Swing Time Audiobook By Zadie Smith cover art

Swing Time

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Swing Time

By: Zadie Smith
Narrated by: Pippa Bennett-Warner
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Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction.

A New York Times best seller.

An ambitious, exuberant new novel moving from North West London to West Africa, from the multi-award-winning author of White Teeth and On Beauty.

Two brown girls dream of being dancers - but only one, Tracey, has talent. The other has ideas: About rhythm and time, about Black bodies and Black music, what constitutes a tribe, or makes a person truly free. It's a close but complicated childhood friendship that ends abruptly in their early 20s, never to be revisited, but never quite forgotten, either.

Tracey makes it to the chorus line but struggles with adult life, while her friend leaves the old neighborhood behind, traveling the world as an assistant to a famous singer, Aimee, observing close up how the one percent live.

But when Aimee develops grand philanthropic ambitions, the story moves from London to West Africa, where diaspora tourists travel back in time to find their roots, young men risk their lives to escape into a different future, the women dance just like Tracey - the same twists, the same shakes - and the origins of a profound inequality are not a matter of distant history, but a present dance to the music of time.

Zadie Smith's newest book, Grand Union, published in 2019.

©2016 Zadie Smith (P)2016 Penguin Audio Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Sagas Women's Fiction World Literature England Africa Heartfelt Inspiring Thought-Provoking Tearjerking

Critic reviews

Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize

“A sweeping meditation on art, race, and identity that may be [Smith’s] most ambitious work yet.” (Esquire)

“Smith’s thrilling cultural insights never overshadow the wholeness of her characters, who are so keenly observed that one feels witness to their lives.” (O, The Oprah Magazine)

Featured Article: 10 Great Contemporary Fiction Authors


If you like well-written novels that prioritize compelling timely storylines with artful prose and structure, then this is the genre for you. So, why is it called "contemporary"? Because it’s fiction set in the real world, in times contemporary to the date it was published, and the stories deal with real-world issues. Representing a diversity of backgrounds and nationalities, here are our picks for the best writers of contemporary fiction over the last 50 years.

Featured Article 10 Great Contemporary Fiction Authors
Brilliant Writing • Complex Characters • Excellent Accent Versatility • Vivid Descriptions • Insightful Observations
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An engaging journey through two women's growing up years, from public housing to a third-tier university, one-name celebrities and the complexities of fighting African poverty. Many fascinating female characters, vivid writing and time-shifting made this an engrossing novel.

Wonderful characters, no resolution -a very satisfying read

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What do we owe one another? It 's the central question of Swing Time. That and when does rescue become interference? For two little girls growing up in the northern suburbs of London, these questions are as intertwined as their lives as they grow up and go their separate ways. The talented one is admired. The admirer is supported. Does this make all the difference?

As always Ms Smith's writing is precise, funny, heartbreaking and true.

Adored it.

Sadie Does It Again

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The narration was solid, and clever, and in some places fun. The story was interesting, and crafted in a way that pulls you in by noting the layers and depth in a chance meeting. I really enjoyed this book, and think that the pairing of Zadie Smith's words, with Pippa Bennett-Warner's performance, was an inspired choice.

I really enjoyed this book

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This is a huge book. But one thing Keeps it back for me. It's not the lack of resolution that it lacks rather the lack of anything to be resolved. But still loads of zadie wisdom in here. And I'm quite sure it will Age well!

Oh zadie

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Swing Time is relevant and relatable while grappling difficult social and systemic issues for a modern audience.

very realistic fiction

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The story of a biracial child growing to womanhood is told with such remarkable detail that it seems autobiographical. The story of the protagonist is interesting enough on its own, but the added bonus is occasional passages of poetic description you will have stop and reread them. Race and privilege are a context not the story. An inspired book by an author at the top of her craft. The reader is excellent, enhancing the characters' "personalities".

Enthralling and instructive. A novel of the highest caliber

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I found the storyline a bit challenging to follow when she shifted from childhood to young woman and back. But other than that I really enjoyed her descriptive language and felt as if I were there in the Villages and flats and places where she traveled. At what point did her mother begin living with a woman? After the Activist surely, but I did not recall an entry point for Miriam. It is a well-written book and I'm actually going to go purchase it so that I can read it and catch the places that I missed.

Brilliant performance, challenging story in audio

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It's a long book. Liked it; terrific writing at times. The characters are presented with insight; their flaws and foibles overlooked or accepted by their families. Many strong women characters or relationships.

Well written, well read

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A somewhat evocative story, Swing Time offers a fascinating beginning and ending that almost made it worth the lengthy investment in listening to the full book. The early narrative is promising and then it's set aside for a tale involving a host of unsympathetic characters and a meandering storyline. There was so much potential in continuing to develop the tension between the two initial characters, but this relationship was unfortunately abandoned until the final chapters.
I listen to 3-4 audio books per month and finding an interesting read is such a prize. Although at times well written and intriguing, Swing Time was not a great book. I can't recommend it.

A sandwich, where the bread is the best part

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Zadie Smith is one of the great writers of our time. Her insight into characters, and the reexamination of events from different perspectives, provided not just by race or country of origin, but also by time itself makes for a compelling read or listen.
With that said I never lost myself into it like I did with White Teeth. Perhaps it's nearly impossible to match White Teeth's achievements. Perhaps it's that I'm listening to this after Trump, the anti -immigrant, anti -refugee took office and I was hoping for the feel good inclusiveness of White Teeth. Really it's hard to judge anything because it feels like we have been thrown back into Germany in the 30's. White Teeth gave me hope for humanity. This book just left me sad, albeit with greater insight.
But, like I said, every dad feels dark and ominous since Trump got elected.

Good listen and or read just not quite as good as White Teeth

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