Let's Call Her Barbie

by Renée Rosen

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.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Historical, Book Club, Pop Culture, Fashion

432 pages, Paperback

First published January 21, 2025

About the author

Renee is the USA Today bestselling author of 8 historical fiction including: FIFTH AVENUE GLAMOUR GIRL and THE SOCIAL GRACES,
Her new novel, LET'S CALL HER BARBIE, about the Barbie doll creators Ruth Handler and Jack Ryan will be published January 21,2025 by Penguin Random House / Berkley.
Most people discover their love of reading first and then decide to try writing. For Renee Rosen, it was just the opposite. From the time she was a little girl she knew she wanted to be a writer and by age seventeen had completed her first novel, with what she admits was the worst opening line of all time. Her hopes of being the youngest published author on record were soon dashed when her “masterpiece” was repeatedly rejected. Several years and many attempts later, Renee finally became a reader first.

Since then she has been fortunate enough to study the craft of writing from such esteemed novelists as Michael Cunningham, Susan Minot and Carol Anshaw.

Renee now lives in Chicago where she is working on a new novel. You can find her online at https://www.facebook.com/ReneeRosenAu..., https://twitter.com/ReneeRosen1 or visit her website at www.reneerosen.com


Praise for DOLLFACE

"DOLLFACE is as intoxicating as the forbidden liquor at the heart of it. Rosen's Chicago gangsters are vividly rendered, and the gun molls stir up at least as much trouble as their infamous men. Fans of Boardwalk Empire will love DOLLFACE. I know I did." Sara Gruen, New York Times bestselling author of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS

Advanced Praise for WHAT THE LADY WANTS (coming November 4, 2014)

 "WHAT THE LADY WANTS is as fun and addictive and Chicago-licious as a box of Marshall Field's Frango Mints. And, sadly, you'll finish it almost as fast. A delight.” Rebecca Makkai, author of The Borrower and The Hundred Year House



Awards for EVERY CROOKED POT

2010 Popular Book for Young Adults by YALSA

2007 Booklist Editor’s Pick

Starred Reviews from Booklist and School Library Journal

Reviews

[Renée Rosen]

Have you entered the Let's Call Her Barbie Giveaway--happening now through September 30. 5 print ARCs are looking for a good home. Good luck and thanks for entering and adding to your shelves!

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting historical fiction about the creators of Barbie

I enjoyed this once it got going, but the start was rather slow. The very short chapters and third person present tense POV gave this a fast paced feel but also made it jumpy and less immersive. I think Jack Ryan’s story was the most compelling and sensationalist, I’d read a biography about him, but the rest was very business focussed and didn’t really dive deeply into Ruth Handler and who she was as a person.
I could see this adapted into a Netflix series though and I think it would be a great format for that as it was very episodic and cinematic. Also the descriptions of all the design elements and setting was vivid enough that it played as a tv show in my head.

This is a great read for any Barbie fans who want more history on the brand and its creators but don’t like reading non fiction.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the complimentary copy of this book.




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Got the Arc! So excited for this.

Also, I believe all my trolling of Berkley is paying off because that’s three now! Never let anyone tell you being nice is the way to get things… 😆

[Marquise]

When I was a little girl, all my dolls were the usual baby-shaped ones that you play little mother-in-training with, but I wanted a doll that was all grown up and whom I could dress with all the nice clothes, shoes, make-up, and imagine the nice things I'd do when I grew up to be as tall and gorgeous as my sisters. I had to walk by the street of the biggest toystore in town on my way to and from school, so I often stopped in front of the shop's huge windows to gaze longingly at the dozens of adult-shaped dolls in all their pink and glittery glory.

So when I was asked what I wanted as a present for my 10th birthday, I asked for a Barbie.



I did get a doll all right, but it wasn't the Barbie. My mother took me to watch a Holocaust documentary before I turned 10, so instead I got this Barbie:



God has a sense of humour, what can I say? Go ahead and laugh all you like!

