Swing Time Summary
Zadie Smith

Swing Time Overview

Zadie Smith’s novel, Swing Time, traces the lives of two women—the first-person, unnamed narrator, and her best friend Tracey— through their childhoods, when they were bound by dance lessons and into adulthood as their friendship fades. The narrator, an observant wallflower, succeeds as the assistant to a famous pop star, while Tracey’s undeniable dancing talent fades into poverty. Their lives converge unexpectedly by the novel's end. Smith explores themes of identity, race, motherhood, friendship and loyalty.