Enchanted Companions: Stories of Dolls in Our Lives Book

"Dolls hold a power that time doesn't diminish," says author and doll artist Carolyn Michael. In Enchanted Companions: Stories of Dolls in Our Lives, she proves her point with a captivating collection of men's and women's memories of their dolls.

More than 40 black-and-white photographs pulled from albums around the world enrich these heartwarming, funny, and sometimes heartbreaking stories. The writers span generations and cultures. From a nine-year-old child to a 92-year-old grandmother, each has a special doll story to tell:

• Sisters tell stories of their brother, George, an outspoken, self-assured ventriloquist doll who insists he's no dummy.
• During her confinement at an internment camp of Japanese Americans during World War II, a woman teaches herself and others to make dolls.
• A young girl given a doll to ease the pain of leaving her mother and Korean homeland for a new life in America grows up celebrating the doll's birthday, which is the anniversary of her adoption.
• A man recalls the fun adventures he had playing with his brother's original G.I. Joe, and the shame he felt when he broke it.