Swing Time

Smith deftly examines class, race, wealth, activism, and tribalism through the story of two girls’ lifelong friendship. Both are mixed-race, growing up in an impoverished London neighborhood. Drawn together by their love of dance and old musicals, they construct a relationship that is loving but competitive. Their home lives could not be more different. Our unnamed narrator’s Jamaican mother is a socially aware feminist who pushes her daughter to be more and do more. Their relationship is complex, and the daughter is drawn to her mostly absent but less judgmental father. Tracey, on the other hand, lives with her flawed but supportive mother. As the girls mature, their paths diverge. Tracey begins a promising career in theater, while our narrator attends university. Her mother finishes her own university career, divorces her husband, enters politics, and advocates for her neighbors. Meanwhile, our narrator has graduated, but Tracey never manages to escape the neighborhood. Using satire, wit, and vivid description, Smith draws listeners into this thought-provoking story. It is a book that will stay with you.