Barbie is having a moment! While I was never a Barbie girl myself, I heard an author interview on the Thoughts From a Page podcast and I knew I wanted to learn more about Barbie's backstory. I'm always intrigued with that side of how small ideas become big ideas - especially ones that change the world! I don't have a business brain and I'm not a marketing guru, but somehow stories like this always catch my attention.

The actual development of Barbie was fascinating to me and Rosen gives us all the details. Barbie is 1/6 the size of a regular human, but creating clothes that would fit her properly and still show off that figure proved to be challenging. The right plastic that the doll was made out of caused a lot of trouble, and even Barbie's hands had to be shaped just right so the clothes would go on and off. While Barbie's figure caused quite a lot of controversy, it was never about her looks that motivated her creator (Ruth Handler), it was giving girls a way to imagine a future for themselves. This was the 1950s, so girls were basically aspiring to be stay-at-home moms, but Ruth wanted them to know they could be anything they set their minds to! It's actually quite inspiring, despite the outrage from the women's movements.

Unfortunately, as seems to be the case with all things related to Barbie, there are several men involved that just can't help but to steal the show. Jack, another co-creator of Barbie, was a wild card. What started off as a great relationship, eventually turned into a lot of trouble. In interviews, Jack would claim the credit for Barbie and erase the work that Ruth put in. It was disheartening how the success of Barbie became overshadowed by Jack's desire for attention.

But true to her true nature, Ruth rose above the scandal and drama that engulfed Mattel and started another successful company creating prosthetic breasts for breast cancer survivors. Barbie and Ruth were incredible women who changed the world when men dominated and I'm really glad this book was brought to my attention.

This fictionalized history of the Barbie doll was fantastic! It’s the story of Ruth Handler and her famous creation – the Barbie doll! Showcase everything from conception to success to near failure, Rosen deftly weaves the doll’s history together with those on the team working on the doll.

Trigger Warnings
Eating Disorder, Cancer

Why Kirsten loves it
I’ve read quite a few histories of the Barbie, but the fictionalized version gets at the emotions behind the creation, the various struggles, and the effects the doll had on Ruth and Jack’s home lives.

I was sucked into the narrative and found myself flying through the 400+ pages in a matter of days. The book is a triumph of historical fiction!

I’m not a huge historical fiction reader, but every once in a while there’s one book that catches my eye and this is my latest!

I’ve long been obsessed with Barbie, from having an extensive collection as a kid to the recent Barbie movie. While Rosen makes it clear in her author’s note that this book was in the works before the movie, I do hope that momentum helps to get this book in people’s arms because it is excellent!

I loved Rosen’s take on Handler and Mattel’s lives. From the real people who had a part along the way to the fiction additions from Rosen that helped round out viewpoints from a historical mood sense.

I’ve definitely got a renewed interest in digging into Mattel’s history after reading this book and Rosen has gone the extra mile by leaving a list of resources at the end of her story for readers in the same boat!

As a lifelong fan of Barbie, Let’s Call Her Barbie was a must-read for me. The book offers a fascinating look at the history of Mattel and the iconic doll, revealing many details I didn’t know before. Though it’s a fictionalized account of a true story, I was still amazed by the surprising facts it uncovered. In fact, I found myself taking longer to read than I expected, as I kept pausing to look up additional information that the book inspired.

The story of Ruth Handler, Jack Ryan, and the creation of Barbie is engaging and well-paced. The author does an excellent job of keeping the narrative captivating, alternating between perspectives and keeping chapters short. It kept me hooked from start to finish.

I highly recommend this to both Barbie fans and historical fiction enthusiasts alike.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I've read several of Renee Rosen's previous books and always like the way she chooses a woman in history and builds a compelling story around the experienced events. Let's Call Her Barbie leans a bit more heavily on the history and less on the fiction, but it works well. Ruth Handler's life and the development of Barbie is an excellent vehicle and I especially appreciated the way Rosen developed life at Mattel and the challenges of the time for women. This is a great read for both nostalgic Barbie lovers (I was born the same year she was, so I definitely feel a sense of connection!) or anyone who wants to be immersed in the misogynistic challenges of the 1950s and how one woman succeeded in spite of the challenges.

