Discover The Stories StoryTerrace Help Share.

5 Tips for Writing Your Life Story

1. Gather Old Photos to Jog Your MemoryDig up old photos and make notes to help recall past events.

2. Break Your Life Into Personal ErasDivide your life into distinct periods or "chapters" to make the task more manageable.

3. Find Your ThemeChoose a central theme or message to guide your story and focus on relevant anecdotes.

4. Write a Little Bit Each DaySet aside a specific time each day to write, building a steady habit.

5. Find a Trusted Sounding BoardDiscuss your progress and ideas with a friend for accountability and feedback.

How StoryTerrace Can HelpIf writing alone feels overwhelming, consider working with a StoryTerrace ghostwriter to transform your memories into a well-crafted memoir.

Ready to start writing? Contact StoryTerrace or sign up for our newsletter for more tips.

Premium Writer

Serena Solomon began her adult life as a social worker helping homeless teens in her hometown of Sydney, Australia. During that time she learned three things: listen, listen, and listen. It is a lesson that served her well when she transitioned into journalism with a BA in Media.

After spending years as a reporter in the gritty world of New York City local news, Serena is now a freelance journalist and writer who regularly contributes to the New York Times as well as other publications such as the BBC and the Atlantic’s CityLab.

Serena sporting orange hair during a study abroad stint in Seattle.

ST: When did you first realise you wanted to be a writer?

I never thought to myself “I want to be a writer.” However, I did think at about the age of 14 that I wanted to be a journalist. I love the entire process of interviewing, researching, thinking, and writing.

ST: Whose biography would you most like to write?

I love the stories of “regular” people. I’ve interviewed a few celebrities and it tends to be boring; they are cautious and you’ve likely heard their story before. The story of a random person will always be surprising and often, their life story will reflect something greater in society — a cultural trend, a grand moment in history, etc.

ST: If you were writing a StoryTerrace book of your life, what would be the title and why?

I will tell you when I’m 90. Probably because I’ve written obituaries, I do have a morbid fascination with what the lead (the opening few sentences of a news article) of mine might be. That’s if I even get one! You need to be a little bit famous to get a decent obituary.

ST: What surprised you most about working for StoryTerrace?

When I sit down with an elderly client whose family bought them a biography package, often the client will say “I have no idea why the family wants this documented.” And then over the course of a few hours, this incredible story trickles out of them. People don’t seem to realise the incredible story they’ve lived. Hopefully, when they read their life in a StoryTerrace book, it changes their opinion.

ST: What is your idea of perfect happiness?

An endless Saturday morning.

ST: What is your biggest fear?

Writing on a white board or blackboard (showing my age there) in front of other people. I’m a good writer, but a terrible speller. Spell check is my best friend. Thank God I wasn’t a journalist in the typewriter era!

ST: Consider your life story. What's the name of the chapter you're in right now?

"Is There a Manual for This Kid?"

ST: What trait do you admire most in others?

Conscientiousness.

ST: If you hadn't become a writer, what career would you have right now?

Probably a producer of documentaries. It’s another way to tell stories and I am obsessed with stories.

ST: What is your most treasured possession?

Probably my engagement ring. I’m not really into possessions, but I can take a ring on an airplane so it is very portable. I think that comes with moving to different countries, because you have to get rid of a lot of things when you move or pay huge amounts in shipping.

ST: Who are your favorite writers?

Taffy Brodesser-Akner. Although she writes about other people, often her magazine features are really about herself, which proves to be the more interesting story.

ST: For someone that asks questions for a living, what is it like answering questions about yourself?

It’s terrible. I’m reminded how generous people are to answer the questions I ask of them. It makes you feel vulnerable.

Lightning Round!

ST: Salty or sweet?

Sweet.

ST: Introvert or extrovert?

Both.

ST: Truth or dare?

Truth.

ST: Vintage or modern?

Vintage.

ST: X-ray vision or time travel?

Time travel.

If you’d like to work with an accomplished writer like Serena on your own autobiography, get in touch to schedule a free consultation. You can also use our Writer Search Tool to find the perfect writer for your project today.

