Kirsten Larson moved to Minnesota in 1854 at age 9 when her family left Sweden. That year, she lost a friend to cholera, made ...

American Girl grew in popularity, expanding to include more historical dolls and books, the Bitty Baby doll line, a magazine for middle-school girls, and all manner of advice and craft books.

And as of this week, in a sense, it is one. On Wednesday, American Girl released its first twin dolls, Isabel and Nicki Hoffman, who are also the first characters from an interfaith family.

The passion project has delivered hundreds of dolls to foster kids in northern Nevada and the Bay Area over the last three ...