Hold on to your hair bows, elder millennials. Samantha Parkington — that plucky, plaid-wearing orphan from 1904 — is ready to turn the page on her iconic childhood.
That’s right ... This childhood bestie is all grown up and bestselling author Fiona Davis is bringing Samantha to life as an adult in the new novel, “Samantha: The Next Chapter.”
For those unfamiliar with the beloved heroine, Samantha is one of the first three historical characters introduced by American Girl in 1986. Samantha, Swedish immigrant Kirsten and WWII homefront heroine Molly demonstrated courage, compassion and resilience. Along with an 18-inch doll, each 9-year-old character was featured in a series of easy chapter books; kids could follow each fictional story as well as the historical context surrounding it.
The dolls and books have legions of devoted fans who have become adults and introduced the books to their daughters. The American Girl universe has expanded to over 50 characters.
Forty years after her introduction, Samantha has finally grown up.
Set in the 1920s, the new story features a 25-year-old Samantha, who just happens to be a proud suffragist. (Would you expect anything less?) She’s living in New York City and educating women on the importance of voting in their first presidential election that fall.
Samantha’s life drastically changes, however, when her inheritance — and her drool-worthy childhood home in Mount Bedford — is stolen. The former socialite becomes a shop girl and learns that New York City is a very different place when you don’t have money and status.
Determined to save her family’s legacy, Samantha searches for clues and even rubs elbows with notorious criminals to find answers.
“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,” author Fiona Davis wrote in an Instagram post. She applauded the company for “its forward-thinking, girl-positive core values.”
Her hope is that reading the book will “be like reconnecting with a childhood friend, from the sweet nostalgia of shared adventures to the mutual wonder at the women you’ve become.”
The novel is available for pre-sale and will be released on Oct. 13, 2026.