Sue Stevens’ girlhood is the stuff of children’s adventure stories. For the first 13 years of her life, Sue lived in The Gambia, insulated from the outside world by lush vegetation and a constant blanket of heat and humidity. In Sue’s memory, she was surrounded by people who had never spoken a sarcastic word in their lives, and she could experience perfect silence just by stepping out her door and into nature.

This stands in stark contrast to the life Sue — and the rest of us — experience today, as we’re surrounded by people hurrying from place to place, the rush of traffic, and all the noise of modern life. Though Sue has lived most of her life outside of Africa, her formative experiences here shaped the rest of her days.

It was Sue’s older sister Lyn’s idea to preserve the family memories of their time in Africa. One year she gave a writing pad to all of the siblings and asked them to write their memories of Africa, with the goal being to compare notes and trade the notebooks with each other.

"I’m not very good with computers," Sue laughs, explaining how difficult it was to write the story on her own — even though she very much wanted to. "I needed to bring someone in to help me so it could be the best it could be."

Sue Stevens’ StoryTerrace autobiography, Monkeys and Other Animals

To help get her memories of Africa down on paper, Sue worked with a StoryTerrace Senior Writer. "She was great," Sue says. "She made me feel like we were just two friends sitting on the sofa chatting."

The relaxed nature of the interviews with her ghostwriter helped Sue dive deeper into her memories and tell her story in the way she had always meant to. "What a brilliant idea," Sue says of StoryTerrace. "I couldn’t have done it without them."

Escape to a New Life

Sue seated on her mother’s lap, with siblings Chris and Lyn. The family often travelled by boat in The Gambia

Sue’s parents met during World War II, during which her mother sewed parachutes and her father served as a UK-based mechanic. Sue’s father was a gambler. "Dad would bet on anything," Sue recalls. "Mum would meet him on Friday nights to collect his pay packet from him, otherwise most of it would be spent down at the betting shop."

When Dad saw the posting for a mechanic’s job in The Gambia, his friends all joked that he should take it because it would finally take him somewhere where there was nothing to bet on. Though initially, he applied for a laugh, he leapt at the change when offered the position.

Soon the mechanic and his young family packed up and headed to Africa. Sue was born in the UK, but she was living in The Gambia by the time she was three months old.

Surrounded by Animals

Sue holding her beloved pet baby goat

Sue recalls Africa as a wonderful place for a child to grow up. She feels supremely lucky to have had a childhood with so much freedom — the kind of place where she could wander off for hours, barefoot, to find people and animals to play with.

Sue’s family took in all sorts of pets at their compound, including a black and white baby goat that Sue fell in love with. But when a leopard began skulking about the village and nabbing neighborhood dogs, Sue’s father fashioned a metal cage with a trap door that led to a box. One night he used Sue’s baby goat to bait the box, and eventually, the leopard was caught in the cage — giving Sue and her brother quite the fright! "It roared its head off at us and we ran as fast as we could," Sue remembers.

The baby goat was frightened too, but it was safe in its own half of the age where the leopard couldn’t reach it.

Sue’s orphaned serval cat

When Sue was young, the British government moved the family further downriver to Yundum. Now closer to the capital city, the family enjoyed more modern conveniences than they had in their first home.

They also welcomed a wide variety of animals in their new home, thanks in part to neighbors who took in orphaned and injured animals for rehabilitation. Sue was given a serval kitten to look after — an animal so beautiful that he was featured on picture postcards that tourists would send home from visits to The Gambia.

Top: the market at Serekunda and Bottom: the family house in Yundum

Monkeys were common in The Gambia, and Sue’s family raised several. One standout was Monk, a red patas monkey who went everywhere with Sue. "He was loyal, but he could also be very naughty. He saw Mum putting on her lipstick one day, and when she wasn’t looking he tried to put it on, too," Sue recalls. "He wasn’t very successful, and so he spread it all over the mirror instead. Mum wasn’t impressed because lipsticks were rare and very precious in The Gambia."

