432 pages Publisher Berkley Publication date January 21, 2025
ABOUT THE BOOK
She was only eleven-and-a-half inches tall, but she would change the world. Barbie is born in this bold new novel by USA Today bestselling author Renée Rosen.
When Ruth Handler walks into the boardroom of the toy company she co-founded and pitches her idea for a doll unlike any other, she knows what she’s setting in motion. It might just take the world a moment to catch up.
In 1956, the only dolls on the market for little girls let them pretend to be mothers. Ruth’s vision for a doll shaped like a grown woman and outfitted in an enviable wardrobe will let them dream they can be anything.
As Ruth assembles her team of creative rebels—head engineer Jack Ryan who hides his deepest secrets behind his genius and designers Charlotte Johnson and Stevie Klein, whose hopes and dreams rest on the success of Barbie’s fashion—she knows they’re working against a ticking clock to get this wild idea off the ground.
In the decades to come—through soaring heights and devastating personal lows, public scandals and private tensions— each of them will have to decide how tightly to hold on to their creation. Because Barbie has never been just a doll—she’s a legacy.
Includes a Readers Guide and Exclusive Vintage Barbie Photos!
From the Publisher
MY THOUGHTS
Let’s Call her Barbie is a fascinating and well researched book. This covers the behind the scenes of designing, manufacturing and marketing the doll and where the idea of the doll and its name came from. I never realized how much time, effort and stress were involved in this.
Ruth Handler pitches the idea for the doll unlike any invented before in the US. This is a grown-up doll as opposed to all other dolls being babies or young children encouraging little girls to be mothers and nurture babies. This doll is vibrant, upbeat and sexy accouraging girls to look forward to a career beyond what women were used to in the workplace. It was an encouraging idea.
There were mixed reviews on this doll because of its looks and many didn’t approve. Before reading this, I hadn’t realized this caused such an uproar at Mattel. This covers the 1950’s to 1070’s there.
We meet many of the main employees at Mattel and get a view of how this affects their private and personal life. There are scandals with work and private upsets with this release.
I would have never known all these things without reading this interesting book. Well worth your time to read.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Renée Rosen is the USA Today bestselling author of FIFTH AVENUE GLAMOUR GIRL, THE SOCIAL GRACES, PARK AVENUE SUMMER, along with 4 other historical novels and the YA novel, EVERY CROOKED POT.
Her newest novel, LET’S CALL HER BARBIE, about the creators of the Barbie doll, will be published in January 21,2025 by Penguin Random House/Berkley. Renée lives in Chicago where she is at work on a new novel.
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