Smith was born in Cumberland, Maryland, and raised primarily in Great Britain, where her father was a journalist.

The New York Times wrote that "Smith's enchanting account humanizes a figure renowned as much for her refutation of conventional female stereotypes and social limitations as for her genius for story and language".

[15] A reviewer for The Washington Post called the book "the perfect example of when fictional storytelling about an eminent person is warranted".

[16] Smith's fifth novel, The Prince, (Arcade Publishing, 2022) is a contemporary retelling of Henry James's The Golden Bowl.

NPR called The Prince "a winner …a compelling story of sexual obsession and the expectations and tolerances of society.”[17] Novelist Lee Child wrote The Prince is “Beautiful, elegant and delicate.”[18] The National Book Review called the novel "deliciously satisfying.