Sue’s mother with Monk, one of the family’s pet monkeys

Monk was also something of a guard monkey, baring his teeth at anyone who dared to approach Sue. He also had a sweet tooth and would quickly grab a whole handful of treats from the family tin if offered.

"Come back, tubab!"

When Sue’s family would leave to visit England, the locals would gather to wish them well

Sue’s father’s tours of duty were for three years at a time, with three months off to spend back in the UK. When Sue would visit her homeland she felt quite out of place, despite her best attempts at fitting in.

Each time they left, Sue remembers that local families would gather to say goodbye. The children would call out, "Come back, tubab!" Tubab was the word for a white person.

But when Sue turned 13, her parents decided it was time for her to get an education. Up to that point, she had really not had much formal schooling in Africa, instead learning her lessons out in nature.

"Going to school in England was a huge shock," Sue says. "I thought I was going to die." Eventually, she found her way to making friends and settling in to life in the much more crowded country of birth.

Though she only lived in Africa for 13 years of her long life, Sue’s incredible childhood has stayed with her all this time. "It was beyond amazing," she says of her time in The Gambia. "And it doesn’t seem like a long time ago at all."

Do you have precious childhood memories to share with your loved ones? StoryTerrace can help you organize and share your life story with your family and friends. To find out more about working with our professional writers, get in touch today or sign up to our newsletter for more real-life stories from our customers.

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Senior Writer

Claudio Tapia speaks Spanish and Dutch, but writes mainly in English. Born in Chile in 1966, Claudio fled the country with his family when he was young. In addition to his work as a ghostwriter, he is an all-around creative person whose professional titles include translator, copywriter, producer, and documentary filmmaker.

Claudio with StoryTerrace client Sik Liem in Kuala Lumpur

ST: Whose biography would you most like to write?

There is a shortage of female leads and narrators in my biographies so far. As in my novel, I would like to get inside a woman’s head and tell a story from that perspective.

ST: Why do you enjoy writing for StoryTerrace?

To write someone’s biography requires you to get to know your subject really well. The process brings you really close to the subject, and vice versa. The work really requires you to make new friendships that in any other context might not happen or might take years to develop. My clients and I tend to stay in touch after the project is long finished. That’s pretty special.

ST: If you were writing a StoryTerrace book of your life, what would be the title and why?

Packing Roots. I am a migrant. I escaped dictatorship in Chile as a child with my parents in the 1970s, and I was then raised in the Netherlands and in the United States. What I have discovered is that a person who has moved around as much as I have will often have a mental quirk of always keeping a suitcase by the door, so to speak — ready for a quick escape as soon as things become too complicated. The problem is, as you take root, as you grow. It will become increasingly hard to fit yourself into that little suitcase by the door every time, until one day you will see yourself forced to make a choice: either make yourself smaller (travel-size) or stay put and enjoy what you have.

ST: What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Sunny weather, a morning run, writing until two, grocery shopping, a one-hour siesta, and then cooking dinner for friends and loved ones.

ST: What’s something that people would be surprised to learn about you?

When I first moved to Amsterdam, I worked at a Dutch pancake house. That’s where I learned to make the best Dutch pancakes. I really did become pretty good at it. The secret’s in the batter!

ST: What trait do you admire most in others?

Real modesty.

ST: If you hadn’t become a writer, what career would you have right now?

Impossible to say. I have done so many different things in that process! A pancake baker, one would hope.

ST: What is your most treasured possession?

There was a period in my life that I consciously rid myself of stuff. I even lived in a camper for a year — not only because it was cheaper, but because I wanted to know what it would be like to wake up in a different place every morning and not have to worry about mortgages and electric bills. However, for decades now, I have traveled around with a little box of things that have sentimental value: a silver coin, a rock I found when I was nine years old, etc. With most of the little objects inside this box, there is not even a good story that would justify me holding on to it. It’s more about the commitment I make to do so that is so enjoyable. Very Shinto!

ST: Who are your favourite writers?

Henry Miller was huge in my earlier reading life. I am currently really enjoying Zadie Smith’s White Teeth.

ST: If you could have been born in any time or place, what would you choose?

