Zadie Smith's White Teeth is a delightfully cacophonous tale that spans
25 years of two families' assimilation in North London. The Joneses and
the Iqbals are an unlikely a pairing of families, but their intertwined
destinies distill the British Empire's history and hopes into a dazzling
multiethnic melange that is a pure joy to read. Smith proves herself to
be a master at drawing fully-realized, vibrant characters, and she
demonstrates an extraordinary ear for dialogue. It is a novel full of
humor and empathy that is as inspiring as it is enjoyable.
White
Teeth is ambitious in scope and artfully rendered with a confidence
that is extremely rare in a writer so young. It boggles the mind that
Zadie Smith is only 24 years old, and this novel is a clarion call
announcing the arrival of a major new talent in contemporary fiction. It
is a raucous yet poignant look at modern life in London and is clearly
the book to read this summer.
