“Maame" by Jessica George is a powerful and emotional novel that explores themes of identity, family, and love. Set in Ghana, the story follows the journey of Maame, a young woman who is forced to confront her past and make difficult choices about her future.

What I appreciated most about this book was how George portrays the complexities of Maame's relationships with her family members and loved ones. The characters are all well-developed and multi-dimensional, with their own hopes, fears, and flaws. The story also sheds light on important issues such as gender roles, cultural expectations, and mental health.

The writing is poetic and vivid, capturing the beauty and vibrancy of Ghanaian culture and landscape. George's attention to detail is impressive, and she does an excellent job of immersing the reader in the world of the story.

Overall, "Maame" is a deeply moving and thought-provoking novel that will stay with you long after you've finished reading it. George's writing is both powerful and tender, making this book a must-read for anyone who appreciates stories that explore the complexities of human relationships and identity. Highly recommended.

SO GOOD! This was very intriguing and even more compelling than i expected. This mother daughter relationship was absolutely enthralling. Like watching something burn.

Let’s start by saying I was scratching my head a bit in the beginning. Was I too old for this? Is this moving too slow for me? Should I keep going? I’m really fortunate that this was offered as a @librofm ALC because the audio really elevated this book for me, more than just reading the print book would have. The narration of Heather Agyepong was OUTSTANDING. She really brought Maddie to life and I also cannot say enough good things about the author, Jessica George. What an extraordinary story. You had to be a little patient, but the benefit of seeing everything come full circle and watching Maddie come into herself was a pleasure to read and listen too. I felt so many emotions while reading this book and it won’t be one I forget anytime soon. I suspect, I will be putting this in my year end best and it’s also no surprise this was a @readwithjenna pick. I usually align in taste with Jenna’s picks the best and this was another winner. I’m so grateful to the publisher for sending me an arc copy and I will treasure it as part of my library forever.

I received this complimentary e-book from NetGalley; all opinions here are my own.

I had the best time reading ‘Maame’ — the main character’s struggle for work-life balance, dealing with others’ expectations, and finding her true self and best life was relatable. Maddie is so realistically written and experiencing her companionable point of view is a comfort.
I enjoyed the winding way through her story as it developed and she had defining moments.

And it’s not all serious— I definitely laughed at times and loved the lighter moments, too.

This would be an excellent novel to pack in your bag wherever you are for summer 2023.

I really loved this coming-of-age story. It’s poignant, relatable, and funny all at the same time. Maddie goes THROUGH IT, but she learns about herself and strengthens her relationships despite/because of her hardships. Also, Maddie Googling everything was way relatable.

The writing flows nicely and is very well done. Every character is so well-written. You love them even though they don’t always make the best decisions.

I know it sounds cheesy, but I laughed, I cried, and I tore through this book.

CW: death of a parent, grief

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a digital ARC of this book!

I received this ARC through net galley . What a different storyline and prose. I really enjoyed the complexity of grief, culture and gender roles/norms are explored and held here.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance reader's copy of this book.

This book is getting all sorts of praise but I DNFed it about a quarter of the way through. I may return to it at some point, but for right now I'm just way too tired of books about twentysomethings getting their lives together. It's not a stage I'm interested in reading about over and over.

Maddie’s life is far from what she expected it to be. Between an overbearing, yet absent, mother, a nightmare boss, and being the primary caretaker for her father, Maddie knows she needs to make changes, but isn’t sure how. When her mom finally returns to England, Maddie jumps at the chance to make changes. Unfortunately, a tragedy strikes and puts all of her hard work at risk.

What I liked most about the book was how it pulled me in and made me feel like I was really part of Maddie’s life. It was heartbreaking, but also funny and awkward. I also loved that it gave a whole picture of her life, instead of just focusing in on a few details.

There were actually very few things that I disliked about Maame. It had some uncomfortable and awkward moments, but it’s really what made the book even better and felt more realistic.

I honestly can’t think of anyone that I wouldn’t recommend this book to. It deals with a number of heavy issues: racism, being a caretaker, family issues, but it also finds a way to incorporate humor throughout it all. If you like novels about friendship and family, this book is definitely for you.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press as well as the author for this delightful ARC.
#NetGalley #Maame #JessicaGeorge #St.Martin’sPress
This was such a great read. I also won a hard copy of this ARC from the publisher in a Goodreads Giveaway! So I thank St. Martin’s Press for that as well. I’m so glad to have it.

Maddie Wright is the main caregiver for her father, who has Parkinson’s disease. While her peers are going off to college and living their best lives, she works for a boss that's less than understanding and cares for her ailing father. When her mother returns from Ghana, she leaps for her life to start. Things don’t always go according to plan, however.
Maddie was a wonderful character, whom I wish I could hang out with. She was kind and caring. Her mother is less likable, which makes me like and empathize with Maddie more. Her mother is critical and often absent as was her brother. Very selfish. Maddie feels that her nickname, “Maame”, embodies all of that. It means several things in the Twi language and Maddie feels that she has always been a woman and has never been a child. This sort of embodies the first part of the novel. The rest of the novel details her life actually starting and the triumphs and failures of such.
This novel represents a full range of emotions. I experienced grief, triumph, heartbreak, and exhilaration, to name a few. It’s been awhile since I had to take breaks while reading due to emotional exhaustion. I enjoyed learning about Ghanaian culture and language. I appreciate how truthful this was written.
I do wish some of the characters, other than Maddie, had been more likable. I’m not sure if this would have made Maddie less likable though. Somehow I don’t think so.
Five stars!