Speaking of Henry Miller, the 1920s and 30s seems like an interesting period to me. The world was still mysterious and big, yet it would still qualify as modern times. And therefore recognisable.

ST: Who is your hero?

That’s easy: the person I am currently writing about. I won’t disclose who it is, but what I can say is that I am completely submerged in this person's life at the moment: the way he thinks, speaks, his likes and dislikes, flaws and virtues. His voice is literally bouncing around inside my head right now.

ST: What is your motto?

Expect to be surprised, every day — so don't forget to buckle up.

Lightning Round!

ST: Dogs or cats?

I really like both.

ST: Introvert or extrovert?

Introvert (most of the time).

ST: Morning lark or night owl?

Night owl.

ST: Paperback or e-reader?

Paper!

ST: City or country?

City.

If Claudio’s globetrotting lifestyle has inspired you to tell the story of your own journey, get in touch to schedule a free consultation. You can also use our Writer Search Tool to find the perfect writer for your project today.

How much do you really know about your parents?

We all assume we know plenty about the people who raised us, but think about everything you experienced during your childhood and teen years. You probably have hundreds of stories to tell.

But could you tell hundreds of stories about your parents' lives before you were born? They experienced just as many ups and downs and lived through an interesting slice of history, too. Do you know enough of the details to pass their stories to your children and grandchildren?

Getting Answers Before Time Runs Out

In a recent Wall Street Journal article, Sarah Smith lamented not asking her mother about her childhood before she succumbed to memory loss from Alzheimer’s disease. Thanks to social media, there’s a big generational gap in what and how much we share of ourselves, so it can be devastating to realize that there’s no record of your parents' hopes and dreams.

"I think younger people find it difficult to understand parents and grandparents who haven’t documented in the way they are doing," says Rutger Bruining, StoryTerrace’s CEO.

At StoryTerrace, we’ve done some research into this phenomenon, and we discovered something shocking: 45% of people report that they’ve learned more about their parents’ lives from discovering family possessions, overhearing conversations, or speaking with other family members, rather than directly from their parents themselves.

On top of this, 35% of those surveyed said they really admire their parents' achievements but don’t know how they accomplished what they did. Another 21% said they didn't know anything about their mother and father before they became parents.

11 Questions to Ask Your Parents Right Now

If we’ve learned anything from the pandemic, it’s that you never know what tomorrow will bring. That’s why we believe it’s so important to have meaningful conversations with loved ones while we still have the opportunity.

To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of questions to ask your parents today. Use them to open up conversations and get to know the people who raised you on a deeper level.

1. What did you want to be when you were growing up?
2. Who was your best friend? Where are they now?
3. What was the most rebellious thing you ever did as a teenager or young adult?
4. Do you think you chose the right career path? Do you have any regrets?
5. How did you meet the love of your life, and when did you know they were the one for you?
6. What kind of parent did you think you would be, and how does that compare to the kind of parent you actually were?
7. What did you find was the most difficult aspect of raising children? Is there anything you would have done differently?
8. What advice would you give me now?
9. Do you see any of yourself in me?
10. Do you think we could be closer? What would you change about our relationship now?
11. Is there anything you want to ask me?

Now that you’ve gathered some incredible stories from your parents, it’s time to preserve them. StoryTerrace specializes in transforming your parents’ memories into a beautiful book to pass down for generations to come.

Contact us today to learn how to get started or sign up for our newsletter so you don't miss any of our original content.

The first thing you realize when you speak with Jo Davey is that she is sharp. She can rattle off the details of just about any event in her life with so much detail that you, the lucky listener to the story, feel like it only happened yesterday.

That was my experience, at least, when I spoke with Jo over the phone about her StoryTerrace autobiography, Life Is an Adventure, Not a List. Her strong memory might well be attributed to the power of writing: Jo kept years’ worth of pocket diaries over the course of her life, where she tracked all the things that happened to her each day.

"I’ve always written," Jo says. "I like writing."

