Swing Time

by Zadie Smith
I hated this book!!! It isn't very often that I have such a negative reaction to a book.  I didn't enjoy it while reading it but forced myself to finish it as I hoped there would be some redeeming aspect to it.  But there wasn't.  Some of the review of the book are very positive but I couldn't stand it.

The book is about two girls of mixed race marriages growing up in London.  One of the girls Tracey has a "bad girl" lack of respect for authority.  She befriends the main character and they stay best friends for years, subject to Tracey's moods.  Both girls take dancing lessons.  It turns out that Tracey is a real star dancer, the main character, while she loves dance and loves to watch old movies and study all the dance moves, has flat feet and therefore cannot do ballet. 
Tracey is a dreamer/liar.  She claims her father is a dancer with Michael Jackson.  In reality he is a criminal frequently in jail.
The main character has a mother who ignores/resents her family as she studies to better herself.  Her husband is a postal worker.  Eventually the family disintegrates.
At one point in time the two girls are asked to help at a dance recital.  The money from the tickets goes missing and everyone blames Tracey.
Over tiime the girl occasionally runs into Tracey who despite her talent doesn't seem to be succeeding. She is on drugs, has several children and only ever makes it into the chorus.
The main character goes off to study media studies at a school outside London.  She comes back to live with her father for a time until she manages to get a job with the new entity YTV.  It is an exciting life with little work and lots of perks.  She then gets selected to be the personal assistant for a perfomer Aimee.  Her life becomes totally consumed by looking after Aimee,  24/7 and no holidays.  She is an assistant and a confidante.
Aimee decides that she wants to build a girl's school in Africa so the main character makes several trips to Africa where she comes to realize that the best intentions of foreigners may not entirely work out.  She meets two African men, one who professes his love for her (she rejects him) and a man Aimee wants (she starts having an affair with him).  The main character doesn't react to any of the ridiculous things Aimee does until she adopts an African baby.  The parents surrender her to Aimee for money.  This really shocks and upsets the girll.
In the meantime her monther has gotten her PhD and become an MP.  The mother and daughter don't have much contact.  The girl is shocked to learn from her mothers former lover that she is dying of cancer.
When Aimee finds out that the main character is having an affair with her desired lover she fires her.  In retaliation the girl posts details about the baby adoption.  This of course infuriates Aimee.
When the girl returns to London she pays money for the "Lover" to come to England.  His visa had been arranged by Aimee. She knows she doesn't love him .  He has the good sense to leave and go out on his own to get an education.
The girl was told by her mother that Tracey has been harassing her to do something for her and her children, sending increasingly agressive emails.  When she returns to England Tracey posts juvenile, provocative videos of the two of them dancing as children.  This gets lot of press.
Just before she dies the girls mother suggests that she, the daughter, should do something for Tracey, i.e. take cae of her children and  as the book ends she is going to see Tracey.
I couldn't relate to any of the characters, the main character was totally clueless, going along with whatever happened throughout her life.  She really didn't care about anyone.  Aimee was totally self centered.  Tracey was self-centered and self-destructive.  The girl's mother was a horrible neglectful mother.   While her desire to improve herself was understandable she had no commitment to her family.  She seemed more interested in helping strangers that caring for her own family.  I don't buy her suggestion at the end of the book.  It was totally unrealistic.  Why should the girl do this?  After the way Tracey treated her and her mother why would she want to? How would she support herself and the children?
While I think the author raised some important issues, lower class people surviving in England, the desire to better yourself, misguided celebrities and their charitable causes, I did not care about the characters or the story.