An Evening with Renée Rosen- Let's Call Her Barbie

Join us on Thursday, March 19th at 5:00 PM for a special author event with Renée Rosen, featuring a presentation on her newest novel, Let’s Call Her Barbie — a bold and imaginative look at the woman behind the most famous doll in history.

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. In 1956, the only dolls available for little girls let them pretend to be mothers. Ruth’s vision — a doll shaped like a grown woman with a glamorous wardrobe — would allow girls to imagine they could be anything.

As Ruth assembles her team of creative rebels — head engineer Jack Ryan and designers Charlotte Johnson and Stevie Klein — they race against the clock to bring Barbie to life. What follows is a journey through soaring success, devastating personal lows, and the complicated legacy of an American icon.

✨ As featured in:
The New York Post • RuPaul’s Book Club • Book Riot • The Nerd Daily • Chicago Review of Books

“A fresh and fun take on Barbie lore… clever and satisfying.”
— Shelby Van Pelt, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Remarkably Bright Creatures

This event will include:
• An author presentation
• Discussion of the real history behind Barbie
• Q&A with Renée Rosen
• Book signing following the talk

Books will be available for purchase in-store.

Renée Rosen is the USA Today bestselling author of ten novels, including Let’s Call Her Barbie, Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl, The Social Graces, and Park Avenue Summer. Her books often spotlight strong, enterprising women such as Ruth Handler, Estée Lauder, Alva Vanderbilt, and Helen Gurley Brown.

A native of Akron, Ohio, Renée is a graduate of American University in Washington, D.C. She lives in Chicago and is currently working on her next novel, My Generation: A Novel of Woodstock, expected in 2027 and to be published by Penguin Random House / Berkley.

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