diff --git a/test/test_serialization.py b/test/test_serialization.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aff7526
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_serialization.py
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+import pytest
+import capnp
+import os
+
+this_dir = os.path.dirname(__file__)
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def addressbook():
+     return capnp.load(os.path.join(this_dir, 'addressbook.capnp'))
+
+def build_message(addressbook):
+    addresses = addressbook.AddressBook.new_message()
+    people = addresses.init('people', 2)
+
+    alice = people[0]
+    alice.id = 123
+    alice.name = 'Alice'
+    alice.email = 'alice@example.com'
+    alicePhones = alice.init('phones', 1)
+    alicePhones[0].number = "555-1212"
+    alicePhones[0].type = 'mobile'
+    alice.employment.school = "MIT"
+
+    bob = people[1]
+    bob.id = 456
+    bob.name = 'Bob'
+    bob.email = 'bob@example.com'
+    bobPhones = bob.init('phones', 2)
+    bobPhones[0].number = "555-4567"
+    bobPhones[0].type = 'home'
+    bobPhones[1].number = "555-7654"
+    bobPhones[1].type = 'work'
+    bob.employment.unemployed = None
+
+    return addresses
+
+def check_msg(addresses):
+    people = addresses.people
+
+    alice = people[0]
+    assert alice.id == 123
+    assert alice.name == 'Alice'
+    assert alice.email == 'alice@example.com'
+    alicePhones = alice.phones
+    assert alicePhones[0].number == "555-1212"
+    assert alicePhones[0].type == 'mobile'
+    assert alice.employment.school == "MIT"
+
+    bob = people[1]
+    assert bob.id == 456
+    assert bob.name == 'Bob'
+    assert bob.email == 'bob@example.com'
+    bobPhones = bob.phones
+    assert bobPhones[0].number == "555-4567"
+    assert bobPhones[0].type == 'home'
+    assert bobPhones[1].number == "555-7654"
+    assert bobPhones[1].type == 'work'
+    assert bob.employment.unemployed == None
+
+
+def test_roundtrip_file(addressbook):
+    f = open('example', 'w')
+    msg = build_message(addressbook)
+    msg.write(f)
+
+    f = open('example', 'r')
+    msg = addressbook.AddressBook.read(f)
+    check_msg(msg)
+
+def test_roundtrip_bytes(addressbook):
+    msg = build_message(addressbook)
+    message_bytes = msg.to_bytes()
+
+    msg = addressbook.AddressBook.from_bytes(message_bytes)
+    check_msg(msg)
+
+def test_roundtrip_dict(addressbook):
+    msg = build_message(addressbook)
+    d = msg.to_dict()
+
+    msg = addressbook.AddressBook.from_dict(d)
+    check_msg(msg)