About The Ten Stories
Have you ever noticed that elderly people often tell a finite set of stories over and over again? If you are providing care or support to an elderly loved one – a spouse, a parent, a sibling, a friend – maybe you recognize this idea. It is a commonly reported phenomenon, and it can be troubling for listeners. Many people assume that it is the first sign of memory loss, functional decline, or even dementia. The older person must be telling stories over and over because they don’t remember having told them before.
But our research suggests something different. Based on interviews with caregivers from across the country, here’s what we learned.
1. There really are just ten stories that people tell over and over again. While ten is not a magic number, it does seem to be about the right number to capture the essence of the stories aging parents told and re-told.
2. Stories appear to have been told for five reasons: to reinforce identity, to entertain, to inform or instruct, to reconcile conflict, and to keep memory alive.
3. Men and women tell different kinds of stories. Men tell fewer stories and emphasize stories told to entertain. Women’s stories were more often aimed at reconciling conflict or keeping memory alive.
4. Stories are customized for the receiver. Stories are told in the context of a relationship, and are specifically curated for the listener. They communicate important information pertinent to that relationship.
5. The stories are about values. They represent 20 themes found in our data. Those themes are intended to share the values that make up a good life.
6. The stories are typically set before the storyteller was 30 – at a time when many of the key decisions of their lives were made, and values were formed and established.
Events & News
- The Current with Matt Galloway
CBC – aired Sept 25, 2026 https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-63-the-current/clip/16239584-how-often-parents-tell-story - Communities Connections Podcast
Interview with Nanci Corrigan
Available wherever you listen to podcasts! - Interview on Unison TV (Alberta) with Carolyn du Kury-Castillo The Hidden Meaning Behind Your Parent’s Repeated Stories
- Book review — Uphill Both Ways | A review of “The Ten Stories,” by Mary Ann McColl | Literary Review of Canada
- Webinar hosted by Perley Health
Registration details to follow
Date & time TBA - Workshop at Perley Health
TBA Ottawa - Book Signing Event at Indigo
Cataraqui Town Centre
December 12, 2026 1 – 4pm - Book Signing & Reading
Napanee Museum
January 9, 2026 1 – 2:30pm
If you are interested in more details for these events, email mccollm@queensu.ca
Caregivers have the opportunity to give their loved ones an incomparable gift when they receive their stories — the validation that they have been seen and heard, and that they will be remembered.
The Book
Available now at:
The TED-Talk
