Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for Let's Call Her Barbie by Renée Rosen

1. Despite Ruth's intention to create a doll that would empower young girls, from the very beginning Barbie has been both celebrated and vilified. Do you think of Barbie as a feminist icon or a dangerous role model for women?
2. Throughout this novel, you get a behind-the-scenes look at the development and creation of Barbie. For example, you learned the real reasons why her waist is so tiny, her feet are so small, her neck is so long, etc. Barbie's creators never lost sight of the fact that she was just a plastic figurine with anatomically impossible body measurements. And yet some people thought they were supposed to look like her. What is it about Barbie that you think separates her from other dolls and toys and has this effect on people, both positive and negative?
3. Ruth was certainly a nontraditional woman for her time. She tried to have it all—a husband, children and a career. What are your thoughts about her as a mother and her relationship with Barbara? How do you think her own childhood impacted her views on motherhood?
4. Jack Ryan was the unlikely Romeo of Mattel. What do you think it was about Jack that the women found so appealing and irresistible? What did you think about his relationship with Stevie? What did you think about Ruth and Seymour Rosenberg's attempts to shortchange him on his royalties and phase him out of Mattel?
5. Growing Up Skipper came under fire—rightfully so—from the National Organization for Women as soon as she was released. Can you cite other Barbie controversies through the years? What do you think about the Barbie line today, which is based on diversity and inclusion, with a multitude of skin tones, hairstyles, body images and other more representative features?
6. Barbie has had more than 200 careers, from fashion model to astronaut. What do you think were the most important milestones for Barbie, and how was she ahead of her time? If you played with Barbie dolls as a child, were there specific models or outfits that you remembered owning?
7. How did you feel when you learned that Barbie was inspired by Bild Lilli, a German prostitute gag doll? Did that surprise you?
8. Ruth and Jack were both instrumental in the creation of Barbie. Ironically, they each had a Barbara in their lives and took credit for the name and the doll itself. After Jack's tragic death, Ruth did a little revisionist history and downplayed if not erased his contributions to the doll's success. Did you think Jack had a right to claim he created Barbie?
9. Ruth developed breast cancer in 1970, which led to the creation of her next enterprise, Nearly Me. She saw her prosthetic breasts as a way to help millions of breast cancer survivors. What did you think about her coming full circle in terms of her relationship with creating breasts for a doll for little girls and then creating breasts for grown women?
10. Ironically, many Barbie collectors say it's because they weren't allowed to have a Barbie when they were growing up that they became involved in collecting. Did you play with Barbies as a child, or did you shave off all her hair in a fit of protest? Were you allowed to have Barbies, or did your parents forbid you to play with "that" doll?
11. Stevie plays a large role throughout the novel, yet she's one of its fictional characters. Why do you suppose the author created her?
12. In Mattel's early years, Ruth feels that she "carries their business on her shoulders." Do you agree with her assessment of her role? What do you think would have happened with Barbie had Ruth spent more time with her family? Is it possible to run a successful business without Ruth's level of commitment?
13. What do you think of Ruth's and Elliot's relationship? Are you surprised they stayed married through their ups and downs? What part does each play in Barbie's success, and in their family's dynamics?
14. Were there scenes related to how women were viewed or treated during the era that surprised you? What aspects of a woman's life have changed in the years since Barbie hit the shelves, and how, do you feel, Barbie has reflected these changes?
15. At eighteen, Barbara insists on marrying. Ruth and Elliot don't think she's ready, even though they met when Ruth was sixteen. Why do you believe Barbara feels she needs to take this step? Could Ruth and Elliot have done anything to prevent what they felt was a "horrible mistake"?
16. Ruth's and Jack's relationship eventually becomes "openly hostile" after Jack appears on What's My Line?. Who do you think is to blame for its deterioration? Could anything have been done, in your opinion, to salvage it?
17. Which of the main characters did you develop the most sympathy for? Are there any minor characters who stood out?
18. If you grew up in the 1960s and 1970s, which cultural references mentioned in the book were you familiar with? If you were born later, did you read about aspects of the era that surprised you?
19. After Ruth has her mastectomy, she's struck by how few breast cancer survivors will talk about their stories ("Breast cancer is taboo. There's a stigma associated with it.") Why do you think this was? Do you think it's still the case today? What has changed in the years since Ruth was diagnosed with cancer, and what, do you think, hasn't?
20. Overall, what did you think of Let's Call Her Barbie? (no spoilers, please!)

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Berkley Books. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.