A review by rhonaea
The Unknown Bridesmaid by Margaret Forster

3.0

Nicely written and well edited - a very strange and disturbing portrayal of the deeply flawed Julia. I guess a lot of people might have reflected on the dislocation between the resentful and mean child and the outwardly successful psychologist adult; whether this was credible or likely. Perhaps, not. Anyway, I think the messages in the novel are interesting for all of us. Are we all doomed to be the products of our childhoods or does self-determination ever have a satisfactory redemptive outcome? In frank terms the child Julia was a mean-spirited little bitch, but the older Julia, whilst motivated by her 'poor me, I had a miserable childhood' to help others, continued to hold a grudge. It certainly motivates me to seek out further Margaret Forster.