I loved this book!! It was a fast-paced, informative, yet compelling fictionalized account of how Ruth Handler, along with her team of engineers and designers at Mattel, developed the doll that has since become a world-wide cultural icon and empowered generations of young women to imagine a world of limitless possibilities.

Each character brought their own personality and flaws. I empathized with all their trials and tribulations.

I would recommend this book anyone who is a fan of Barbie or is fascinated with the creative process of developing a toy such as this.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This story is the fictionalized version of Ruth Handler’s determination to create a doll for young girls to encourage them to have careers. The doll certainly became a larger-than-life success. Before long, her team created a wardrobe and friends for Barbie. It helped to make her, and her husband’s, small toy company, Mattel, richer than they ever thought possible.

While this book is based on actual events and history, there is also some fiction combined. Most of the characters are real historical figures, but there are a couple of fictional ones as well.

I found the book to be a fascinating look at the doll and toy industry, but it’s told in a way that doesn’t get bogged down in details. It’s not a documentary. The author paints a vivid picture of the time era from the 1950’s through the 1970’s. She brings you through it all.

This book isn’t just about making a doll. There are also human emotions involved. It’s the story of betrayal, hardships, disappointments, addiction and emotional heartbreak. The story has it all. I was totally engrossed in everything about this book.

I’ve read other books by Renee Rosen and she is so talented in combining history with fiction. No one does it better. She has quickly become a favorite of mine.








FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

LET’S CALL HER BARBIE by Renee Rosen is a historical and somewhat fictionalized account surrounding Ruth and Elliott Handler, the creators of Mattel’s Barbie Doll.

NOTE: The novel is in no way connected to the Barbie movie. Renee Rosen began her research and writing years before the movie went into development.

Told from several third person perspectives LET’S CALL HER BARBIE follows the rise and fall of Mattel and the Barbie doll; the inspiration behind the iconic, fashionable and oft-times feminist yet unrealistic plastic toy who in reality could not exist.

Renee Rosen takes the reader behind the scenes in the making and development of the Barbie doll-a novel written with creative license and professional interpretation as both real and imagined people bring Ruth Handler’s vision to life. We are up close and personal as Ruth struggles in both her personal and professional life, working in a misogynistic industry ruled and controlled by men, and at her lowest, must hide the fact that her own femininity is threatened by the Big C.

LET’S CALL HER BARBIE follows several pathways to success and failure; focuses on the power and control, the secrets and lies, and the ultimate betrayal by the people at the top. A novel of historical fiction blended with fact, LET’S CALL HER BARBIE is an entertaining, intriguing and edgy tale of success that ultimately falls to corporate greed.



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3.5

How did a doll with a wardrobe bigger than my house become an icon?
Ambition, heartbreak, and a whole lot of stress. Oh, and outfits so tiny they’d make a fashion intern cry.

I was beyond excited to get an ARC of this book! Rosen has a knack for spotlighting strong, complicated women, and Ruth Handler—Barbie’s fearless (and occasionally reckless) “mother”—is no exception.

Ruth is a hurricane in heels, dragging her big idea kicking and screaming into existence while her team of dreamers, misfits, and overworked engineers tries to keep the dream alive. She believed in Barbie when no one else did, and the book doesn’t shy away from showing the blood, sweat, and mental breakdowns it took to turn a risky concept into an icon.

One thing I really appreciated was the book’s unflinching look at mental health struggles, from bipolar depression to substance abuse. Turns out, the quest for greatness doesn’t come cheap—relationships, sanity, and stability all get stuffed into the backseat of Barbie’s Corvette.

Now to the not so great; the pacing leaves a lot to be desired. The endless prototype struggles felt longer than trying to untangle Barbie’s hair, while her meteoric rise is barely explored. And where’s pregnant Midge? A missed opportunity! Some of the side characters also feel a little too one-dimensional—Ruth’s team sometimes reads more like accessories than fully realized people. Barbie herself has more depth, and she’s literally made of plastic.

