Let’s Call Her Barbie

by Renée Rosen

#LetsCallHerBarbie #NetGalley

Barbie…just the name is enough to form the picture of this her in the reader’s mind. She is a doll that has both been embraced and vilified, perhaps even both at the same time for some. Now, she is so much a part of popular culture, it is difficult to remember that once there was no Barbie.

Author Renee Rosen has written a detailed, intriguing and complex story about Barbie and her creators. She has brought the historical people to life, especially Ruth and Jack (more below), Elliot and Charlotte, to name a few. She also has created fictional characters including Stevie who interacts with all of the historical figures.

I learned so much about the toy industry, how toys go from plans to reality and how this applied specifically to Barbie, in these pages. Ruth had a vision and it took her and engineer Jack much work and many years before Barbie was brought to the market. It is intriguing that Ruth saw Barbie as a source of freedom for girls. She wanted them to have a doll that offered more to them than imagining becoming a mother and wife.

It was intriguing to think of the real fashion designers who made the clothes and why Barbie has her dimensions. It was fascinating to find out how many tries it took to get Barbie just right.

Both Ruth and Jack were quite complex individuals. Readers learn that Ruth’s mother did not want to raise her. They find why work was so critical for Ruth and the ways in which this impacted her children and husband. Jack, also was complicated. Readers learn that he had some mental health issues with which to struggle.

Over the course of the novel, readers learn about both the triumphs and lows of these characters so that is there is no fairy tale. All of this is part of the characters’ life stories.

In her afterword, Rosen notes that she had wanted to write this novel before the Barbie movie was released. The movie will undoubtedly bring readers to this novel but, in my opinion, this excellent book stands very well on its own.

Highly recommended to readers of historical and women’s fiction. Of course, those who are already interested in Barbie will flock to this but, even if a reader is not a Barbie aficionado, there is much in these pages.

I was so delighted to be asked to read and review this title. Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 21 January 2024

From the Publisher