Funnily, for more of those humorous coincidences dabbed all over my life, I found this novel a few days after I got my copy of a biography of Klaus Barbie. I don't know yet which book I'll read first, though. We shall see!

[Kim ~ It’s All About the Thrill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who doesn’t love Barbie? 💖 Thank you for the free book @berkleypub #berkleypartner #berkley 🫶💖 Pub day is tomorrow 1/21!! 🥳 This book is absolutely fantastic!! Run 🏃‍♀️ and get a copy.

As soon as I saw this book.. I wanted it!! 😍Just like when I was a little girl..👱‍♀️… I wanted EVERYTHING Barbie. I had the dream house… the RV… the Corvette .. you name it. Who is with me? Okay what did I love?? ⬇️

I loved this more than I even anticipated. 💖It was SO fascinating. Ruth Handler was a force to be reckoned with. She was years before her time. She created Mattel with her husband during a time when women couldn’t even sign a check. 😳 She was a power player in the business world.. and she had a vision.. Barbie. Let me tell you.. this doll was NOT an easy sell to the people during the 1950’s. She was too risqué.

Speaking of risqué… you would not believe what went on at Mattel. 😳 😂 Wow! These people were creating children’s toys.. but they were raking in the bucks and acting… umm… wild. 😬I loved the stories.. I loved running 🏃‍♀️ to Google and finding out more.

What I loved most was Ruth and of course Barbie. 🫶 Ruth’s pure passion to create this doll …that literally became an icon… that took the world by storm.. when nobody believed in Barbie except Ruth… made for an amazing story. 😍

I seriously can’t recommend this enough!! This was my first @reneerosen_ book and I loved her writing. She made me feel like I was right there in this Barbie world. 💖 I immediately added her backlist to my TBR.

💖💖💖💖💖 Is this on your TBR? Did you grow up with Barbie? Do you have a favorite @reneerosen_ book?

[Maren’s Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Ruth Handler develops an idea for her toy company Mattel, she has no idea it would shape American culture for generations to come. Standing at only 11 inches tall, Barbie would become the center of Ruth’s universe and the universe of those who surround her including her family, her head engineer Jack Ryan who struggles with his own personal demons, and designers Charlotte Johnson and Stevie Klein who would be intricate in bringing Barbie to life.

Renee Rosen has a way of plucking an ordinary, everyday item out of the universe and then building a world around that item that’s steeped in its rich history. Whether it’s Cosmo, Estée Lauder cosmetics, or in this case Barbie, she manages to immerse the reader in such detailed history that at the same time, feels fresh and modern. Some of the themes of this book - women in the workplace, views on the female body, the impact of success- are all equally relevant in the year 2025.

Ruth’s story is incredibly inspiring. Her grit and pure determination to bring Barbie into the homes of many, is really the driving force behind this story and of Barbie’s ultimate success. Without Ruth, there is no Barbie; without her team, there is no success. While it was hard at times to read about these characters struggles, whether with alcoholism/drugs, a fear of coming out, feelings of abandonment and the desire to look like Barbie at any cost, it made them all that much more real.

🎧 This is absolutely terrific on audio helmed by Abagail Reno. In fact her narration is so good, it felt as though this was a full cast even though it’s told in third person narration. She brings the book completely to life and really made this story shine. I highly recommend the audiobook or even better, an immersive read with the audio and physical book.

Read if you like:
▪️Barbie
▪️American history (1950s-1970s)
▪️ensemble casts
▪️strong FMCs
▪️stories about the toy industry
▪️Mad Men vibes

Thank you Berkley Pub and PRH Audio for the gifted copies.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let’s Call Her Barbie reimagines the story of Ruth Handler and her best known invention namely Barbie doll. She was ahead of her time with an idea of a doll that wouldn’t imitate mothers but rather bold women who could be anything.

