American Girl Fan Event - An Evening with Mary Mahoney, Co-Author of "Dolls of Our Lives"

Were you obsessed with the American Girl dolls and books? Are you still a fan? Then this is the event for you! Join Mary Mahoney, co-author of the book Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can’t Quit American Girl, on Wednesday, November 13, 2024 at 7pm at the Weston History & Culture Center in Weston, CT for an in-person chat about all things American Girl and 90’s nostalgia!

Bring questions for Mary and bring your doll…because you know you still have it! 1990’s and American Girl inspired snacks and drinks will be served. Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can’t Quit American Girl will be available for purchase and Mary will be signing books at the end of the event. Also included is a tour of the historic Coley House, brought back to reflect life during the 1940s (Kit and Molly fans – this is the perfect photo opportunity for you!).

Limited seating, advanced tickets recommended. Tickets: $20 - WHCC Members, $25 – Non-Members. Purchase online at: https://westoncthistory.org All ages are welcome however this event is geared towards an adult audience. Event takes place at the Weston History & Culture Center, 104 Weston Road in Weston, CT. Parking and entrance on High Acre Road. Event takes place in the Visitor’s Center, the red building adjacent to the parking lot.

About Mary Mahoney: Mary Mahoney is a historian, podcaster, writer, and cultural critic. She is most at home in moments when she can think with history about pop culture. Specifically, she loves thinking about the stories we tell about ourselves and the meanings behind our pop culture attachments. She is the co-host of Dolls of Our Lives and the co-author of Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can’t Quit American Girl. She also writes a weekly newsletter called Landline that explores topics in history and pop culture. When not writing or diving deep into some pop culture rabbit hole, Mary can otherwise be found exploring any house museum, watching all available reality tv shows, and chasing down new cereals and sneakers. She lives in Connecticut with her wife.

About the book Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can’t Quit American Girl: Combining history, travelogue, and memoir, Dolls of Our Lives follows Allison Horrocks and Mary Mahoney on an unforgettable journey to the past as they delve into the origins of this iconic brand. Continuing the conversations that began on their podcast, they set out to answer the lingering questions that keep them up at night. What did American Girl inventor Pleasant Rowland hope to say to children with these dolls? Was girl power something that could be ordered from a catalogue, described by a magazine, or modeled in the plot lines of books? And how - and why - did this brand shape an entire generation? Through interviews with a legion of devoted doll lovers, a field trip to Colonial Williamsburg, a place that inspired Pleasant to create American Girl, and an exploration of their own (complicated) fandom, this is a deep dive into one of the 90s most coveted products - the American Girl doll. – Synopsis from MacMillian Publishing, 2023.

The Weston Historical Society D/B/A The Weston History and Culture Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. WHCC would like to thank its benefactors: the Daniel E. Offutt, III Charitable Trust and the Twenty-Seven Foundation. It would also like to thank its annual sponsors: Fairfield County Bank, KMS Team at Compass, and Pullman & Comley.