Even so, Jo found the task of turning her diaries into a full memoir to be a tall order. As the oldest living member of her family, Jo is the last person left who knows about the old days and ways. She wanted very much to preserve her memories of her parents and grandparents and the life they lived before and during World War II.

But despite her best efforts, the memoir wasn’t happening. "When I started writing, I found it to be too difficult," Jo recalls. There was so much to say, but how should it be said?

That’s when Jo’s daughter Lesley gave Jo the gift of StoryTerrace. "It was so easy," Jo says of working with a professional writer, who interviewed Jo and helped edit her existing work. "Of course, at my age it’s easy to sit and talk about the past," Jo says.

Jo Davey's finished book Life is an Adventure, Not a List

The War Years

One of the reasons Jo had trouble writing her memoir on her own was that it was so hard to know where to start, and what readers would find interesting. Quite a lot of things happened to Jo, you see. Born in 1928, she was just a girl when the Germans began dropping bombs on London in 1940. At the time, she lived in Penge with her mother, father, and baby sister.

Jo with Dad, Mum, and baby sister Janet just before the war

The height of the Blitz was terrifying for Jo, who was just a schoolgirl at the time. "School went on," she told me grimly, and everyone did their best to be brave. But she never knew when she went to school who would be there the next day — and who was gone forever, a victim of an air raid.

An excerpt from Jo's book titled "The Deadly Wave"

Jo’s family eventually evacuated to a farm on the Welsh border. There they lived with kind relatives with enough food to share, and Jo’s mother could begin to recover her nerves after the trauma of the siege.

Working Girl

When Jo was just 16, she knew she was done with school. "In those days, university was very expensive, and I knew I was not going," she explains. Instead, she got a job to help the family — and in doing so, became a trailblazer. Jo became the youngest-ever female employee of the Bank of England.

Jo with her colleagues from the Bank of England

While working, Jo lived in housing provided by the Bank of England near their evacuated offices. At the hostel, Jo shared a bedroom with five other young women — a privilege for which she still had to pay rent!

Jo continued to work for the Bank of England for 14 years but was forced out when she and her husband Harry had their first child. At that time, the Bank refused to keep a pregnant woman on staff and would only hire her back at a much lower position after the baby, Lesley, was born. Jo refused the offer of mundane work: "I wasn’t that sort of person. I like to use my brain, and it would have been painfully dull."

A Creative Streak

Jo recalls being very self-sufficient during the War. "In the war, everybody grew things in their gardens and allotments," she says. She also remembers making sure nothing went to waste: not food, not paper, and certainly not fabric.

Jo on holiday in Ramsgate after the War, wearing clothes she made herself

When asked about the photo above, Jo talked about what she was wearing. "You were given a certain number of coupons for clothing," she says. "But we made everything because it was easier to buy material" than it was to buy a finished skirt or blouse. In the photo above, Jo remembers that she made the skirt from pieces of salvaged material. The jumper (that’s a sweater for our American readers) was reknit from an old cardigan that Jo painstakingly unraveled to preserve the yarn.

Jo’s creativity also extended to the stage. She loved to perform and played many roles over the years. In fact, she and her husband Harry both enjoyed acting. Harry liked comedies and musical revues, but Jo preferred serious roles. Her favourite was the lead in Dial M for Murder.

Jo performing in a pantomime as Puss in Boots

History Is Made of the Stories We Tell

In speaking to Jo and reading her memoir, a rich world opened up to me. There were colorful characters and naughty children. There was the sound of laughter, but also of machine gun fire from German planes strafing her neighborhood. There was young love and righteous indignation about sexist policies in the post-war workplace.

Jo as the mother of two young children in 1964

Jo’s life is our history, as she lived it. Yet I suspect that if we hadn’t heard her tell her story, we would see her only as in the photo above, as a typical mother and later a fine old lady and honorary grandmother. Those are, of course, two incredibly important roles. But if her daughter had never insisted that Jo preserve her story, we might never have had the opportunity to know the full woman. In so doing, we get an intimate look at the history of the 20th century through the eyes of someone who was really there.

And that’s an incredible gift.

