Beloved American Girl character Samantha Parkington is all grown up now in an upcoming novel by Fiona Davis that coincides with the brand’s 40th anniversary.
Mattel, Inc. on Wednesday announced the publication of a new American Girl novel for adults, People reported. "Samantha: The Next Chapter" is scheduled to be released on Oct. 13 through American Girl Publishing, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.
Parkington, one of American Girl’s three original characters, made her debut in 1986, according to the magazine. Founder Pleasant Rowland featured her in a series of children’s books focused on her life in 1904, when she was a plaid-wearing 9-year-old, “Today” reported.
The girl was raised by her grandmother in their Mount Bedford home.
Davis’ novel skips ahead to 1920, where Samantha is a 25-year-old living in New York City, People reported. She educates other women about the suffrage movement and their rights heading into the 1920 election.
But her life changes when her inheritance and childhood home are stolen, “Today” reported. The former socialite becomes a shop girl and learns how the other half lives.
She searches for clues to save her family’s legacy, even rubbing elbows with criminals.
“This novel marks an important milestone for American Girl Publishing, as it is the first time we are releasing an adult fiction title that follows one of our iconic characters into adulthood,” Ryan Ferguson, global head of publishing at Mattel, said in a statement shared with People. “Fiona Davis’ beautifully written novel honors Samantha’s legacy while opening an exciting new chapter, and we couldn’t be happier to welcome readers back into Samantha’s world.”
“I was thrilled when American Girl reached out to me with the idea of imagining one of their beloved characters — Samantha Parkington — as an adult, in a novel for adults,” Davis wrote in an Instagram post. “It was an opportunity to honor American Girl founder Pleasant Rowland for the love of history she instilled in so many children, as well as work with a company celebrated for its forward-thinking, girl-positive core values.
Davis said she hoped that "Samantha: The Next Chapter" will be like “reconnecting with a childhood friend.”
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