For as long as I can remember, I have been a historical fiction kind of person. And my childhood definitely shaped me that way, especially through American Girl. These books and dolls helped me learn not only about American history but specifically how women helped shape our nation in stories we don't necessarily learn in history class. These books were well-researched, written by women, and taught me so much about the many different cultures that make up the US. To this day I collect the dolls and recommend their stories, especially to young girls, because they show how we can make a difference. And as an adult, I find myself gravitating to American historical fiction that reminds me of these stories from my childhood, and the eras these dolls represented. So, I have put together this list of what books you should read now to give you the same feelings you had as a kid with your favorite doll. Now I couldn't put all of the dolls on the list, there are too many of them! So, today, I'm just focusing on the original six.
1. Felicity - The Turncoat by Donna Thorland
If Felicity had been an adult during the American Revolution, I am absolutely convinced she would have been a spy. So with that in mind, Donna Thorland's Renegades of the American Revolution series immediately came to mind. This book follows our spy Kate Grey, a spy for George Washington, and her lover Major Lord Peter Tremayne. Peter believes she betrayed him, leading him to be court-martialed and almost killed as punishment. The two of them are in a game of cat and mouse, where they have to look at their future and decide if they want the freedom the Revolution holds.
The Turncoat is available through Penguin Random House
2. Josefina - Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine
It was incredibly hard to find a book I felt properly represented Josefina because to this day, American Girl is one of the only publishers who write about this time and setting from an Indigenous Mexican point of view. So while Woman of Light does not take place in the 1820's, it does go back five generations within its multiple timelines to see a member of the family during that time. This book focuses on the struggles many Mexican American families have had across generations within the United States and provides an interesting perspective into some of the struggles Josefina and her descendants would have had within our country - while still ending with a message of hope.
Woman of Light is available through Penguin Random House
3. Kirsten - To the Wild Horizon by Imogen Martin
Kirsten was my favorite doll growing up because her Swedish heritage reminded me of my family's Norwegian heritage. Her stories made me wonder about my own ancestor's immigrant stories. And To the Wild Horizon gives me a lot of the same vibes of what it would be like to leave your home and settle someplace new. But with a bit of a darker twist. Grace kills her landlord in self-defense, and terrified she'll be tried for murder, decides to go on the Oregon Trail - desperate for a fresh start. The book does an amazing job at giving descriptions of the locations on the Trail while giving an adventure that feels like you're in the wagon train with the characters.
To the Wild Horizon is available through Amazon
4. Addy - All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley's Sack, a Black Family Keepsake by Tiya Miles
Addy is a doll I find a lot of people misunderstand - labeling her a problematic "slave doll" without knowing anything about her journey to freedom, her fight to learn how to read, and her work with abolitionists to have her family reunited. All That She Carried is the only piece of non-fiction I put on this list because I felt like it showed the same power as Addy's story. Tiya Miles is a historian who looked at this embroidered bag and researched its history, providing an important look into this family's journey from being enslaved to being free. It shows the power this family had in their creativity to ensure their family ties were not broken, in a world where people tried to say they meant nothing.
All That She Carried is available through Penguin Random House
5. Samantha - Under a Gilded Moon by Joy Jordan-Lake
Samantha's story focused on the rich and the poor at the turn of the century, and Under a Gilded Moon also does this. An upstairs-downstairs murder mystery, it also looks at how the rich treated those they believed were below them. George Vanderbilt believed every single family had a price they would be willing to sell family land so he could build a massive estate. This book provides context into the dueling cultures at the turn of the century, while also giving a love story and mystery that will keep you turning the pages.
Under a Gilded Moon is available through Amazon
6. Molly - The Beantown Girls by Jane Healey
I had never heard of the Red Cross Clubmobile Girls until I found this book, but it is definitely something Molly would have signed up for if she was older. These WWII food trucks provided food, entertainment, and a slice of home to the soldiers in Europe, and this book follows three women who volunteered to run one. It gives insight into a history of the war we don't hear about, and reminds us some of the biggest war heroes are ones we never hear about.
The Beantown Girls is available through Amazon