1920s, London: When Myrtle’s mother has to sell their tailoring shop, Myrtle is sent to be a lady’s maid at the home of the Cartwright family. There, she meets Sylvia, the young daughter of the house. Sylvia’s older sister is supposed to make her debut to society but she hates the dress that was made for her. Sylvia enlists Myrtle’s help to remake the dress so her sister likes it. When that dress is a hit in society, others want the be dressed by the same designer. Sylvia’s friend Lady Agapantha hires them to create a special look for her debut and to help her form a new identity to follow her dream. This project is almost too big for Sylvia and Myrtle, and can either make or break their designing partnership.

This story reminded me of Downton Abbey, but for a middle grade audience. Myrtle worked as a lady’s maid but she became friends with Lady Sylvia. The other workers in the palace had to remind Myrtle that she shouldn’t be too friendly with the family of the house because she was there to work for them. However, Sylvia was able to persuade Myrtle to help her with designing clothes. I kept imagining Sylvia and Myrtle as Lady Mary and Anna from Downton Abbey, if they were young girls who became friends in unlikely circumstances.

One of my favourite parts of this book was the sketches of the outfits. Since this story had so many descriptive outfits created by Myrtle and Sylvia, it was nice to see what they would have looked like. This was a great addition to this fashion themed story.

The House of Serendipity is a fun middle grade novel!

Thank you Razorbill for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The House of Serendipity is set in 1920’s London where Myrtle comes to work as a maid in the home of the wealthy Cartwright family. She forges a partnership and a friendship with the household’s youngest member, Sylvia, when the two come to the rescue of Sylvia’s older sister Delphine. With Sylvia’s talents for sketching designs and Myrtle’s amazing seamstress skills, the pair remake Delphine’s disaster of a debutante ball gown into something spectacular, saving the day. Their work is admired far and wide, leading to Sylvia’s friend Lady Agapantha seeking their assistance. Her request is that they create clothing for her that will help her follow her dream to escape society life for exploring the Amazon—disguised as a young man. They take on the challenge and all the risks that accompany it. While the events of the story show that women at that time did not have as many advantages or options as men, the story features a host of women who provide support for each other as friends. This middle grade novel will delight fans of fashion, friendship, and historical fiction.