Los Angeles, 1956. Ruth Handler gathers a team of engineers and designers to create a unique doll. She’s had this idea for quite some time and almost gave up on it when she saw this kind of doll in Switzerland. Now, with an example in her hand, she presents it to the team what she wants to recreate. She strongly believes that there is a marketplace for it which is untapped.

Along the way, there are many setbacks, but Ruth’s vision is unwavering. After three years of hard work, it doesn’t get any easier at the Toy Fair in NYC. The buyers are not convinced about a doll that looks like a woman. The Barbie launch is a colossal failure, but Ruth strongly believes in TV commercial. When most would give up, despite the Fair failure, she proceeds with commercial advertisement.

Then, there is something happening behind the scenes, something that no one sees from Mattel group, (created by Ruth and her husband), until there is a flood of orders that can’t be fulfilled.

With the smashing success of Barbie comes an idea of creating a boy doll, and other products associated with the two most famous dolls.

This fascinating story brings a strong woman who took risks when no one else dare doing it, along the way exposing private tensions of Ruth’s family, and other co-workers who took part in creating Barbie doll. Behind the big success, there were many struggles and challenges which are exposed in the story; giving it dimensions and making it feel very real.

Let’s Call Her Barbie is richly imagined. This empowering novel is narrated with fun and crisp prose, turning the pages of the story quickly.

Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Krystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating account of the vision that brought Barbie from idea to icon. Barbie has been a staple on toy shelves my entire life and this novel helped me appreciate how difficult it was to not only create a doll with a woman's body and careers, but also to find acceptance for these ideals. Most people of the time couldn't wrap their minds around little girls pretending to be anything other than mothers.

What kind of impact could a doll have?

I didn't know what to expect when I began this novel, but it pulled me right in. The creative process alone was enthralling add to that a company where women did more than pour coffee during this time period and I was so in. I say it all the time, but great historical fiction is eye opening and sends me down a rabbit hole of research. I had such drive to read articles regarding these events and see the photos of those mentioned throughout the story. Rosen includes notes following the novel to help understand which parts she fictionalized.

The story of Mattel and Barbie centers around Ruth Handler who is a force to be reckoned with and a co-founder, Elliot Handler Ruth's husband and also a co-founder of the company, Jack Ryan brilliant but troubled engineer, and Charlotte Johnson designer of Barbie's wardrobe and accessories. There is a fictional character, Stevie Klein, who is an up-and-coming designer and well-rounded character that had a much-needed grounding effect on the book. Ruth and Jack are both intense personalities. Ruth's idea to create a doll that is a woman when all popular dolls are babies is met with discord from every angle. She wanted to give girls the opportunity to envision themselves in various occupations and dream beyond marriage and motherhood. The discussions about why Barbie's proportions are so extreme answered questions I've had for years. The changes that have been implemented to her body over time for better or worse were also interesting.

The personal lives of these creative driven people were intriguing and marred with struggle. I became invested in each of their stories and found myself feeling emotional more than once. Ruth's story in particular is an inspiration. I will never again look at a Barbie without remembering the challenges and successes that marked the team that created her.

Content Warning
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Eating Disorder
Cancer

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for providing the Advance Readers Copy for review. All opinions are my own.

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruth Handler and her husband Elliot own Mattel a toy company in Southern California, she’s the president and Ruth’s noticed there’s nothing for girls once they are past the baby doll stage and a void in the market. Ruth’s plan is to create a doll and shaped like a woman, with a wardrobe to match and she wants it to represent all the things modern ladies can do.

The men attending the boardroom meeting that day are confused by her idea and can’t see her vision and it makes her more determined to succeed. Jack Ryan is the chief engineer, he's in change of finding and sourcing types of plastic suitable for the dolls body, hair and colours, where they could be made and prototypes. Charlotte Johnson is a fashion professor and clothes designer, she’s given the task of creating Barbie’s wardrobe, everything from clothes and night wear, coats and hats, shoes and handbags and she uses French haute couture and Jackie Kennedy style for inspiration.

