Telling Your Own Stories

Davis has a wonderful way to bring out the storytelling in all of us. The prompts he gives us in this wonderful little book leads us to explore our own stories. It encourages us to reach out to our children and friends and share those things that have made us who we are. It is a jewel of a little book.

If you want to record your memories, but don't know how to begin, this book prompts you to start. Whether you are writing your story or taping it for your family, getting started can be the hardest part. Here are some samples from the book: *Take us with you when you had to move from one home to another *Can you remember the first person you ever had a crush on? *Can you remember a time when you got lost? *Take us with you to a movie when you were a child or teenager Interspersed with these memory prompts are suggestions for using them. Besides telling your own stories, the prompts could be used to draw out memories from someone in a nursing home. The author recommends ways to enhance your stories such as adding in smell, taste, touch, and sound. The book is 127 small pages, with many pages having just a prompt on it. This makes it nicely portable, but means it is not comprehensive. I'd recommend supplementing it with some other books on the topic.

Donald Davis leads his readers into a world of delighful remembrance. I thoroughly enjoyed reading and using this book as a conversation piece and journaling guide. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys exploring family and personal history.