Let’s Call Her Barbie by Renee Rosen

Berkley (January 21, 2025)

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.

REVIEW

A fictional retelling about the creators of the Barbie doll and the behind the scene drama

I loved Barbie and had a ton of them as a child. I then became a collector. I’ve been waiting for the chance to sit down and read Let’s Call Her Barbie. I really didn’t know the history of Barbie. I remember the controversary of Growing up Skipper (and yes I did have one but thought it was ridiculous). I never knew that Ruth was pretty much kicked out of Mattel or all the other problems (either in creating the Barbie or the years following). All I knew was that I loved my dolls, Barbie camper, Airplane, sailboat, and all the wonderful clothes and shoes. (I did not have the Barbie house but oh how I wanted it). The beginning was a bit slow for me and honestly almost DNF it but I really wanted to know the story. Glad I stuck with it because it did get more interesting and I enjoyed it. Well researched novel with detailed information on how Barbie was developed as well as the inside workings of the Mattel company.  The (co) creator of Barbie, Ruth Handler has a very interesting story. She was a risk taker and refused to let anything or anyone get in her way. She overcame many obstacles and became very successful at both of her companies; first at Mattel then at Ruthton Corp., where she co-created Nearly Me, a line of high-quality, realistic silicone breast prosthetics.

Reviewed by Comfy Chair Books/Lisa Reigel (March 27, 2026)

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