Kirsten Larson is a Swedish immigrant who settles in the Minnesota Territory with her extended family in 1854. She faces the hardships, challenges, and adaptations necessary to adjust to life in America such as learning to speak English. Kirsten begins to attend a single-room schoolhouse near her home, and she and her family do their best to preserve their traditions from Sweden while adapting to American life. More changes include making a new friend outside of her own "world" and the arrival of a new baby. Kirsten was one of the first three dolls produced by American Girl in 1986. Unlike many of the dolls, Kirsten's books have maintained their original illustrations (with the exception of the covers).