Anne Bradshaw wanted to write a book that would help encourage people, no matter their situation, to begin or continue holding family home evening.

“Famous Family Nights” is the result of her idea, and it contains 91 anecdotes from various LDS members, including some faculty and alumni of BYU. These stories relay individual uplifting family experiences and are intended to help strengthen families.

“I feel ‘Famous Family Nights’ could well be a best seller — not because of me, but because of all the wonderful people within its pages,” Bradshaw said.

Many who gave personal experiences for the book are well-known Latter-day Saints.
One contributor is author Rachel Ann Nunes. She supported the idea of helping others improve their family time, and said the book helped her to see holding family night is a challenge for everyone.

“Not only did I find many great family night ideas, but I learned that other people in the public eye are just like me,” Nunes said.

Bradshaw said many struggle in their attempts to hold family night, but “Famous Family Nights” can show readers they are not excluded from the majority in this respect. Most find it challenging to consistently hold a family night, but she hopes the experiences within her book’s pages will give her readers the proper mentality they need to persevere in strengthening their families.

Margaret Young, a creative writing instructor at BYU, also contributed some of her family’s experiences to Bradshaw’s book.  She expressed appreciation for Bradshaw’s efforts.

Bradshaw’s book took about two years to complete, and it was published in August 2009.