In The Essential Questions, anthropologist Elizabeth Keating helps you to uncover the unique memories of your parents and grandparents and to create lasting connections with them in the process.

By asking questions that make the familiar strange, anthropologists are able to see entirely different perspectives and understand new cultures. Drawing on her lifelong work in this field, Keating has developed a set of questions that treat your parents and grandparents not just as the people who raised you, but as individuals of a certain society and time, and as the children, teenagers, and young adults they once were.

The Essential Questions helps you to learn about the history of your closest family members and to help you understand their perspective on the world.

'If you’ve ever thought of asking a parent or elderly relative about their past, read The Essential Questions first. After asking the questions Keating suggests, you’ll better understand not only your relatives and your heritage, but also your world and yourself' Deborah Tannen, New York Times bestselling author of You Just Don't Understand

'If you’ve ever heard anyone say, ‘I wish I’d asked my mom about that,’ then this is the book for you' Sarah Bird, author of Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen

'Down-to-earth and easy to use, it’s a wonderful guide' Michael Erard, author of Babel No More

'It has been a long time since I read a book that felt as urgent, timely, necessary, and utterly relatable throughout' Alexandra Georgakopoulou-Nunes, professor of discourse analysis and sociolinguistics at Kings College London