This book was not what I was expecting. I loved American Girl growing up and was excited to reminisce about that time in my life. I saved my money for years to be able to buy myself an Addy doll. However, I felt like the authors focused too much on themselves and their feelings about American Girl. I feel bad saying this, but I didn’t really care about their personal feelings on the topic. I’m sure the authors are lovely people, but I didn’t read this book to learn how they became friends, etc. This could also be my fault as I had never heard of their podcast prior to listening to this book. The parts about American Girl were really interesting, but overall this book just wasn’t for me.

This book felt very reminiscent of being young and playing with my American Girl Doll. Mary Mahoney and Allison Horrocks wrote a great book about the history of American Girls and also their experiences with the dolls as well as some listener write ins.
The book went into the standard 6 “historical” dolls as well as the general history of the founder of American Girl. I remember the first time I got my American Girl doll catalog and going through it. It was fun to think back to those times with Mary and Allison.
Thank you NetGallery and Bookouture for letting me read this book.

Much like the podcast they co-host, real life friends and historians Mary Mahoney's and Alison Horrocks' Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl the book is an entertaining journey blending history, pop culture, fandom, and self discovery. It reads (or one can listen) like a slightly scripted, focused greatest hits for the show.

Narrated by the authors, the audiobook (and print book) documents the creation, development, and success of the American Girl Dolls. They were initially available only by mail order from the Pleasant Company. What was unique about the dolls, were that each of them was released with an accompanying six book series with the goal of teaching their readers about aspects of American history. Alongside this company history, Mahoney & Horrocks share their own experiences with the brand and responses or messages from the community of listeners to the podcast. While nostalgia is a part of the narrative, both Mahoney & Horrocks were inspired to pursue their careers due to their experiences with American Girl. They have a very healthy view of the past, talking about how it helped them to grow as people while also being highly critical of the content, presentation and barriers of access.

For the podcast, Mahoney & Horrocks took a deep dive into each book, moving chronologically through the character arcs, beginning with Felicity Merriman and Revolutionary War proto-America. Mahoney & Horrocks look at a lot of different aspects, the material culture of the character's lives, the character's place in the social hierarchy or level of privilege, contextualizing the stories into the larger events of that historical time period, and how the 1980s and 90s very much shaped the way the books were written and presented. For example, every American Girl book series features one about the main character's birthday.

Mahoney & Horrocks are wonderfully engaging, trading of the narration in the audiobook. While the main goal is to both entertain and inform, there are also sections of deep emotion, especially when the authors consider who made their American Girl memories possible (parents & grand parents) and the finding of friendships thanks to their exploration of the fandom.

An insightful, honset exploration of the impact of one company on the 90s that is both humorous and honest. For fans of history, popular culture or cultures of fandom or the podcast.

Holy nostalgia! Many of my fellow millennials will know the grip American Girl dolls had on us, from the characters to the build-your-own dolls, the status symbols they became, and the cultural ties/history stories we grew to love. I remember begging my mom for a doll, sorting through the catalog and circling my favorites, but alas, those Molly and Kit dolls never arrived. Guessing like my family, for many, these dolls were too expensive and the stories accompanying character dolls were much more available. This book explores the generational significance, as well as the historical accuracy of some to the stories, how 90s nostalgia has brought the obsession with the dolls back into the light, and the other pop culture highlights many will be quick to remember, i.e. the good like Skip-Its, the bad like Furbies, and one many can related to: Beanie Babies and whether or not you held into your Princess Diana bear as a retirement plan…(oops, as I think of that exact Beanie Baby in my closet). This is an insightful and fun novel based on the podcast of the same name by hosts Mary Mahoney and Allison Horrocks.
Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This comes out 11/1!

I enjoyed the nostalgia of this audiobook, especially the history of the doll creators and product concept, but there were times when it felt too much like their podcast and also repetitive info.

I loved Mary and Allison's thoughtful analysis of the books, dolls, and brand I grew up loving. There was the right balance of wistful nostalgia mixed with the important discussions of aspects of the stories and overall brand that were a product of their time, but a bit problematic. I will definitely be checking out their podcast soon!

This audiobook was such a fascinating and fun listen! Written and narrated by the creators of the Dolls of our Lives podcast it is a deep dive into the history of the American Girl brand, an exploration of the authors’ fandom, and a reflection of the strengths and pitfalls.

I have so much nostalgia for American Girl. The books were all-time favorites of my childhood, my Josefina doll was one of my most played with and beloved toys that I enjoyed on my own and with friends (and which my own kids now play with), I checked out the play kits from the library to perform the stories with family and friends, I pored over the catalog for hours, and I eagerly awaited each issue of the American Girl magazine.

Listening to this audiobook brought back so many wonderful memories as well as the chance to view the stories with a wider lens and recognize some of the shortcomings. The authors of this book are also huge fans and their passion combined with their adult role as historians made for so many fascinating and nuanced reflections. I am always one to eat up behind the scenes insights and this book had a lot of history of the origins and progression of the company that was very interesting to learn.