Final Grade: B, lets all stop walking on tiptoes and just enjoy the color pink

*Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for my always honest reviews*

this one should get some hype. Here I am hyping! Let’s Call Her Barbie by bestselling author Reneé Rosen about the making of the bestselling doll in the world, Barbie.
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Did you play with Barbie? I definitely lived in a Barbie world, I had so many and played with them all the time. Although fictionalized, this story of Ruth Handler, her company, Mattel, and the doll she brought to all of us was eye opening to what all went into the birth of this iconic 11 1/2 inch doll.
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Ruth was a force to be reckoned with at a time when women couldn’t get a loan or even a checking account in their own name yet she was part owner of a successful company. I loved how the author was sure to include the mind set of society at the time Ruth fought to get Barbie made. Men thought Barbie was a hooker, mom’s thought she was obscene- she had breasts. But, just like me, little girls loved her and really loved her wardrobe!
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One of my favorite things about my Barbie’s was what she got to wear and I had cases full of her clothes. I was so glad the designers of those clothes played such a prominent roll in the book.
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This was entertaining and well researched. Be sure to read the author’s note at the end. I am so glad that @BerkleyPub gave me an advanced copy to read and review. That way I can be one of the first to tell you all to grab this book! You will love it if you like strong women, behind the scene looks, company hyjinxs, and, of course, if you love Barbie!
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I also learned the reasoning behind Barbie’s unrealistic proportions!! Yay!

I don't read a lot of historical fiction, but I will always make room for Renee Rosen. (and of course Barbie). Even if you're not a Barbie fan, this book is so fascinating and informative, more about the legacy of Barbie than Barbie herself. I had no idea the struggle that was the process to bring Barbie, her friends, and all her accessories to children all over the world, and, in traditional Renee Rosen style, Let's Call Her Barbie is fascinating.

After an overseas vacation in 1956, Ruth Handler returns to her burgeoning toy company with a new idea; a new doll for children that isn't a baby doll, but is an adult woman.  Ruth's team isn't exactly on board with the idea, but she persists, wanting to give young girls a play option other than pretending to be a mother.  Ruth's team of engineers including head engineer, Jack Ryan, get started on the multitude of problems that need be solved in building the doll including types of plastic, hair placement and proportions.  Ruth then sets out to find someone who can design fashion forward clothes for the doll.  Ruth finds Charlotte Johnson and Stevie Klein who set out on dealing with issues of fabric thickness, patterns, closures and proportions for the doll. As things progress with the doll, Ruth still has the matter of the name.  Finally deciding on Barbie, after Ruth's daughter and Jack's wife, Barbie debuts at the Toy Fair to lackluster reactions. However, once Barbie hits the toy shelves, she is a sensation.  Now, Ruth must deal with a rapidly growing business, new staff members, growing tensions within her team and fallout from financial woes.

Let's Call Her Barbie is a fictionalized, behind the scenes look at the business, design and engineering of the Barbie Doll. Focused mostly on Ruth Handler, the story also incorporated the points of view of Ruth's husband, Elliot, their lead engineer, Jack Ryan, Barbie's clothing designer, Charlotte Johnson and fictional clothing designer, Stevie Klein. I was intrigued by Ruth and her fiery attitude, determined to lead, push boundaries, forge a new path for women and girls and not back down when things were difficult. Going into Ruth's childhood, I felt a connection to Ruth's feelings of needing to be useful or productive to be loved and how that translated into her business savvy. Ruth's role as a mother was also surprising, feeling ineffective at home and impactful in the workplace.  Jack Ryan is an enigmatic character, boundless intelligence paired with magnetic charisma and an addictive personality making him a womanizer, alcoholic and drug user.  It also caused tension between himself and Ruth as he claimed to be the sole inventor of Barbie, leading to a series of downfalls for Jack, Ruth and Mattel.  The business side of Mattel was intriguing dealing with patents, acquisitions, board members and intra-staff relationships.  Let's Call Her Barbie brings together the human and business elements of a doll that revolutionized the way we play. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

4.75/5 Stars. Although the recent film about Barbie brought this iconic doll back into the public eye, I am one of those people old enough to have had a couple Barbie dolls as a child, and that was when they were newly on the market. We had two – one with dark hair for my sister, and one with blonde hair for me. But my sister hated the doll (so much so that she bit off the nose of the dark-haired one), and although we had a miniature steamer trunk full of their clothes, I don’t remember playing with them very much. I do, however, recall seeing the clothes in the stores, and admiring them very much. In Rosen’s new book, she not only looks at the development of the doll itself, but also the way that they designed all those very impressive looking outfits, not to mention the marketing and promotions. More importantly, she looks at the people involved in turning the idea of Barbie into a world-wide phenomenon.

