# Storyworth alternative for Chinese families

If you want to turn your parents' stories into a book but Storyworth's English-only prompts and yearly subscription don't fit a Chinese-speaking family, **Shide (拾得 Ensō)** is built for exactly this: a private, bilingual (Chinese–English) memory app that composes an in-phone keepsake book — no account required.

## Why Chinese families look for a Storyworth alternative

Storyworth emails an English weekly question to a parent, collects the replies over a year, and mails back a printed book. Three mismatches for overseas Chinese families:

- **Language.** Parents tell stories most naturally in Chinese; the children who read them later often read English more comfortably. A single-language book leaves one side out.
- **Privacy.** Family stories are deeply personal; a cloud service keeps those answers on its servers behind an account.
- **Fit.** A Chinese family's stories — a hometown, the years of leaving, sending children abroad — sit next to a shared cultural backdrop that English prompts don't reach.

## Shide vs Storyworth at a glance

| | Shide (拾得 Ensō) | Storyworth |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Bilingual Chinese–English, original preserved | English-first |
| How stories are captured | You record/type at your own pace, with era context | Weekly emailed prompts |
| Where data lives | Local-first, on your device; no account | Cloud account |
| Output | In-phone digital keepsake book + PDF export | Mailed hardcover book |
| Pricing | Free to use locally; optional AI subscription (Ensō+) | Yearly subscription |
| Best for | Overseas Chinese families wanting a private, bilingual book | English-speaking families wanting a printed book by mail |

## How Shide turns your parents' stories into a bilingual book

You record or type your parents' memories in Chinese — a hometown, a year, a song, a first Lunar New Year abroad. Shide keeps the original Chinese and pairs it with an English reading layer, and lines each year up against the shared events of that year. At year's end it composes a Chinese–English digital book you read on your phone and can export as a PDF. Physical books are not within Ensō v1 scope; the book is digital.

## Which one is for you

Want a printed hardcover mailed to you, and everyone reads English? Storyworth does that well. Parents tell their stories in Chinese, you want family stories kept private on your own phone, and you want a book both generations can read? Shide (拾得 Ensō) is the closer fit. Search "拾得" or "Shide" on the App Store.

## Common questions

**Is there a Chinese version of Storyworth?** Storyworth is English-first; Shide is built for Chinese-speaking families and keeps the original Chinese alongside English.

**Can I make a bilingual book of my parents' stories?** Yes — Shide composes a Chinese–English digital book at year's end and exports a PDF.

**Do my family's stories stay private?** Shide is local-first and needs no account; it only sends the small text you choose when you use an optional AI feature.