The audiobook feels like an extended podcast episode with a fun, conversational tone that made me want to keep listening. I have been meaning to check out their podcast for a while, but never have, so I can’t speak to how much overlap there is. But you can definitely jump into this book without any prior listening. There are a lot of pop culture references that are fun if you get them but might be confusing if you’re not super familiar with popular media or 90s culture.

Dolls of Our Lives feels like a stroll down memory lane, tapping deep into the nostalgia of the early days of the Pleasant Valley Company and the American Girl dolls and books. Readers get the company's history, fan stories, and oodles of pop culture references. As an elder millennial, it felt like reminiscing with two friends.

I don't think I am the target audience for this book as I am the mother of a daughter who read these books, had the American Dolls, and loved all things American Girl; including going to the American Girl store.

The book was well-researched having talked to Pleasant Rowland, creator of the American Dolls and books company, Pleasant Company, taken a trip to Old Williamsburg that inspired the creator, and covered every aspect of the dolls, books, magazines, and every part of this beloved doll company.

For me, it felt like a "woke" analysis of the books not having "properly" covered the correct history and include enough to cover all aspects of the doll world to match all aspects of our country today. Trying to force today's political beliefs on what was once dolls created to give girls a look into American history for ages 5-9, just seems to take away from the original intent. I quickly grew weary of the comparison's to 1990's music, TV, movies, and Monica Lewinsky. To me, it felt like they were pushing their Democrat Socialist (as they declared themselves in the book) agenda as activists trying to influence young girls today. I did not feel the warm fuzzies I had hoped for reading this book.

I enjoyed hearing this book, as I also read along, being narrated by the authors.

My thanks to Net Galley, Feiwel & Friends, and Macmillian Audio for an advanced copy of this e-book and audiobook, narrated by the authors.

If you’re around my age and grew up with American Girl books/products, you’ll enjoy this particular deep dive. They mention so many specific details that about knocked me out with nostalgia. It’s a good way to revisit something from childhood with a critical lens to recognize its faults while still celebrating all the good that came from this line.

I was 100% an American Girl doll girlie as a kid. I memorized the catalog, obsessively re-read the books & dreamed of the day I could get my own doll (Kirsten, obviously because she was blonde, from Minnesota s& practically had my name). So it’s obvious that I loved this book. But it’s not for everyone. This is only for those diehards AG fans who want to know about the creator & discuss exactly why each girl had to save the day in their book 5.

For many millennials across the US, our childhood is filled with nostalgia for all things American Girl. Mary Mahoney and Allison Horrocks delve into the history of American Girl dolls and the Pleasant Company (now part of Mattel) and how the launch of the historical dolls and their stories have impacted so many and how the brand continues to do for children (and adults) ever since. This was a wonderful walk down nostalgia lane, reminding me of my own girlhood in the 90s, but also how the brand has grown and changed over the years to embrace and be even more representative of children of all genders, races, and ethnic backgrounds.

I was not aware of the podcast that the authors host prior to reading this book, but thanks to it they've gained at least one new listener.

Thank you to Mary Mahoney, Allison Horrocks, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for an advanced listening copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so much fun. This book is a mix of the history behind the American Girl Dolls and cultural explorations behind our love for these overpriced dolls. The book is written by two podcast hosts, and the audiobook reads as such. I would highly recommend reading this in audio, as it feels like that is how the book was written to be consumed!

This book is so full of nostalgia, that it literally made me want to reread the entirety of the original books (so... 36 children's books). This book explores the many problematic areas of the dolls' stories, and explores what these problematic things say about who we were in the 90s, as opposed to today.

And yes, The Care and Keeping of You makes an appearance.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so fun! It held true to the nostalgia of the toy while also holding a critical lens to the pedagogy of the American girl doll brand.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I saw the cover of this book and knew I needed to read it. When I was younger, I devoured all of the American Books that I was able too. I also got the catalogs and poured over them for hours dreaming about what American Girl Doll I would get and what accessories that I would get for them when I picked out my doll. I was never able to get one, but always enjoyed dreaming about it.

When I saw this book with the Molly doll on the cover I was very excited. I had no idea that these ladies had an American Girl podcast (I would have been listening to it long ago) but this book was fantastic. Their love of American Girl and letting us in on the history of the Pleasent Company. It was so fun to reminisce listening to this book. This was definitely an awesome trip down memory lane.

Now off to revisit the American Girl books again!

The amount of nostalgia this just gave me is insane. As a millennial that grew up in the height of these dolls' popularity, especially the Original Six, my favorite was always Samantha. We have almost nothing in common. She's white, orphaned, and very much upper middle class. I always thought it was strange she called her grandma Grandmary, but have since heard other odd names that white people call their grandparents. I don't get it.

The stories behind the dolls are often problematic, especially looking back. Felicity wants to free her horse, but not slaves. We pride Kirsten on being an immigrant, and probably have a lot more sympathy for her than Josefina. I was going to say racism aside, but racism isn't an aside. It's the main topic. If you allow me to segue, this is why white Americans will feel sympathy for Ukraine, but not Palestine.