I received a copy of Let’s Call her Barbie from Berkley Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Using real and fictional characters Renée Rosen writes about the creation of a twenty nine centimetre doll called Barbie and the spin offs and I found the time frame from 1956 to 1975 when Ruth and Elliot are in charge of Mattel fascinating and most interesting.

The story is about the highs and lows of creating the world’s most famous doll and their journey, how the company went from having two hundred employees and to thousands, Elliot’s love of marching music and workers being checked before and after shifts due to spies, the first advertising campaign on television and what the public thought about the doll, was it body shaming and exploiting women and giving young girls unrealistic views and ideas. Ruth relationships with her children and health scares, Jack Ryan was dyslexic and a womanising drunk and the company had battles over copy rights and loyalties and tax evasion and false financial statements.

Love or hate her Barbie is more than a doll, she’s a part of history and Renée Rosen explore this phenomenon in her latest five star novel and she came up the idea of writing her book before the movie was released and it’s captivating and engrossing read and one I highly recommend.

[Jonetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

the setup…
Ruth Handler was always a force to reckon with, even as a teen when she helped her older sister with business sales. As a co-founder of Mattel along with husband Eliot and Harold (Matt) Matson who they bought out in the 1940s, she was actually the one who managed the company. In 1956, Ruth approached the board with her idea to create an adult doll, one that would give little girls an alternative to the baby dolls that only promoted marriage and motherhood. The doll would be a fashionista with an array of career choices. Ruth fought hard for her vision and after Jack Ryan, their brilliant engineer, was sold on the idea, the rest was history, especially after she convinced renowned designer Charlotte Johnson to join the company.

the heart of the story…
This is more than Barbie’s origin story, which in itself is fascinating and illuminating. At the heart of everything is Ruth Handler who in the 1950s was more than just a trailblazer, she was an anomaly in a male dominated business world who led Mattel to soaring heights. It started with Barbie but there were other toys introduced that are still legacies today (hot wheels!). It wasn’t all bright lights as Ruth made sacrifices that haunted her, particularly her relationship with her daughter. Also, while Jack was an industry maven, their relationship later fractured with devastating results.

the narration…
Abigail Reno delivered an outstanding performance. It’s my first experience and I was solidly impressed by her storytelling skills. She made this story come alive.

the bottom line…
I had a Barbie growing up and remember the blanket parties my friends and I had outside with the dolls and the clothes. I even had a Barbie dream house! As an adult, I felt the condemnation of the doll as a bad role model for girls so learning what the actual vision was for Barbie was a revelation. I watched the movie last year and have a new appreciation for the “ghost” of Ruth Handler who was given the props she deserved. This is a tribute to the woman who deserves every accolade for not only changing the toy business landscape but also the hopes and dreams of little girls who didn’t know they needed her vision.

Posted on Blue Mood Café

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Let’s Call Her Barbie was an interesting story about the creators of the Barbie Doll. I found it so fascinating seeing a woman in such a big role in the 50’s. Ruth Handler was a pioneer. There were several other side characters this followed and as a whole I liked this one.

Audio book source: Libby
Story Rating: 3.5 stars
Narrators: Abigal Reno
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Historical Fiction
Length: 12h 51m

["Avonna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out all my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com

LET’S CALL HER BARBIE by Renee Rosen is an engaging historical fiction book that follows the inspiration and creation of an entirely new type of doll called Barbie and the lives of the people involved in bringing her to the world. Barbie was a part of my childhood, even though I was more of a tomboy, my girlfriends would all get together and play with our Barbies. I found this story fascinating and it reminded me of how many and how large the strides in women’s rights made in the short period of time covered by this novel.

