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The brand new American Girl book is finally out! I remember the day I got my Samantha American Girl doll: after getting Kirsten for my 6th birthday, I saved up money to buy a doll all on my own, and I felt drawn to the brunette growing up in 1904 New York. Did this have anything to do with the fact the movie (starring AnnaSophia Robb) had just come out? Probably.
Every single detail of the whole experience thrilled me: purchasing something I valued with my own money, learning about Manhattan (my future home) during the Victorian era (my future favorite period of history).
So, yeah, it's safe to say that when the new American Girl book, Samantha: The Next Chapter, was announced, I was over the moon. Considering I'm both a history nerd and a doll lover, I was more than happy to do all the research on the new book for you — you just have to scroll.
Here's everything you need to know about the new American Girl book, Samantha: The Next Chapter, which you can buy now.
What is the new American Girl book about?
Mattel
If you're someone who grew up loving American Girls, then this book is for you. It's the first novel that's geared towards adults, and Samantha: The Next Chapter takes place in 1920s New York City. Samantha, 9 years old in her original series, is now a 25-year-old suffragette dedicated to getting as many women to vote as possible.
But when her inheritance and Grandmary's home in Mount Bedford is taken from her, Samantha gets a small taste of what Nellie's life was like as she becomes a shop girl and lives in a boarding house. Now Samantha has to figure out how to get her family's fortune back...and comes face-to-face with Manhattan criminals in the process.
“It was really taking little bits and pieces from those original stories, which were so beautifully detailed and then bringing them to life,” author Fiona Davis tells Variety. “And I think the important thing for me about Samantha was that she’s kind of a paradox where she’s surrounded by wealth. So if you look at her and you think, that girl has everything and then you dig deeper and oh, she’s an orphan. So there’s a hole somewhere in her, and that needs to be filled in a way. And I think that makes her complicated and a really interesting character to pursue as an adult.”
I remember years and years ago I read a FanFiction that brought Samantha into adulthood, and featured Eddie Ryland fighting in World War I, where he confessed his love for Samantha via love letter. I was obsessed. Does this new plot line live up to the one I fell in love with all that time ago? I'm genuinely excited to find out.
One thing I love about this cover is the heart clip in Samantha's hair is the same one the doll wears as a locket. IYKYK!
When does Samantha: The Next Chapter come out?
Mattel/Amazon
The book officially released on October 13, 2026, so it's available to order now! You can also order the Samantha box set to refresh your memory on the OG story ;).
Who's writing the book?
The original Meet Samantha book was written by Susan S. Adler, but the new novel is penned by Fiona Davis (The Lions of Fifth Avenue, The Stolen Queen).
"I’m delighted to share that I’ll have a surprise book published October 13th, a collaboration with @americangirlbrand called SAMANTHA: THE NEXT CHAPTER. It’s perfect for anyone who experienced the joy of an American Girl doll as a child, a mom, or a grandmother, as well as for anyone who isn’t familiar with the brand," Davis wrote on Instagram.
“What I found interesting is that, as I talked to people about American Girl, they’d say, ‘Oh, I’m a Samantha,’ or ‘I’m a Kirsten’ or ‘I’m a Molly,’” the author continues in an interview with People. “It’s like they identify with these characters so much that they become them and that’s because of the wonderful stories.”
“All the characters, have this tenacity at their core, a fight for justice and a curiosity about the world. And I think that expands to the owners of the dolls, that when they see the dolls with those characteristics, they take them on,” she adds. “You want to balance the nostalgia, which is absolutely there, with a forward-moving plot and a dynamic character. My hope was it would be like going on a road trip somewhere new with an old friend.”
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