Swing Time by Zadie SmithMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Zadie Smith's Swing Time examines the lives of two girls who meet when their mothers sign them up for dance lessons. Although they both love dancing, only Tracey has the talent to go on to be a professional. The other girl, who is the main character in the novel, has neither the talent nor the physique (she has flat feet!) to make a career out of her passion for dancing.
Swing Time fits into the Coming of Age genre. What I liked most about it-and what I found most disturbing-was its complicated main character. Near the middle of the book I realized that Smith had not given her a name. And as I continued to read, I realized why. In some ways, her life was tragic; not because she couldn't be a dancer, but because of the choices she made. She chose to live in the shadows instead of the sunlight.
It took me a while to write a review of this book after reading it because I did not know how I felt about it. After further consideration, I appreciate Smith's exploration of a kind of anti-heroine. The main character's searching for her "tribe" rang true as something we all do, or have done, in our lifetimes. I give this book 3.5 stars.
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