March 1, 2021
Grades 4-7 Following the death of her talented tailor father and the selling of his popular London shop, 12-year-old Myrtle, an extraordinary seamstress in her own right, decides to establish a new shop for her family. Meanwhile, she becomes a maid at the enormous Cartright House, home to a duke, duchess, and their young daughters, Delphine and Sylvia, the latter of whom possesses a flair for fashion design. When Delphine's debutante dress is revealed as an utter disaster, Sylvia and Myrtle combine forces to create a stunning ensemble that becomes the talk of the town. Suddenly in demand, the girls must keep their partnership and friendship secret, knowing the disapproval that would come if they were discovered. It's a treat to follow the girls around 1920s London, soaking up sparkling dialogue and delicious descriptions of fanciful frocks and wild schemes. It's also refreshing to have a story without obvious villains, save for a stifling society. Here stepmothers are kind, housekeepers are helpful, and coconspirators are plentiful. Young fashion-forward readers will do well to try this one on for size.
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March 1, 2021
New maid Myrtle and Lady Sylvia are unlikely creative partners and friends who are nevertheless well matched for sewing and secret adventures. It's London in 1926, and Myrtle Mathers becomes a maid at Serendipity House after her father dies and her sick mother returns home to convalesce in Ireland. Myrtle and Sylvia, the younger lady of the house, find themselves working together to successfully remake a disastrous ball gown for her older sister, the debutante Lady Delphine. The team doesn't stop there, next helping out Sylvia's friend Lady Agapantha, who engages them in plotting her escape to explore the Amazon--disguised as a young man. The pair sets to work on a wardrobe full of trousers and a plan that includes deceit, breaking class ranks, and ignoring many of society's expectations of young women. In the process, the girls have a chance to observe the privileges afforded to men as they simultaneously realize the disadvantages of being a woman, although the plan is slow to hit its crescendo and then seems to unravel almost too quickly at the end. However, this is a story full of women who almost universally welcome and encourage each other. The sketches of the clothing designs are fun and give young readers a sense of what 1920s clothing looked like. Characters are presumed White. A charming tale of sisterhood woven together with fashion, history, and subterfuge. (Historical fiction. 9-12)
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