Ruth Handler is a brilliant example of “a woman before her time” and while the benefits were many, so were the difficulties and heartaches. The main characters, both historical and fictional, are fully developed and believable. Their personal lives show the cultural shifts throughout the 1950’s, 60’s, and 70’s vividly. Ms. Rosen’s research is evident in her ability to integrate all the new technology involved in getting Barbie made and mass produced without breaking up the flow of the story.

I recommend this historical fiction story that looks into the inception and worldwide phenomenon called, “Barbie”.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4.5 stars)
To be honest, I wasn’t sure how much I was going to enjoy Let’s Call Her Barbie, as I wasn’t a big doll person when I was a kid. (I mostly played with my older brother and boy cousin and their toys and read their books.) But i simply loved this book! Perhaps it appealed to me through my MBA background? I don’t know, but this kept me captivated throughout.

If you have ANY curiosity about the Barbie phenomenon (and I don’t mean the 2023 movie), you need to read this book. It’s a fictionalized account of how and why Barbie was created in the late 1950s and its amazing trajectory in the following years. I loved that Ruth Handler was inspired by a doll she saw in Europe that was definitely NOT meant for young girls to play with. Her thought process about how little girls were only given baby dolls to play with and not dolls that represented other pathways than “the mommy track” resonated with me. (When I was young, the main career paths for women were teacher, nurse or secretary, none of which appealed to me.) Handler was a marketing genius, a woman most definitely ahead of her time. The story of how it went from idea to reality was so wonderful to read, with all the give and take from Ruth and star engineer Jack Ryan and from fashion designer Charlotte Johnson. Who knew it was so hard to create clothes at 1/6 scale and that the clothes are the basic reason Barbie’s waist is so small? I loved how Ruth Handler knew that the clothes and accessories were going to be where the money was (just like home printers and having to keep buying the ink!).

The later years (1970-1975-ish) were a bit sad to read about, but important to include. And I loved reading about Ruth Handler’s “second act”, something I knew nothing about.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[OutlawPoet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this so much more than I did.

This historical parts of the story were very interesting. I liked this mix of fact and imagining for the most part.

Unfortunately, though, our characters never stepped beyond historical footnotes to become living, breathing people for me. They all seemed so very thin.

Ultimately, I found that I would rather have read a non-fiction account of the same events.

I think others will love this, but it just wasn’t quite right for me.

• ARC via publisher

[Cheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember the year my mother took me shopping at Two Guys as Christmas was approaching, and asked me to choose one of the Barbie dolls, and so I chose one, only to learn that she was going to send that as a gift to one of my cousins, and then she chose another doll for me, which was a much cheaper, knockoff version. So, technically, I never owned a Barbie doll, but all the girls around my age in my two block neighborhood got one that year under their Christmas tree.

This is the story of another era where men were typically in charge, and women were mostly expected to listen, fetch coffee for their bosses, and take notes. And while this isn’t really a feminist story, at that time Ruth Handler was the president of Mattel, which surprised me.

This is also a story of deception, of a man publicly taking credit for the work of a woman, and more than credit, as well.

An interesting glimpse into the story of Barbie over the years, and a glimpse of a strong woman who helped create one of the most iconic toys, one that has lasted for years.


Pub Date: 21 Jan 2025


Many thanks for the ARC provided by Berkley Publishing Group / Berkley

[Katie B · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Let’s Call Her Barbie is a historical fiction novel about the design, production, and marketing of the iconic doll. Ruth Handler cofounded the toy manufacturer, Mattel, and back in the 1950s it was a much smaller company. After a trip to Switzerland she came back inspired to produce a doll that resembled an adult. At the time kids only had flimsy paper dolls to play with or were regulated to taking care of baby or toddler dolls. And while now we recognize it as a billion, trillion, whatever dollar idea, it was not an easy road to get the Barbie doll on the market.

Such an interesting read. The story follows a couple characters including Ruth and some of the Barbie clothing designers. Definitely recommend if you are a fan of the genre, strong female characters, or grew up playing with Barbie.

