Samantha was my first American girl doll, which I got way back in 1st grade, not long after the American Girls came out. I always loved her books the best esp 'Samantha Saves The Day' and 'Changes for Samantha', both of which I still remember the plots from.
Read late 1990'sI liked Samantha and the whole time period. I thought they addressed some of the issues of the era and really got me interested in the Victorian period, as well as the social issues of the day. I liked her relatives and friends.