Felicity Merriman & Elizabeth Cole
Williamsburg, VA – 1774
Felicity Merriman is a spirited, independent girl growing up in colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1774—at the beginning of the American Revolution. Her father runs a general store, and Felicity is being raised to become a proper young lady, but her restless, headstrong nature makes that a complicated endeavor. She loves horses above all else and her courage and determination to rescue a single horse from an abusive owner runs throughout much of her central series.
Elizabeth Cole is Felicity’s best friend who is the opposite of Felicity. Where Felicity is impulsive, bold, and quick to act, Elizabeth is gentle, cautious, and more naturally inclined to the proper behavior expected of girls in their time. The two complement each other well. While Felicity’s family is mostly Patriot, Elizabeth’s family are Loyalists, and this difference creates tension between their friendship and their families.
In mid-1770s Williamsburg, roughly half the population were enslaved and many of the rest were slaveowners—including the Merrimans. The books largely sidestep this, barely acknowledging it. This is particularly striking given that Addy Walker’s story, which centered almost entirely on slavery and the fight for freedom, came just two years later in 1993. American Girl was clearly capable of confronting that history honestly and discussing tough topics with kids. They simply chose not to with Felicity. In recent years, Felicity’s stories have come under scrutiny from AG fans regarding American Girl’s lack of care and sensitivity when discussing the slavery present in Felicity’s stories.
Books
Central Series
- Meet Felicity
- Felicity Learns a Lesson
- Felicity’s Surprise
- Happy Birthday, Felicity!
- Felicity Saves the Day
- Changes for Felicity
Best Friend Book
- Very Funny, Elizabeth!
Short Stories
- Felicity’s Dancing Shoes
- Felicity Takes a Dare
- Felicity’s New Sister
- Felicity Discovers a Secret
- Felicity’s Valentine
Mysteries
- Peril at King’s Creek
- Traitor in Williamsburg
- Lady Margaret’s Ghost
More Information
In 2005, American Girl released a movie, Felicity: An American Girl Adventure. At this time, they also released Elizabeth as a Best Friend doll with her limited collection.
When BeForever was introduced in 2014, they turned Felicity’s six Central Series books into two books: Love and Loyalty: A Felicity Classic Volume 1 and A Stand for Independence: A Felicity Classic Volume 2. The first volume included the first three books of the Central Series, and the second volume included the last three books. In addition, they released a special choose-your-own-adventure book, Gunpowder and Tea Cakes: My Journey with Felicity.
For more details about Felicity’s books, or see additional versions of books, please see the Official Fandom Page for Felicity’s books.