The House of Serendipity

Fans of Shannon Hale’s Princess Academy series and budding fashionistas everywhere will love this charming, delightful middle-grade novel about two girls with a talent for dressmaking set in 1920s London. The perfect dress can change everything. When talented young tailor Myrtle Mathers becomes a maid for the Cartwright family, she thinks her days of sketching and stitching are over for good. That is, until Sylvia Cartwright runs into a big problem–her older sister’s debutante ball is about to be ruined by a truly horrendous dress. Desperate, Sylvia calls on Myrtle to help her save the night, and a serendipitous partnership begins. Their design catches the eye of London’s debutantes, so when one practically begs Myrtle and Sylvia to dress her, the two girls make a plan: create something special for her without revealing their true identities. If people find out what Myrtle and Sylvia are up to, it could spell disaster for the girls’ futures. But as it turns out, the debutante is looking for more than just a gorgeous outfit–she needs a disguise that will help her escape high-society life forever. And for Myrtle and Sylvia, what starts as a plan to prove their design skills soon becomes a secret mission to defy expectations. A fabulous, fantastical adventure through 1920s London, this delightful series opener celebrates the magic of friendship, fashion, and being yourself.