Essential Reads: Swing Time — Zadie Smith

Before you get sucked into all the new releases coming out in 2017, stop and add this don’t-miss read to your list, if you didn’t pick it up last year. Zadie Smith is one of the most talented American authors working today. Her stories are irresistible, her characters unforgettable, and her voice is one-of-a-kind.

If you haven’t read her yet, Smith is a must, and Swing Time is a fantastic place to start. It follows two mixed-race friends as they come of age. They become best friends in dance class, drawn together by their similar ethnicity. As they grow, their paths diverge, with one seeking out the spotlight and fame as a dancer, while the narrator haunts the shadows, working as an assistant to a celebrity.

This story of two friends manages to cover a lot of cultural ground, touching on race, class and cultural appropriation, as well as the power of celebrity in our current culture. But it’s her characters that will bring you through the story. They are so real, and so fascinating, they’ll keep you riveted on their stories from start to finish.

Originally published at portable-magic.com on January 2, 2017.