Let's Call Her Barbie was an interesting read, but I felt a bit of a disconnect. As someone who grew up loving Barbies, I was super excited to dive into this book, but the fact that it was fiction instead of narrative non-fiction threw me off. I kept wondering why it wasn’t written as a more factual account, because the story of Barbie’s creation—and Ruth Handler’s role in it—seemed perfect for a non-fiction narrative.

While I enjoyed the nostalgic references to Barbie’s fashions and the behind-the-scenes look at Mattel, I didn’t feel an emotional connection with the characters. I really wanted to feel more of the weight of Ruth's challenges and triumphs, but the characters stayed flat for me, which was a little disappointing. That being said, it was still a cute read and worth it for fans of Barbie who are curious about her origins.

Overall, it was a light, fun read, but I was left wishing for more depth and a bit more heart. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it had been a deeper dive into the real history.

Renee Rosen's "Let's Call Her Barbie" offers a very readable exploration of the iconic doll's creation and the extraordinary woman behind it, Ruth Handler. I was one of the first generation of little girls that wanted and played with the original Barbie. That period of time came and went quickly in my life, and I moved on. I related to many of the female characters, especially Stevie. Who was young and just beginning to question many of the cultural norms of that time.
Strengths:
Engaging Character Development: Rosen's portrayal of Ruth Handler is particularly impressive. She captures Handler's fierce determination, entrepreneurial spirit, and unwavering belief in her vision. The supporting characters, such as the doll's designers and engineers, are also well-developed, adding depth to the story.
Historical Context: The novel effectively weaves in the social and cultural climate of the mid-20th century, providing a rich backdrop for Barbie's introduction and subsequent evolution. Rosen skillfully explores the changing roles of women and the impact of consumer culture on society.
Fast-paced Narrative: The story moves at a brisk pace, keeping readers engaged from beginning to end. The plot is filled with intriguing twists and turns, making it difficult to put the book down.
Weaknesses:
Some Historical Inaccuracies: While Rosen conducted extensive research, the author explains from the very beginning that this book is a work of fiction. It will not only contain fictional characters but also timelines and other important events have been changed. It is important for readers to be aware of these discrepancies and to consult additional sources for a more comprehensive understanding of Barbie's history.
Overall, "Let's Call Her Barbie" is a well-crafted novel that offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of toy manufacturing and the life of a pioneering businesswoman. While it may not delve as deeply into certain aspects of Barbie's cultural significance as some readers might desire, it is a compelling read that will appeal to fans of historical fiction and biographical dramas. This book will be great for book club discussions!
Michele Roberts
Written with the help of AI

I have to say, I was initially drawn to this book after watching the Barbie movie. The cover really drew me in. But what made me love the book was Rosen's writing. Rosen was so articulate with the history of Barbie, and I felt that I was introduced to a side of Barbie that I'd never seen or heard of before. This book was absolutely phenomenal.

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

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.

3.5 Stars

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 at a strong woman 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

This book combined two of my favorite subjects: Barbie and business. I adored it! Fans of Barbie will enjoy this origin story, and entrepreneurs will appreciate that the path for such a successful business was marked by challenge after challenge (after challenge).

As a long-time Barbie fan, I particularly loved the references to the fashions (Commuter Set!, Solo in the Spotlight!, and that iconic black and white chevron bathing suit!) and the specific dolls (Twist 'N Turn, Malibu Barbie). I chuckled at the fly-by nod to the Ken Doll that came with facial hair (I had him at one point), and I laughed aloud at Ruth Handler's response to Growing Up Skipper.

Fans of historical fiction will enjoy this look at a strong woman who helmed the Mattel juggernaut and the conflict between what Barbie was intended to be and what she became through the lens of the women's rights movement.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for providing an ARC.

This was such an interesting read! I have never lived in a world where Barbie didn’t exist so it was so fun to learn about her inception and all the drama and complications. The writing was very matter of fact and as a result I didn’t feel much connection to the characters so occasionally it felt like reading nonfiction.

Overall, a fun read that I’d recommend to Barbie fans or anyone curious about her story!

DNF @ 20%. It wasn’t bad, per se, but it wasn’t great. I liked getting to see the behind the scenes of the creation of Barbie but I spent 80 pages of a book with these characters…and I just don’t care about them at all. I dunno, I’m just bored.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I thought it started off a little slow, but I was soon gripped by the story. Highly recommended for fiction readers and Barbie aficionados.

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.

This was such a rollercoaster!! I laughed, I cried a little, I loved Ruth, I hated Ruth, I admired Barbie, I forgot she’s a doll, and I got totally wrapped up in this story for days. Would definitely recommend — I think this was a wonderful and enchanting work of biographical fiction!

I really adore ensemble cast books. I love all of the different characters and relationships, and I think Rosen crushed that aspect. I loved seeing how every newcomer changed the dynamic of the Barbie team. I thought the character arcs were done really well; personalities grew and shifted over the three decades of the story, while the characters never did anything that seemed out of character.

It’s tough for me to pick a favorite character and relationship since there are so many! I think my favorite was the mother/daughter relationships - seeing Ruth and her mom and sister and her daughter Barbara, and then Barbara and her children. Ruth never expected Barbara to hate Barbie so much, but she didn’t know what to do with that. She didn’t really know how to be a mom. It was a tough and nuanced situation, and I think Rosen wrote it with grace and love and realness.

I can’t wait for Let’s Call Her Barbie to hit the shelves next year. I am so excited to help promote it, and I’m honored to be one of its first readers!!

I was lucky enough to read an early, early copy of this one and lets just say that Rosen does a knockout job bringing the Handlers and other employees to life. The relationships between the characters were well crafted and she totally brought them to life. Ruth's relationship with both her daughter and son was quite telling. I learned so much from reading this book. I'm ready for the Toys and Games category on Jeopardy now!!
I'm excited for the world to read this one!

When I saw that Renee Rosen, a favorite author of mine, was writing a book about my favorite toy when growing up I was so excited and couldn’t wait to read it. I grew up in the era of the first Barbies and loved all the descriptions of the doll and her wardrobe. Ruth Handler was unknown to me and I was fascinated by all the stories as well as her struggles as a woman making her mark in a man’s world. The obstacles she faced trying to see her vision through to the end and actually getting the doll made as well as accepted captivated my interest from the beginning. The history of the time periods with actual people and incidents which makes a well rounded story. The drama of the corporate world, the rise and fall of a mega corporation, the interpersonal relationships make the story come alive. While reading this book I was reliving some of my childhood memories. Well written and highly recommended!
Thank you to Berkeley Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced eGalley of this book.
#Let’sCallHerBarbie #ReneeRosen #NetGalley

I think this would be better suited to nonfiction, because I just could not get behind the narrative voice of this one. I think I'll try it again another time, but for now it's a DNF.