Do you have an older relative whose story is worth preserving? StoryTerrace can help you learn much more about your parents and grandparents’ lives. To find out more about working with our professional writers, get in touch with us today.

If you would like to find out more about Jo's remarkable story, she was featured in The Sun.

Whether you're looking forward to creating a master shopping list for the festive season or have a loved one with an important birthday coming up, choosing the perfect gift is a big deal. You want to show that you know this person very well, and you want to make them happy. You also want your gift to be meaningful and memorable.

This is a tall order for any gift, but it can be especially challenging when you're shopping for someone who already has everything.

You know the type. Maybe this person is an avid shopper and has already sampled every hot new item out there. Or maybe it's someone you've been giving gifts to your whole life — or theirs! — and you're running out of ideas.

Or maybe it's someone older who is actively downsizing, making even the most clever item feel a little off, as it could take up too much valuable space. And of course, the older someone is, the more likely it is that they've had a lifetime to experience every gift under the sun already.

So what can you possibly offer that will be fun, fresh, and — most importantly — appreciated?

Give the Gift of Experiences

Much has been written about how the Millennial generation has changed the economy by prioritising experiences over possessions (and spending their money accordingly).

It turns out they were on to something!

Happiness researchers have found that people get greater satisfaction out of purchases that include doing something rather than just owning something. Experiences like eat-in restaurants or outdoor activities rank more highly than material possessions — including luxury items — when it comes to creating happiness.

There are a few reasons for this mood boost. First, experiences lead to greater anticipation in the days before you actually go rock climbing or sit down at a restaurant table, and all the thinking you do ahead of time adds to the pleasure of the gift. Then, the experience itself is novel and keeps you living "in the moment" while it's happening — an important aspect of mindfulness that is also linked to greater happiness.

Finally, experiences are fleeting, which leads to pleasant memories and nostalgia that you build around the event. It's hard to recall a fond memory about a piece of jewellery or electronic gadget, but it's easy to relive a holiday or amazing meal (especially if they make for a good story to tell your friends).

Experiences, then, are the gifts that keep on giving. They're also perfect for people who already have too many things because they don't take up any room at all — except in one's memory.

4 Great Experiences to Give

For the gift of an experience to be meaningful, it should offer the novelty of trying something new without being too far outside of someone's comfort zone. You know the recipient best, so don't terrify someone with a hang gliding excursion if they're afraid of heights.

No matter who you're shopping for, the best experiences fall into four main categories:

1. Learning a New Skill: Whether the recipient has always wanted to learn a particular skill and never had time or is getting the chance to deeply explore something in their wheelhouse of interests, learning gifts are highly engaging. Options include music and art lessons, museum passes, online courses in specific subjects, and a lecture series.

2. Trying Something New: For a less cerebral approach to your gift, go for something that will activate the senses or get the body moving. Options include adventure sports, travel, wine tasting, and outdoor activities.

3. Self-Discovery: When someone already has everything, it may be time to look inward. For older recipients, writing an autobiography or creating a book of photographs spanning the decades is a wonderful activity. For younger giftees, it may be illuminating to work with a career or life coach to gain clarity.

4. Self-Indulgence: Most people don't take the time to indulge themselves, so an experience built around relaxation or a luxurious pampering makes a wonderful gift. A massage or spa day is the classic choice, but other wellness options like a trip to natural hot springs or a personalised session with a nutritionist can also be great.

If you have a loved one who would enjoy the gift of self-discovery, we're here to help! StoryTerrace pairs people with professional biographers to interview them about their life story. Sure, you get a professionally bound book at the end, but the experience of telling your life story and putting your formative years into context is a priceless — and possibly transformative — experience.

Ready to give the gift of StoryTerrace? Get in touch to work with one of StoryTerrace’s professional writers to interview your loved one for their personal biography - or to gift them one of our Welcome Boxes in the run up to Christmas!

Senior Writer

Rebecca Ferrier is a writer and biographer whose work has taken her across Norwegian fjords and into the Alps via the Orient Express.

This year, she won a prize in the Bridge Award's Emerging Writer category. She has also been shortlisted for the Tibor Jones Page Turner Prize, with her fiction featured in numerous anthologies and published by The Toast and For Books’ Sake.