I wasn't allowed a doll growing up, but I owned nearly all of the books for the Original Six. I always wondered by, until one of my siblings told me our mom didn't buy them for us, because the company behind American Girl donated to a pro-abortion group. My parents have very different politics than me and my siblings. It's a topic of contention between us.

But more than all of that, these dolls, and stories, really got us to think. Sure, there were things they could've done better, but during a time when Barbies were all the rage, it was nice to have something realistic to look at that wasn't obsessed with men.

I’ve never listened to their podcast, but I feel like now I have to binge it. This book is an interesting, well-researched, historical, and informative piece of pop culture nostalgia. I loved every second of it.
I vividly remember getting my American Girl doll from my grandparents for Christmas. My grandma, who passed away last November, had Felicity and I wanted a doll to be just like her. This book brought all those precious memories back to the surface- what a special time to have grown up.
I really liked the queer aspects and the way they address American Girls missteps as well. It’s not a perfect company, but it was pivotal and this is definitely a book I’d recommend to any AG fans or anyone in need of a 90’s/early 00’s nostalgic read. I’ll definitely be recommending this for lots of Christmas gift ideas.
Obvs; these ladies have a podcast, so they know how to speak and they narrated excellently.

Deeply nostalgic, Mahoney and Horrocks chat all things AG, life in the 90s, and friendship, while providing a thoughtful critique on the brand - selective history, lack of representation, financially inaccessible - and its efforts to evolve. Dolls of Our Lives is a joyous celebration of childhood and girlhood and reflection on how moments of imagination and play in childhood have shaped who we are as adults. Mahoney and Harrocks speak to how the brand taught us about friendship, to dive further into history, to cultivate empathy, that children could make noteworthy impacts in their communities, while expanding our imaginations and encouraging us that bravery comes in all shape and sizes.

I’ll never forget the Christmas morning when I was gifted my American Girl doll - the American Girl of Today in the Red Vinyl Jumper Outfit. AG, the dolls and books, is where my love of history and research originated. These younger years of gobbling up books about girls my age in the past, ignited a spark and desire to get involved in social issues and led to adult me to getting a degrees in history political science. I remember getting together with friends and their dolls to chat about the books, go on adventures in our backyards and neighborhoods, and sew new fashions for our dolls.

I loved the book in its entirety, but my favorite sections were those on the brand’s development and the thoughtful critiques from Mahoney and Horrocks on how Pleasant’s vision for the brand, as well as the curation of history for each doll, preserved a limited view of history and was exclusionary and harmful in its attempts to make more inclusive and diverse characters. The brand’s drive to instill and preserve American patriotism ultimately led to presenting a whitewashed version of history and creating a selective historical fantasy. While the creation of these dolls and their stories are not at their roots bad, the focus on this selective fantasy and storytelling that comforts a white audience is flawed. I very much appreciated how Mahoney and Horrocks didn’t gloss over this and even provided moments for reflection and calls to action near the end of the book.

From beginning to end, this deep dive on all things American Girl and the children, now adults, who loved and were shaped by these stories of bravery, friendship, and kindness, was absolutely brilliant and such a delight to read. If you had an American Girl doll, read The Care and Keeping of You, wore butterfly clips in your hair, died of dysentery while playing the Oregon Trail, remember Blockbuster or LimeWire, or believed your beanie baby collection would yield millions, this book is for YOU.

This audiobook is not what I was expecting from the blurb. The authors do talk about how the beloved American Girl Dolls came to existence, the followers who adopted and loved these dolls, and their huge impact on American girls. I truly enjoyed that part, but I was hoping that there would be more of it. I recently read a similar book about Barbie, and I was expecting the same here. This doesn’t mean that this is not an enjoyable read, the authors Allison Horrocks and Mary Mahoney narrate the audiobook themselves, and they have pleasant, friendly voices. There are also parts with testimonials from real girls – women now - touched by the dolls, and their experiences with them. My problem is that I’m the wrong reader. I’d never listened to the podcast, so I wasn’t expecting part of the content. In short, instead of exploring many of the dolls, the authors focus on just a few of them (granted, probably the most iconic and the ones that mean the most to them), but the rest is devoted to exploring all the ways that the brand failed to be woke back in the day and all the issues that they consider “problematic” with American Girl. Their love for the dolls is evident, but it seems like they’re trying to change something that this Gen-Xer considers perfect. Younger readers will enjoy it more.
I chose to listen to this audiobook and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Macmillan Audio.

A fun and nostalgic look back at American girl from two historians.
Some parts were a little repetitive and I think they could have done a deeper dive, but it was still a fun listen. American girl and its books were a big part of growing up in the 90s and 2000s and examining their history and impact on girls’ lives and changing culture seems the perfect subject now that fans are all grown up.
Overall, it was like listening to two older sisters share their hilarious takes on the series and I will definitely check out the podcast!

The only negative was that the narration seemed super slow to me.