As Rosen says in her notes, this isn’t really the story of just Ruth Handler, but also of Jack Ryan, and in addition, the fictional dress designer Stevie, along with a cast of minor characters including Ruth’s husband and partner, Elliot. Rosen shifts the narrative between these three while also looking at their relationships, both with each other as colleagues, as well as in their personal lives. In addition, we also see how they worked within the company, and how they built it through all the thick and thin that businesses can encounter. The way Rosen shows how each of them dealt with their successes and their failures was fascinating, especially when it came to the latter. For example, while I knew about the copyright infringement troubles with the German dollmaker who was the inspiration for Barbie, I didn’t know about some of the financial problems they went through that almost broke them. In addition, I think I knew about Ruth’s breast cancer, but I had no idea that her experience inspired her to start a whole new manufacturing venture when she should have been retiring altogether.

Interestingly enough, I had no idea about how very precise and intricate it was to make Barbie in all her iterations. Especially when it came to the clothes that they made for her. That’s one memory that comes back to me often – looking at the incredible wardrobe available for these dolls. Obviously, that’s where the big money for the company came from. Without a slew of outfits to fit a queen or A-lister movie star, you’d have nothing. Furthermore, I also recall the professional outfits that they gave Barbie, which I now see were pretty revolutionary when introduced. I guess the women’s lib movement that hated Barbie with a vengeance didn’t bother to see that these clothes could inspire young girls to be more than just wives and mothers. So, their attacks on Barbie weren’t fully thought out or researched, if you ask me. Still, I know my sister despised her Barbie, and I’m guessing she would have fallen into the haters corner on this one. (I was between okay and indifferent to Barbie, partly because I just HATE the color pink!)

I should mention that there’s a whole lot of name-dropping in this book, mostly because of the stars that Jack Ryan entertained. Thankfully, Rosen kept these limited enough so that I didn’t feel like I was constantly reading a who’s who of Hollywood from the 60s and 70s. So, kudos to Rosen for that. Overall, this was a very interesting, fast paced, and informative novel, with characters both real and fictional, with whom we could easily empathize, due to Rosen’s careful portrayals. I’m therefore very warmly recommending this novel and award it 4.75 stars out of five!

"𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴."

𝗟𝗘𝗧'𝗦 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗕𝗔𝗥𝗕𝗜𝗘 is a fascinating look at how the iconic doll came to be.

Ruth Handler, the co-founder of Mattel who came up with Barbie, was truly a trailblazer who wanted to show women they could be more than housewives and mothers. Renee Rosen's research into Barbie's history is extensive, and she doesn't shy away from showing the good and the bad about Ruth's choices and those of the people around her. There's debauchery and corporate intrigue galore, and I was all the way here for it.

I could see this as a TV series - it's got a 𝘔𝘢𝘥 𝘔𝘦𝘯-esque vibe and I loved the exploration of feminism - is Barbie as symbol of what what women should aspire to be or everything women should be fighting against?

Thanks to Berkley Publishing for the copy to review.

Renee Rosen is one of my favorite authors, and this was one of my most anticipated books of 2025. I loved it. I thought it was well written, and the stories of the people behind the creation of Barbie are fascinating.

The book was so engaging and fun to read, and the author's notes at the end only made it better. The novel was intended as fiction, but Rosen had fully researched the characters who were based in fact. It was easy to be unsure if the story was fact or fiction in the compelling events described in the novel. Actually four or five of the main characters were solidly based on real people and potentially read events. Rosen's realistic filling in of the details classified the story as "a fictional retelling of Barbie's origin story."

Ruth Handler was a determined and inspirational woman. In fact and fiction, she refused to accept the boundaries set for women, and luckily her husband, Elliott, supported her in this. Together, they built an amazing toy company in Mattel, and when the two of them were at the helm (along with key creator Jack Ryan), the company sounded like a pleasant place for the majority of its employees.