Rebecca splits her time between Bath and Edinburgh. When she’s not busy writing, Rebecca can usually be found in the Wiltshire countryside in sturdy shoes with two muddy dogs, or volunteering for the National Trust.

ST: Whose biography would you most like to write?

Richard Bradley, an eccentric botanist and lecturer at Cambridge University in the 1720s. He was known for never turning up to his own classes and for writing the first Stilton cheese recipe.

ST: Why do you enjoy writing for StoryTerrace?

The friendships made with clients. You can form a close bond with someone after working on such an intimate project with them. I’ve been so privileged to meet so many interesting people.

ST: Describe StoryTerrace in three words.

Dedicated. Compassionate. Professional.

ST: What is the most memorable story you've told as a writer?

I spent a night with a ghost-hunting group in an unfinished gothic mansion, tucked away in a Gloucestershire wood. I was working as a journalist at the time and witnessed a spooky incident or two that I still cannot explain. I also discovered that bat poo is green – RIP beloved quilted jacket.

ST: What is your biggest fear?

Soggy dessert. Tiramisu, summer pudding, and trifle are horrifying. What’s more, they look unaesthetically pleasing when served at a dinner party – and does anyone really like custard? I have been known to weep hysterically when confronted with Eton mess.

ST: What's something that people would be surprised to learn about you?

I trained in duck whispering at a young age.

Nine-year-old Rebecca duck whispering at Niers River in Weeze, Germany

ST: What trait do you admire most in others?

Kindness.

ST: If you hadn't become a writer, what career would you have right now?

I’d be a terrible potter, making unbalanced vases and bizarrely abstract ornaments I would thrust onto loved ones at Christmas.

ST: What is your most treasured possession?

The outrageously talented friends I have made.

ST: Who are your favourite writers?

Charlotte Brontë, Daphne du Maurier, Alexandre Dumas.

ST: What is your motto?

Touch Not This Cat – Dad’s family belongs to the McGilvrays, a Scottish clan with the wildcat as its symbol and this line as its motto.

ST: If you were a vegetable, what would you be?

Parsnip. Overlooked in some countries and thought to bring madness in others, this woody root is said to become sweeter in harsh and frosty conditions. And who can resist a honey-roasted parsnip with a proper Sunday roast?

Rebecca on a country walk with Ruby the Springer Spaniel

Lightning Round!

ST: Salty or sweet?

Salty, I’m sweet enough (usually).

ST: Morning lark or night owl?

Morning lark, for a sunrise carries unseen stories with it.

ST: Paperback or e-reader?

A dog-eared, creased, and stained paperback. One that’s gone wrinkly after it’s been dropped in a bath and then dried out on a radiator.

ST: Vintage or modern?

Vintage.

ST: X-ray vision or time travel?

Oh, time travel; far more opportunities for mischief.

A nostalgic photo of Rebecca dressing up for Halloween as a child

If Rebecca’s passion for storytelling has inspired you to get to write your own biography, get in touch to schedule a free consultation. You can also use our Writer Search Tool to find the perfect writer for your project today.

Southeastern Pennsylvania is a beautiful place that’s famous for its gently rolling hills and neatly manicured fields. Known affectionately as "Dutch Country" to locals, this area is one of the most fertile and well-managed stretches of farmland in the world. Though Lancaster County is the most well-known tourist destination in the region, the Pennsylvania Dutch settled wide swaths of an area that stretches from Lehigh to York County.

Nestled in York County on the western edge of Dutch Country is Hanover, a borough of nearly 16,000 people and the home of a trio of businesses that have thrived in the area for generations: J.F. Rohrbaugh, a mill that manufactured wood products and continues to sell pallets and packaging materials; Hanover Foods, distributor of canned and frozen produce; and Snyder’s of Hanover, a popular snack company with a global reach. Though each company has a different mission, all three have been in the same extended family since their founding.

Synder's of Hanover, founded in Pennsylvania in 1909, produces a range of pretzel snacks which can be bought in stores around the world.

