It was first published by Doubleday in 1957, went out of print for years, was reissued by Houghton Mifflin in 1998, and brought out by Barnes & Noble in a narrated version for their Nook eReader in 2012.

Edith, the main character of many of her books, looks a great deal like Dare Wright herself, with a blonde pony tail and golden hoop earrings.

When Houghton Mifflin reissued The Lonely Doll in 1998, it was not without a minor battle from colleagues, according to then children's book publisher Anita Silvey.

Other parents, such as critic and novelist Daphne Merkin and fashion designer Vera Wang, supported the book.

In November 2010, The British newspaper The Guardian named The Lonely Doll one of the 10 Best Illustrated Children's Books of all time.