so disappointing.
i started out with very high hopes, had been reading a lot of old and manly novels and was very much in the mood to read something by a contemporary female author. i was living in san francisco and kept seeing this book in the hands of strangers everywhere i went - on the BART, on the light rail, in the park, etc.. although initially turned off by the glowing reviews (i tend to be suspicious of books raving about the next new young protege who writes better than your mama at the tender age of 23, etc), i finally picked it up, and after the first few pages, thought i was going to love it. zadie smith definitely has a unique style and a smart voice that gives promise of surprises to come. however, about halfway through the book i started losing interest, and by the end, the book just seemed to have veered in an entirely different direction than where it had first been headed, and left me less than satisfied.
i did learn more about jehova's witnessess than i'd ever known - that was pretty interesting. i think others would enjoy this book more than i did. but it was not one of my favorites.