughts, but I must admit I did not answer them as posed. I went in my own direction.

The final book is very personal to my brother and I, hence its title, A Tale of Two Brothers.

My first order was for 2 copies and, as you probably know, I just ordered 5 more copies and probably will order a couple more. I have shown the book to friends and they are very impressed.

I plan to order another subscription because I have so much more to write.

James Tanner

James is a devoted genealogist and journal-keeper who used MyStories to shape decades of personal writings into a physical book for his grandchildren.

James Tanner

For most of my life, I have dedicated time to writing a journal. My journey began with handwritten entries and, as technology advanced, I transitioned to using computers to document my experiences. Over the years, this practice has resulted in an extensive and detailed narrative of my life. In 2025, MyHeritage launched a project called “MyStories.” This initiative encouraged participants to gather and preserve significant memories, with the goal of publishing them in a physical book. Inspired by this project, I decided to revisit my journal, searching for memories that I wished to share with my grandchildren.

As I reviewed the entries from my past, the process became one of deep introspection. I encountered a wide range of emotions, recalling both joyful and challenging moments. This reflection helped me realize how much I had to offer and share. Over time, I recognized the importance of focusing on the positive events that shaped my life. With this new perspective, I chose to title the book “Stories from Grandpa, Part One.” Once I felt the narrative was complete for the first volume, I submitted it to the MyStories project. In a relatively short period, I received the printed copy of my book. Holding the physical book was an emotional experience; it represented much more than just a collection of stories. Despite my current reliance on computers, the presence of a tangible book evoked memories of my youth, a time when libraries and books were central to my life. Having a physical book in my hands felt like discovering a personal treasure, connecting me to my past and the legacy I hope to leave for my family.

Ann Smith

Ann Smith from Australia wrote and printed her life story — a meaningful gift she created to share with future generations.

Ann Smith

The book arrived yesterday, thank you. I am very impressed with the binding and how it looks. It is a great size.

I found two main benefits. The first is the ability to reflect on my own life through the questions. I could analyze what has happened to me and why, and how successfully I reacted to what life dealt me. It also gave me an understanding of my own philosophical and emotional growth.

Secondly, the book was a way of documenting my life for my children and grandchildren. They will hopefully gain a greater understanding of who I am. Writing is often easier than face-to-face interactions and gives both me and them more time to reflect.

I found the ability to change, omit, or add questions helpful in personalizing the exercise. Your help via email with my queries and problems has been very helpful and respectful.

Janna Helshtein

Janna, who created not one but two MyStories books, used the platform to write both a personal memoir and a cultural collection of her family’s beliefs and traditions. She’s now preserving her own voice — and her heritage.

Janna Helshtein

I had no idea how many stories were hidden inside me until I started this journey. As soon as I began answering the questions, I was right back there in the moment — the stories just poured out of me. It has been such an emotional ride, uncovering memories of my childhood and my grandparents that I wasn’t even aware I still held onto. Holding The Road to 58 in my hands today feels incredible; it’s more than just a book, it’s 58 years of my life, my heart, and my history finally captured. I’m so grateful I took the time to listen to the stories that were waiting to be told.

Thomas MacEntee

Thomas is a well-known genealogist who jumped at the chance to tell his story in a new, more emotional way. He was one of the very first users of MyStories.

Thomas MacEntee

Last year, I used MyStories by MyHeritage to create My Story: A Life Interrupted — and I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect it to be this easy or this meaningful. Each week, a single email arrived with just the right question at just the right time. Not overwhelming. Not demanding. Just perfectly paced.

Those gentle prompts unlocked memories I might never have written down on my own. Before I knew it, my stories had been transformed into a beautiful, tangible keepsake. This isn’t just writing — it’s preserving your life, your voice, and your experiences for the people who come after you.

If you care aנout family history, this is one of the most powerful — and effortless — ways I’ve found to pass it on.

Norma Dehnadi

Norma from California, created a family book using MyStories and ordered 17 copies to share with relatives across Europe.

Norma’s book

MyStories is worth every penny! My family book turned out fabulous. I distributed copies to family members and co-authors in Europe, and they were very impressed with the quality of the paper and book binding. The support team answered all my questions promptly and efficiently. I plan on writing more books and will definitely use the MyStories platform again!

Yan Sandler

Yan, a MyHeritage employee, was especially excited by the idea of creating a book to work on with his father. They worked together to write and translate a multilingual memoir — printing it in both English and Russian so that future generations across continents could read and understand it.

Yan Sandler with his dad

Working on a memoir with my 79-year-old father through MyStories became much more than a simple writing project; it was a deep, cross-cultural collaboration. Because my father is most expressive in his native Russian — the language of his most intimate and emotional memories — our process required a rhythmic translation cycle: I would translate the weekly prompts into Russian, and then carefully translate his responses back into English. This process granted me a unique closeness to his history, allowing me to see how his perspective has evolved over the decades. While our sessions occasionally sparked conflicts when narrative details didn’t align, they more often rewarded me with surprising new depths to stories I thought I already knew. Ultimately, producing the book in English was essential for our family’s future; with my children in Israel and my brother’s family in the United States, this translated memoir ensures that his grandchildren can fully understand and connect with their grandfather’s life in a language they speak fluently.