Dolls of our lives Why we can't quit American Girl

Horrocks and Mahoney adapt their podcast of the same name into a quippy love letter to the American Girl brand--the line of dolls and accompanying books about each doll set in different historical periods--that became a touchstone for women who grew up in the 1990s. The authors delve into the brand's origin story, documenting creator Pleasant Rowland's desire to produce childlike dolls that wouldn't "push girls toward adolescence too soon by sexualizing them" and the trip to colonial Williamsburg that inspired her to make them historical. The authors note that the American Girl books stood out for their meticulous recreation of children's lives in the past, though "the outfits from these books live longer in our memories than some of the plot lines." American Girl expanded during the '90s into "a full-blown lifestyle brand," including a magazine, websites, and The Care and Keeping of You, a revolutionary guide for girls to understand their bodies. While Horrocks and Mahoney ostensibly critique the consumerist bent of American Girl's marketing, the authors and the fans they interview clearly revel in the pleasures of possessing the dolls and their belongings. Full of '90s and early 2010s pop culture references, this is a twee treat for nostalgic millennials. (Nov.)

Horrocks and Mahoney's new book builds on their eponymous podcast, which explores the books comprising the "American Girl" series. The two mix their training as historians with 1990s pop culture nostalgia. They've interviewed doll lovers, visited the real-world inspirations for some of the novels' settings, and written with authentic love about the American Girl dolls. The book centers stories about the canon of dolls as it gives glimpses of how and why certain dolls appealed to the authors. It also explores the various, complex iterations of what girlhood looked like--in their own lives and in others' upbringing--but mostly from the perspective of how American Girl dolls impacted their fans and solidified bonds between friends and family members. Consequently, some readers may find they want a bigger theoretical analysis, moving from this specific view to a more general exploration of adolescence and pop cultural references. VERDICT A nostalgic analysis full of intriguing details. Sure to delight people who grew up with American Girl dolls, but it may be too niche for some readers.--Emily Bowles