[Taury · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let’s Call Her Barbie by Renée Rosen is a Historical Fiction novel with a little bit drama, a little bit sex, and a whole lot of Barbie history. The book writes of the beginnings of Barbie, the rise, fall and the beginnings of the collapse of Barbie and Mattel. The novel starts in 1950 with the idea and naming of Barbie and then Ken. I found the book entertaining and fun to read. More so because my name is Barbi, but also because I had everything Barbie as a child. My daughter and I spent hours playing Barbie. By the time my grand-girls came around I didn’t like the pretty perfect big boobed doll. I felt it gave little girls the wrong idea. Dumb blonde big boob emphasis on the look and clothing.

[Jayne · Rating 1 out of 5]

When the "Barbie" movie was released in 2023, the WSJ published a fascinating article on Ruth Handler, the co-founder of Mattel and the inventor of the Barbie doll.

When selecting this book, I was hoping to gain more insight into Ruth Handler's extraordinary accomplishments and the challenges she faced.

Instead, this book portrayed a soap opera version of Barbie's history, delving into the sex lives of many of Mattel's employees. (Was that necessary???)

I listened to the audiobook. expertly narrated by Abigail Reno.

DNF at 35%

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Renée Rosen's historical fiction novels and appreciate that she focuses on topics outside of World War II. Her latest, Let's Call Her Barbie, will be available in late January 2025 and it is one of her best! I loved this look into the creation of Barbie and all the ups and downs that went along with her becoming the iconic doll she still is today.

Let it be known that this novel is not the same as the Barbie movie, which focused on Barbie herself. This story is the behind the scenes of the making of a legendary doll. Not only did Renée focus on Ruth Handler, but also on others who were responsible for bringing Barbie to life, both real and fictional. I loved that there were multiple perspectives and how they blended together. It was interesting to read the author's note about Renée's research to make this novel what it is. I could easily visualize people and places the entire time I was reading it, making me feel like I was right there in Mattel's office building.

You'll definitely want to add this fascinating piece of historical fiction to your TBR next month! It is perfect for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid. It also made me think of another historical fiction novel I read this past summer, One More Seat at the Round Table, which focuses on all the obstacles that were making it difficult to produce a famous musical in the 1960s. (I compared that novel to Renée Rosen's writing, as well!)

I'm no stranger to the Barbie obsession during my childhood. I wrote about it in a column for Chick Lit Central last year. So I definitely appreciate Renée writing about how Barbie came to be and how challenging it was to make her happen!

(Trigger warnings below.)

Movie casting suggestions:

Ruth: Ginnifer Goodwin

Jack: Taron Egerton

Elliot: Mark Feuerstein

Stevie: Diana Silvers
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TW: Cancer, depression, eating disorders, death of a parental figure (off page)

[Colleen Oakley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a HUGE Renee Rosen fan and this book was everything I wanted it to be and more! So many interesting tidbits on how Barbie came to be, the feminist fight to get her made, how she then became the lightning rod and scapegoat for being anti-feminist (people blaming her instead of the actual patriarchy)—it was so so fascinating, made me think a lot and I really can't recommend it enough. Would be perfect for book clubs—so much to discuss!

[Sherri Thacker · Rating 5 out of 5]

The year was 1959 when the very first Barbie made her debut. Being born in 1963, I’d say I probably got her when I was about 6 years old, maybe? I wish I had my Barbie’s today. I played with them for hours and took them everywhere with me! I really enjoyed this book and found it really fascinating that so much went into this Barbie doll phenomenon.

[Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really found listening to this book written by Renée Rosen to be fascinating. I grew up with Barbie and absolutely loved her. I also liked cutting and dying her hair and making clothes for her. She was just a Fun Doll, just like the Founder, Ruth Handler envisioned. Then as I became older and was also growing up during the Super Model Era, Cosmopolitan Magazine publishing the height and weight of models (scary figures like 5’10” and 115 lbs) and extremely thin Victoria Secret Angels being the Norm, it made me rethink the role models and standards of beauty that were pushed so heavily on young girls and young women. There was very little diversity as well. During college I know eating disorders were rampant and extreme dieting was seen as ok. It made myself and many other women of my generation wonder about Barbie and she was a sticky issue, especially as we began to have girl children. I was so happy my daughter liked playing with toy animals and not dolls. Seriously, it was something Moms talked about a lot.

So, I did enjoy this book. It is great historical fiction, giving hard charging Ruth Handler much more depth and clarity as to why she was the way she was. I liked the other characters woven in, most were real, her husband Elliott, and Jack, who suffered from Bi-Polar Disorder.

Then giving a reason for Barbie’s proportions made sense as the two costume designers were using layers of different fabric and the waist needed to be thinner. It also made me think about how Barbie was about freedom for girls to dream by making her play so many different roles. Her clothes were really glamorous and it is such a big part of pop culture. Many famous designers eventually made designs for Barbie.

So, was Barbie driving a sexist vision or was she a revolutionary new toy that although imperfect in message was offering girls new freedom by making Barbie really stand out on her own? The Ken doll came later and he played a small roll in Barbie Play. Barbie was really always The Star. She evolved as the culture changed and tried to always be relevant. Gave me much to think about and every decision was important as Mattel was a huge business.

The story moved quickly and loved listening to it. Great job by Renée Rosen, who I had not read before. Barbie definitely is Back in a Big Way. This book was said to have been conceptualized before the movie came out, but it worked out perfectly.

[Valleri · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a blast from the past!! I was enthralled as I read Let's Call Her Barbie. I had no idea how much went into designing the doll I loved dearly when I was a child. It was fascinating to read about Ruth Handler and the lengthy battles she waged as she held on to her dream to get Barbie onto store shelves.

I went into the book blindly so I wasn't positive which parts were fiction. As I read the author's notes at the end of the book I was shocked by how much of it was historical, rather than fictional! For example, I was unaware Mattel had been started by the Handlers ... back when Mattel meant picture frames!

Big, BIG thanks to everyone who brought Barbie to fruition. There are not enough words to describe how much I loved my Barbie, Ken, cardboard Dreamhouse, and Austin Healy convertible! Oh. And Ruth was right. My parents spent a fortune on Barbie's fashions for my girl! Learning more about the backstories has been the absolute cherry on top.

HUGE thanks to both #BerkleyPublishingGroup and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Let's Call Her Barbie. And HUGE kudos to the author, #RenéeRosen This book has an expected publication date of Jan 21 2025.

[Hannnah_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ This exceeded my expectations. I was expecting a cute, fun read about Barbie and got so much more. I cried at least twice reading this. I grew up playing with Barbies and have always seen her as an icon (more on this in a second).

This book went over the highs and lows of Barbie and Mattel. Keep in mind, this is a fiction book but Rosen did her research, and it is filled with facts. I learned so much about Barbie, her creators, and Mattel.

I loved reading the notes and comments from the author at the end of the book. She clarified what was fact and what she incorporated for storytelling purposes. The happenings at Mattel in the 50s-70s were truly so wild, it would be easy to think it is completely made up!

Is Barbie an icon? Or is she “a dangerous role model for young girls”? Both. I believe it is entirely dependent on the individual.

I’d highly recommend this for any Barbie lover out there.

[Tracy · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. I quit at about 50% having learned how Barbie came about, where the inspiration came from, how she got her name, how Ken came about, how their clothes came about, who made them, etc. I was very satisfied. Then, the story seemed to become more about the Mattel office extra-marital affairs and characters' sexual preferences. That's where you lost me. I had 21 Barbies as a kid, the 3 story Barbie townhouse and all kinds of accessories. Lots of good memories for me. All the sex crazed weirdos running around ruined it for me. Sorry.