I felt for a debut that this book was well written and definitely touched on some interesting issues pertaining to crossing cultural barriers and finding your place in the world. As a coming of age story, it really did have a lovely message and I was rooting for the main character. However, I also found her to be incredibly naive and somewhat annoying. Her mom was also very tiresome. I’m 39 years old, and I feel like if I were a woman in her mid twenties, this book may have resonated more with me.

"Maame" by Jessica George is a beautifully written and emotionally resonant novel. The story is centered around a young woman named Maame who is grappling with her identity and cultural heritage as she navigates life in both Ghana and the United States.

The characters are vividly drawn and the descriptions of the settings are rich and evocative. The writing style is lyrical and poetic, and I found myself deeply immersed in Maame's journey.

My only criticism is that the pacing felt slow at times, and I found myself wanting the story to move along a bit faster. However, this is a minor quibble in an otherwise engrossing read.

Overall, "Maame" is a poignant and thought-provoking novel that explores themes of identity, belonging, and family. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys character-driven fiction with a strong sense of place.

Thank you netgalley for the e-arc!

A powerful novel that is about family, grief, self growth, guilt, regrets, and starting over! Thoroughly enjoyed the growth of the protagonist. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

Maddie is in her mid twenties living in London taking care of her ill father. Even though Maddie is 25, it's a coming of age story as Maddie has been a bit sheltered in her life. Her mom has been absent and her brother not helpful.

She had to navigate so many firsts and I felt for her. I was heartbroken, sometimes I was laughing and other times I was cringing. The book is peppered with many of her internal thoughts which I thought were a great addition to the story.

Definitely worth the hype and a must read for fans of character driven novels

I thought this was beautifully written and great characters but I’m so used to action packed suspense or romantic comedies with a building trajectory that I couldn’t get into this one enough to hold my interest!

I didn't love this book. It seems like one I've read more than once--young woman in her 20s floundering and "coming of age." Deducted a star for the regular google searches for the every decision she made--large or small.

thank you for the arc! it took me a while to read it, but i finally did. maddie acted like a child at times, and was very naive. it irritated me a lot. but i still enjoyed most of the story and would recommend this book.

Thank you Netgalley & Saint Martin Press for the ARC.

I live for books like Maame, this is going to my memorable sad girl books list. Maddie was such a complex and relatable character, and I think having POC characters with her background and life experiences is so important because minority women tend to be pressured even more when it comes to finding our place in society, fitting in, being great, making our families proud, sacrificing ourselves for the well being of others.

I rooted for her from the beginning, I wished she would soon realize and learn that it was okay to feel lost, to understand and make peace with the fact that adulting is hard and having it all figured it out is almost a myth.

Ahhhhhh ~

Anyway! I can’t wait to read whatever Jessica George publishes next.

Maddie (nicknamed “Maame” by her mother) is a twenty-something in London who cares for her father, who has Parkinson’s. Her mother spends most of the year in Ghana and her brother doesn’t help. When her mother decides to come back, this is Maddie’s first opportunity to move out and claim her independence. Maame follows Maddie as she learns about the world outside her home and struggles to find a place in it, while pushing back against her family’s expectations–particularly when tragedy strikes and she is overcome by grief.

Maddie is an endearing character; she’s naive, which could be frustrating to read, but she’s also aware of it. I actually saw hints of autism in her (though I’m no expert and have not seen others mention this), and reading with that lens made her naivete and some of her tendencies more understandable. Whether or not my interpretation is true, Maddie is a character I rooted for, and this book deserves all of its accolades.

Short synopsis: 25 year old Maddie is in charge of Caring for her sick father, because her mom spends most of her time in Ghana. When Mom comes to London to visit Maddie jumps at the chance to move out and begin her adult life.

My thoughts: I loved the term “Maame” and how the book explained it. In Twi it means woman, but has many meanings: a term of endearment, provider, and caregiver are a couple. Ultimately we leave Maddie’s feelings towards it, and the responsibility she felt in relation to the term.

I loved this coming of age story, Maddie is an adult but has never really had the opportunity to make her own choices. There are moments of humor, sadness, and joy. I loved watching her grow, and become her own person despite her familial/cultural obligations.

I especially enjoyed the inside look into the publishing industry and her job as an editors assistant. There’s many insights that I never even considered that we got to see a bit of!

I got a good laugh out of her google history. She’d google anything and everything, seems like something we are all guilty of!

Read if you love:
- Family relationships
- Overcoming unrealistic expectations
- Mental health
- Important themes (racism, micro aggression, sexual assault, depression/grief, familial obligations)

Ma’am’s was a very moving coming of age novel. It was very heartfelt and emotional. I liked the characters and found them to be very relatable. There were some scenes that were unnecessary. Still this is a novel of love, loss, and family. I recommend this for fans of Sally Rooney, Colleen Hoover, and Jojo Moyes!