I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Published by Berkley on January 21, 2025
Genres: Historical Fiction
Pages: 429 •Format: E-ARC •Source: NetGalley, Publisher
Goodreads

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.
My first five star read of 2025! I’m so happy this came across my inbox to read and review because it reminded me just how much I love reading historical fiction (I feel like I say this every time I read and review a historical fiction novel, lol). I’ve always been a fan of Barbie (I had the boat, the motor-home, the airplane, etc growing up) and I loved the resurgence of Barbie-mania in 2023 with the movie (ah, the summer of Barbenheimer). I was intrigued at the idea of a historical fiction take on the creation of the iconic doll, rather than just a history book (of which I’m sure there are many).
Let’s Call Her Barbie is a story that is truly dedicated to exploring the full lifespan of Barbie’s creation and Mattel’s rise to unprecedented success. It spans several decades, across several POVs of those who were involved with Barbie’s creation, starting with Ruth’s initial idea of a more mature doll for little girls to play with to the eventual, if not “downfall,” then loss of focus of the original Barbie meaning and mission as Mattel grew astronomically and too many cooks were in the kitchen trying to innovate Barbie. Clearly, Barbie rebounded from some of the horrendous decisions that plagued her in the 70s (some of which I had heard of via Youtube videos, such as “Grow With Me” Skipper) because as far as I remember during my own childhood, she was back on top in the 90s. I loved reading about how Barbie evolved from an idea based on a cheeky German doll to something truly unique and highly polarizing (the book does a great job showing how Barbie became a sounding board for so many different ideals, takes on feminism, etc). In reading the author’s note in the back, it’s really up to the reader to determine who they think the true creator of Barbie was and what she stood for (between Ruth, Mattel co-founder and Jack, primary engineer) but I personally buy into Ruth’s vision of Barbie being a vehicle to show little girls they could be so much more than just a wife and a mother (wild to think that back in the 50s there weren’t really any other dolls aside from baby dolls on the market!)
I think my favorite element of Barbie’s development to read about was the fashion! The author created a fictional character, Stevie, who gets hired on to help design Barbie’s wardrobe, which at first no one takes seriously but then becomes one of the biggest hallmarks of the doll’s legacy. The attention to detail was astounding, down to the fact that they had to make everything in 1/6 scale, had linings and labels sewn into every piece of clothing and accessory, etc. It felt like reading about a true fashion house and it was satisfying seeing Stevie go from being mocked by her former design school peers to being the envy of them for her instrumental work on Barbie’s fashion.
I also just really loved reading about the business side of things. From learning what a huge financial gamble Barbie was, to seeing how at the first Toy Fair she was a flop, to learning how the power of little girls mobilized their parents to go out and buy the dolls in droves was fascinating. That Mattel (in the early days at least) read every piece of Barbie fan mail, replied to each one, and used the contents of the letters as market research (e.g.. little girls writing in asking for a boyfriend for Barbie) was impressive and incredibly strategic. It was heartbreaking to see how Mattel eventually seemed to go off the rails and grow out of the small, family owned company that created so many iconic toys (I had no idea they made Hot Wheels, too!) and see Ruth and her husband Elliot pushed out by the board, etc. after the company went public and they ceded much of their control in favor of growth and money. Also, it was so infuriating to see Ruth continually underestimated and shoved aside in getting the credit for Barbie’s creation; I am firmly in the camp that she is the rightful/original “creator” of Barbie.
Overall: One of the best historical fiction novels I read, with compelling characters and a fascinating look at the social and economic impact and influence of Barbie. I honestly could not put this one down, and would love to read more historical fiction surrounding pop culture icons.
*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Having loved the other Rosen books I’ve read, I’m glad to hear this one is also superb. Just requested from the library!
I hope you enjoy! This was my first Rosen book and I am surprised how much I liked her writing considering she’s a new to me author! I need to check out her backlist, any specific recommendations?
I’ve read 2 others, and enjoyed them both – my favorite was “The Social Graces”, about the feud between Mrs Astor and Mrs Vanderbilt. Absolutely loved it. The other was “Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl” and that was more “cultural icon”-oriented, since it looked at the rise of Estee Lauder. Both were very well written 🙂 I’ve got my eye on a few other backlist titles to try too