[Katie’s Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️
A story not about Barbie herself, but about Barbie's road from idea to iconic doll, and the woman who took her there. This story starts just after the ideal for an adult doll for children has popped into the mind of Ruth Handler. We see her struggle to convince the rest of the team at Mattel, the struggle to get Barbie perfected. We see her and Jack Ryan work to get Barbie just right, and end up named after the Barbara's in both of their lives.

I really enjoyed this story. I liked how it didn't just stop once Barbie had peaked- it gave the story of how Ruth and her husband Elliott slowly lost control of Mattel and therefore Barbie. It told us the hopes and dreams Ruth had for Barbie and for the real-life Barbara, and how she came to reconcile her role of working mother.

[Holli Cody · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really excited about reading this book but about 40% in the language and story got pretty raunchy. I didn’t need all the details of Jack Ryan’s drunken and drug parties and this story did not need the F-bomb so frequent, especially toward the end. Too bad the author drifted off the main story and characters because it wasn’t necessary.

[Kevin Kritcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came in with lower expectations but this was a really good book. Focuses on much more than Barbie and really is based on Mattel and the inner workings. Appreciated the multiple stories that this allows for. Very much a soap opera

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Told from the viewpoints of the different players involved in bringing Barbie to market, Let’s Call Her Barbie is a fictional account of Mattel as a business with Barbie as its centerpiece and the personal lives of those in her immediate orbit.

Rosen novelizes the lives of the main players: Ruth and Elliot Handler, owners of Mattel, Jack Ryan, the main engineer behind Barbie’s design, and Charlotte Johnson, the fashion designer behind some of Barbie’s most iconic outfits, as well as some of the other players in the Mattel offices and these figures' home lives. Rosen adds an additional fictional character to the plot: Stevie, a fashion designer who works on Barbie’s famous wardrobe and becomes an integral part of Jack’s plot line in the book.

Going in, I knew this was a novel—a work of fiction—but I didn’t realize how much of a piece of fiction I would be reading. The main player with whom I most connected ended up being the one that was entirely conceived by the author’s imagination.

I was originally going to highlight what I thought were interesting factoids about the different models in the Barbie product line, various outfits, the Barbie Dreamhouse, and what happened to Allan, that doll I never realized once existed until the Barbie movie, but after reading the author’s note and interview in the readers guide, I’m not sure which of those things I learned are facts and which are fiction.

While this is an interesting topic, I could tell that a lot of work had gone into researching the subject matter of the novel, and I liked the feminist aspects, ultimately, the storytelling fell flat for me.

Just because it didn’t work as well for me, that doesn’t mean it won’t work for you.

I received an advance copy of the book from Berkley. All review opinions are my own.

[Elizabeth McFarland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my, I don't know where to start with how much this book meant to me. Barbie has always been an important part of my life. Growing up, Barbie was always there for me, and into young adulthood, I became a collector. I knew I needed to read this book the first time I laid eyes on it.

There were times while reading this and learning more about her history that I had actual tears in my eyes imagining a world without Barbie. I enjoyed the detail of her creation, learning of the setbacks, and the triumphs. It was fantastic getting to know the people, especially Ruth Handler, who developed her. This book brought them vividly to life.

I could go on and on about how wonderfully written Let's Call Her Barbie was and how deeply it made me feel. So I'll just say that this book is a love letter to every little girl that ever played with Barbie and dreamed. Thank you to Renée Rosen for writing this beautiful tribute!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like most girls when I was growing up, I owned a Barbie doll but after a short time I moved onto other activities. But this Barbie book is everything I want in an historical fiction, interesting characters/real people, fascinating problems and resolutions, well structured prose that keeps the pages turning, and lots of interesting facts that I never knew.

Embrace the pink and join Barbie's world...if only for a moment, you will not be disappointed.