The Girl in the Polka Dot Dress
The Girl in the Polka Dot Dress represents the final literary work by author Beryl Bainbridge, released after her passing in 2011. According to the postscript:
At the time of her death on 2 July 2010, Beryl Bainbridge was completing The Girl in the Polka Dot Dress. Her longtime editor and friend, Brendan King, prepared the manuscript for publication by incorporating her last revisions. No new content was added beyond her original text.
Plot
The narrative unfolds during the summer of 1968 and is based on the factual circumstances surrounding the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. A woman clad in a polka dot dress is seen both before and after the assassination at the Ambassador Hotel located in Los Angeles.
Rose, who works as a dental receptionist in Kentish Town (London), journeys to America in search of Dr. Wheeler, a figure who once helped her escape a difficult upbringing. In Baltimore, she encounters 'Washington Harold,' who joins her in a camper van to locate Wheeler. Harold harbors secret intentions regarding his confrontation with Wheeler. Their route takes them through Washington, Wanakena, Chicago, Santa Ana, culminating at the Ambassador Hotel where Wheeler is involved with Robert Kennedy’s team.
Reception
Alex Clark of The Guardian emphasizes the novel’s engagement with American historical events and its examination of personal accountability through the character of Sirhan Sirhan, Kennedy’s assassin. Clark considers it an appropriate and intellectually stimulating conclusion to Bainbridge’s distinguished literary career.
In The Independent, Paul Bailey lauds the book as one of Bainbridge’s most accomplished works, highlighting its mixture of grave, frightening, and comedic elements. He underscores the persistent thematic exploration of mortality and extinction that runs throughout Bainbridge’s writing.
William Boyd, writing for The New York Times, remarks on the novel’s overarching somber tone, reflecting on 1960s assassinations and numerous deaths encountered during the protagonists’ journey. Boyd suggests that Bainbridge’s contemplation of her own mortality may have influenced these dark motifs.
Michael Dirda from The Washington Post praises the book’s mood, sharp wit, and underlying tension, although he finds its storyline somewhat indistinct. Nevertheless, he affirms that readers will value Bainbridge’s characteristic dry humor and narrative style.