I recently had the pleasure of speaking to Steve Yelland, President of JFR Holdings. JFR Holdings is the parent company of J.F. Rohrbaugh, West Side Wood Products, and Bruce Jones Contractors. As a member of the next generation of businesspeople in his family, Steve wanted to pass along the history and wisdom of the entrepreneurs who started it all.

Steve Yelland’s StoryTerrace book tells the history of his family’s three successful businesses

What It Means to Hail From Dutch Country

The first thing to know about the Pennsylvania Dutch is that they aren’t Dutch at all. The term Dutch is an anglicised pronunciation of Pennsylvania Deutsch, which means German. German settlers from the Rhineland settled in Pennsylvania as early as the late 1600s and were hugely influential in developing the Pennsylvanian countryside in the years leading up to the American Revolution. Pennsylvania Dutch is a language and culture in its own right, and these hardworking, inventive farmers built strong communities that were often so self-sufficient that many continued to function in German (rather than English) for hundreds of years — often well into the early twentieth century.

Though the Amish are perhaps the most famous group of Pennsylvania Dutch speakers, not all — or even most — Pennsylvania Dutch people eschewed modern technology. Steve Yelland’s family, for instance, was among many in the area who embraced mechanisation and worked to streamline production. He also credits his Pennsylvania Dutch heritage for the strong work ethic that led to his family’s triple business success.

Though the J.F. Rohrbaugh mill was devastated by a major tornado in 1917, the company quickly regrouped and emerged from the disaster stronger than ever as they helped the community rebuild.

The Breadbasket of Pennsylvania

Because Dutch Country is largely farmland, it’s no surprise that these family businesses are closely connected to the land. In fact, some of Steve’s earliest memories of the family business involve walking the fields with his grandfather, Alan Warehime, the head of Hanover Foods. "We would follow the combines and catch the vines off the back, and then split the remaining pods open to eat the raw peas," Steve remembers.

Listen to Steve read an excerpt from his StoryTerrace book his childhood memories of the family business:

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As children, Steve and his cousins were also allowed to sample warm, fresh pretzels as they came down the oven line at the Snyder’s facility. "I loved them because they were like a hot, soft pretzel with tons of salt," Steve recalls. Both hard pretzels and potato chips have a long history in Dutch Country, and there were many small, local snack producers throughout the region. It’s a testament to the family’s work ethic and business acumen that Snyder’s of Hanover was able to streamline production and expand their reach beyond Dutch Country to the rest of the world as the twentieth century progressed.

Snyder’s delivery trucks brought snacks to a wider audience, thanks to the opening of the PA Turnpike in the middle of the twentieth century.

Preserving the Past for Future Generations

Like many people, Steve was motivated to preserve his family’s story after realising that there was so much that members of the younger generation didn’t know about their ancestors. As the extended family came together to form a new foundation, discussion revealed that the younger generation had no idea how it all began — a knowledge gap that Steve was determined to rectify. "We had to get to the older people before they can’t tell their story," he explains.

Midcentury employees at Hanover Foods sorting produce for quality control.

At first, Steve tried to research and write his family history on his own, seeking help from the history faculty at nearby Gettysburg College. When the project stalled, he took a friend’s advice to try StoryTerrace for professional help.

Steve ultimately sat for several interviews with StoryTerrace Senior Writer Linda Hummel. Linda went on to conduct interviews with several family members and worked with information provided by the Hanover Historical Society to complete the book. Steve praises Linda’s interviewing skills for bringing the family together and ultimately helping to build better relations among different factions. "Linda was great. She identified potential family dissension and handled it well," Steve says.

Mike and Allen Roth showing off Hanover Food’s latest innovation in 1967: glass jars instead of cans.

With the completed book printed and distributed to all family members, the younger generation now has proof of their ancestors’ hard work to guide them in their own business — and life — decisions.

Does your family have a unique story to tell? StoryTerrace specializes in both family histories and business books for entrepreneurs and other professionals. Explore StoryTerrace Pro for more information, or get in touch to learn more about hiring a professional ghostwriter.