This is my first book by Zadie Smith and while this is not her best book (from what I gather from other reviewers), I was still seduced by Smith's elegant prose and strong voice. 
 The narrator (whose self-identity is so minimal she isn't even given a name in the story) and her best friend Tracey first bonded over their mixed-race heritage and love of dance. Both grow up together in a low-income estate in London, their biggest reprieve being a local dance class given in the church. 
 While Tracey excels in dance, she has a host of problems at home that she never speaks about. The narrator is not a natural born dancer, but has loving parents, who are constantly fighting. Both girls spend most of their time learning dance moves, watching old musicals and writing outrageous stories, most of the activities initiated and controlled by Tracey. 
 What follows is a lifelong attachment (even if the friendship waxes and wanes) that has far reaching effects not only for the narrator, but for her family as well. Interspersed with this story is the decade or so that the narrator works as a personal assistant for a world famous pop star, Aimee. During their time together, Aimee creates a school for girls in West Africa. The narrator's time spent here and the relationships forged in Africa also play a big role in the story. 
 Throughout are themes of family, friendship, politics, altruism, poverty and self-identity. While the book never really comes to a concrete conclusion in any one of these areas, it was still a very interesting read. To be fair, there really isn't a perfect solution or conclusion to these topics anyway. 
 My problem with the story was the lack of conviction with the narrator. She never really finds herself or makes any concrete decisions about her life, thinking she'll still have time to do that later. By the end of the book, she is in her late 30s. By contrast, her mother and best friend have made their choices and while by far the most interesting part of the book, we don't get complete satisfaction with their stories either. 
 I still feel the excellent writing and thought-provoking issues made this a good read. 
 3.5 stars