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see more: Christy Turlington, Andrew Zimmern, and Other Celebs Share Treasured Trinkets in The Heirloomist (Exclusive)

A new book from photographer Shana Novak pays tribute to precious keepsakes and the stories behind them

Photographer Shana Novak’s love of keepsakes beganwith her own family.

Her grandmother stored a set of fine sterling silverware in a closet next to a metal plate that had once been implanted in her leg after she got run over by a golf cart. To Novak and her grandmother, such trinkets are precious not because of the money they’re worth, but what they mean to the people who love them.

“An heirloom can be anything, as long as it tells your story,” says Novak, “and everyone has stories.”

Readers may already know Novak’s work: she’s photographed nearly 1,500 cherished keepsakes and shared them and their stories on her Instagram and website. Now, those stories are taking physical form in a new book. The Heirloomist: 100 Treasures and the Stories They Tell, out April 30 from Chronicle Books, features 100 photos of treasured objects and the stories behind them.

It includes stories from celebrities like Gloria Steinem, Rosanne Cash, Christy Turlington, Nate Berkus, Tig Notaro, Andrew Zimmern, Gabby Giffords and Bob Woodruff, as well as regular people.

Below, PEOPLE has an exclusive sneak peek at a few of these treasured items.

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Christy Turlington’s Sculpture

Christy Turlington Burns was a few months away from becoming a mother for the first time when a small art gallery on the ground floor of her New York City apartment building put this bronze casting by artist Pham Ngoc Long in their window display, Novak writes.

“Yoga opened me to my power to make an impact, on myself and others,” the model says, in the book. “Yoga opened me to service.” 

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Andrew Zimmern’s Carving Set

Andrew Zimmern’s ancestors brought this deer antler and carbon steel carving set with them when they left Germany in the mid-nineteenth century, the chef and TV personality explains in the book.

“To use the same object for the same purpose that my great-great-grandparents did, it reminds me how special these pieces are. There is an electricity that goes back two hundred years. They are my heritage—sturdy and practical,” he says.

Tig Notaro’s Sons’ Elephante and Lamby

Tig Notaro and her wife Stephanie Allynne have twin sons, Max and Finn. Their stuffed toys, Elephante and Lamby, are their constant sidekicks, according to Novak’s book.

“Elephante and Lamby were the first expressions of love our children displayed that was from their own world,” says Notaro. “Seeing the care and love that Max and Finn put into Elephante and Lamby makes me feel like Stephanie and I have been doing an okay job so far.”

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Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando’s Olympic medals

Team USA Hockey stars and twin sisters Jocelyne and Monique played hockey throughout their high school and college years, then spent 15 years on Team USA, where they won six world championships and played in three Olympic Games. They returned from Pyeongchang, South Korea, with matching gold medals, Novak writes.

“Everything has always been ‘we’ and never ‘me,’” Jocelyne says of her sister. “We have walked through life side-by-side. We have had the same goals and dreams since we can remember. So to accomplish a childhood dream together is what we always worked toward. We would not be where we are without each other.”

Nate Berkus’ Charm Bracelet

Designer Nate Berkus created this bracelet for his daughter Poppy, inspired by his family’s two generations of fashionable women, Novak writes. While he admits he fully creative-directed the palette — corals and agates mixed with gold — he and his husband Jeremiah curated every charm to perfectly symbolize Poppy’s spirit and story.

“Poppy already has her own stylish point of view,” Nate says of his daughter, in the book. “She knows how to pile necklaces and ‘stack’ plastic bracelets. It’s fascinating to me.”

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Essence Carson’s Hymnal

WNBA All-Star Essence Carson has loved music since her grandparents filled their home with melodies and enrolled her in band as an elementary schooler. Even while playing for the Los Angeles Sparks, she worked for Universal Music Group and now serves as the director of label operations and distribution at Guin Records.

Her hymnal, pictured, a gift from her church choir, has always been her most valuable playbook.

“The hymnal symbolizes the role music has played in my life from a young age,” she says, in the book. “It stands for family, faith, and unity. It represents the past, present, and the guiding light to my next stop on my musical journey.”

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Excerpted with permission from The Heirloomist: 100 Treasures and the Stories They Tell by Shana Novak, published by Chronicle Books 2024

The Heirloomist: 100 Treasures and the Stories They Tell by Shana Novak is on sale April 30 and is available for preorder now, wherever books are sold.