Overall, a better ending for all of them would have been great, but reality is a limiting factor when retelling an existing story. The writing was fabulous, and the book earned 5 out of 5 stars. Surprisingly, the book was conceived and started before the Barbie hit movie. Reading the book makes me want to enjoy the movie again. The book is easily recommended to those readers who like learning more about Barbie's history, and the stories of those who contributed and participated in her creation.

Thank you UpLit Reads and Penguin Random House for the complementary physical and audiobook copy.

I will admit I did not play with Barbies growing up, but my youngest sister was obsessed with them. While I was not a fan myself, I was still very interested in the origins of the most successful doll in history. And that history was both fasv and filled with all the toxic masculinity you can imagine. However, the amount of infidelity by seemingly every major player in the story was the biggest turn off for me. It did add to how awful some of the characters were but it was over the top in my opinion.

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

Read if you like:
Barbie
The Matell Corporation
Reading about the inner workings of a toy division

So excited to share with you 𝘓𝘦𝘵'𝘴 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘉𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘪𝘦 by Renee Rosen. This book released on 1/21/25 and I devoured it. ⠀
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The first thing I can tell you is that it so exciting to read such a unique piece of historical fiction. This book is fresh, fun and such a tribute to the legacy of Barbie. ⠀
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Here you'll meet "Ruthless" Ruth Handler, her husband Elliot, and partner Jack Ryan as they work at Mattel and build Barbie into the icon that she is. In 1956, the only dolls that existed were designed for little girls to let them pretend to be their mothers, but Ruth's wish was for a doll who was already a grown woman and who would allow them to dream they can be anything they want to be. ⠀
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I have absolutely loved reading all the business workings - negotiations, drive, competitiveness, and savvy - needed to bring Barbie to life. These are not always themes you'll find in historical fiction and it is so refreshing. ⠀
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I'll also share what I think we all already know - when you can read something new from a trusted author, it just feels like a breath of fresh air. I had the pleasure of meeting Renée Rosen last May at a Zibby Books Publishing retreat and I remember her talking about this book releasing. It felt so full circle to be able to read it before it released. I especially enjoyed reading the author's notes about how she went about doing her research for this book.
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Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley publishing for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. Pick this one up tomorrow at your favorite local bookseller. You definitely won’t regret it.

As a long time Barbie aficionado, I could not wait to read Renée Rosens's historical fiction novel based on the rise of Mattel and the birth of Barbie born from the unlikely female owner of Mattel- Ruth Handler. I had previously read Tanya Lee Stone's The Good, the bad and the Barbie: A Doll's History and her impact on us, long before the Barbie movie phenomenon was even announced.

Ruth Handler was always somewhat mythic to my generation, who grew up with their mom's Barbies and then their own modern counterparts.

Rosen masterfully recounts Barbie and Handler's beginnings, the soar, and then the crash of both Mattel and Ruth's tenure with the company she built with her husband.

Rosen brings humanistic qualities to thes trailblazing creators. Jack Ryan shines off the page the most. I am eager to find out more about what happened here.

Ruth Handler was a firecracker, living up to her name of Ruthless because, in the generation where Female CEOs were unheard of, she had to be. I loved that her second act was designing breast prosthetics for post-mastectomy patients.

Let's Call Her Barbie is a quick, powerful read into the beginnings of Barbie, and the legendary female who created her.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this fascinating read.

Let's Call her Barbie is a fascinating and well researched book. This covers the behind the scenes of designing, manufacturing and marketing the doll and where the idea of the doll and its name came from. I never realized how much time effort and stress were involved in this.
Ruth Handler pitches the idea for the doll unlike any invented before in the US. This is a grown-up doll as opposed to all other dolls being babies or young children encouraging little girls to be mothers and nurture dolls. This doll is vibrant, upbeat and sexy accouraging girls to look forward to a career beyond what women were used to in the workplace. It was an encouraging idea. There were mixed reviews on this doll because of its looks and many didn't approve. Before reading this, I hadn't realized this caused such an uproar at Mattel. This covers the 1950's to 1070's there.
We meet many of the main employees at Mattel and get a view of how this affects their private and personal life. There are scandals and work and private upsets with this release. I would have never known all these things without reading this interesting book. Well worth your time to read.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.