George’s writing is humorous and light, yet she covers meaty topics. She explores the weight of family expectations, Maddie’s guilt at choosing her own life, the mixed-up feelings of grief, the experience of being a Black women in London and more. Maddie is a likable heroine who is trying to decide what she wants out of life and how to ask for it. Maddie’s growth was an emotional roller coaster. This coming-of-age novel is compulsively readable and I really enjoyed it.

“…Maame: the responsible one. The woman. The mother. Often before her time.”

I loved this coming of age novel by @jessicabgeorge. Maddie aka Maame is a late bloomer, a devoted daughter, and a quiet force to be reckoned with as she makes her way in her newly independent life. She’s anchored and a little scarred by her role as the stable care-taker in her first family, but bravely taking steps into independent life. She’s been sheltered, so her learning moments are heart-breaking, sometimes cringe-worthy, but ultimately universal. Maddie gave me restrained, Ghanaian Bridget Jones vibes, packaged in a story with substance and relatability. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy!

I just fell in love with Maddie. I felt like I was living in her head with her and experiencing this life challenges with her. Jessica George is a seriously good writer. I don't think I can write enough in this review that would justify how good this book was.
I definitely recommend it!

I would imagine it’s very hard to write a not-super sad book about the death of a parent and mental health struggles. George figured it out; while we have very different stories, I am so glad I got to read about Maddie and how she walks through life. I have spent a lot of time avoiding books about death- especially the death of a parent- and it is soul filling to read one without feeling destroyed.

Edited to add: I decided to give this another go, and I am so, so happy I did. I don't know why Maddie's story clicked for me in February, but it did and it was beautiful. I loved how the author explored grief and growing up and becoming an adult. I found the googling to be relatable. This book showed me that I need to be better at 'not yet'-ing a book instead of giving up completely. I am so glad this ended up working for me in the end.

Original thoughts: I am so in the minority when it comes to my opinion on this book. I have read a lot of the glowing five star reviews, and I'm so glad this book is getting so much love. After trying in print and audio formats, I have decided to throw in the towel on this one. I think this new coming of age in the twenties stories aren't working for me right now since I am in the middle of my twenties. Maybe? So glad it's getting love and I'll share this title when asked for this type of book.

Maame by Jessica George. Pub Date: January 31, 2023. Rating: 4 stars. For a debut novel, this story packs a punch and I was very impressed with the content, storyline and overall feel of the novel. The reader is taken on a journey of Maame, a young woman in her 20s who has a lot of burden to bear as a caregiver of her father. Her mother is in Ghana half the time and her brother turns a blind eye and is selfish without offering any help. Maame is left to care for her father all while trying to figure out her own life. Once the opportunity is presented for her to move out and be able to have more independence and freedom, she takes it and discovers a world she never knew existed. Using Google to navigate hardship and questions she has, her feelings are so relatable and I felt my heart going out to her as she takes on her independence in a world that sometimes is not the nicest to young females. I remember feeling some of Maame's own feelings as a young female in her 20s. I highly recommend this novel! Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #maame #netgalley

This was an incredible read about how cultural differences play such a big part in relationships. And how as a result it might be hard to find yourself, and who you are meant to be. After Maddie leaves the care of her father to her mother, who is back from an extended stay in Ghana, she moves out of her childhood home and into an apartment with girls she never met before. In the process a number of life changes occur and Maddie is forced to figure out some things for herself.
I felt this book was very relatable, and especially poignant for girls who feel as if they have to care for others. I also think this book was really easy to read, and once I was about half way through, was very hard to put down!
I recommend this book to anyone who is wanting to discover new authors, anyone who wants to read about what it might be like to grow up in a different culture, and to anyone who might face some of the struggles Maddie does.

Hello Best of 2023 list!

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the advanced readers copy. This title was an absolute gem and left me thinking about it days after finishing. The author painted a relatable and strong main female POV who is navigating through many of life's struggles. I highly recommend it fo your next fiction book and it would be great for a book club discussion!

I loved this charming and captivating debut novel. It has stayed with me since I finished reading the last page. It captures the sacrifice and love of a daughter seen through the culture of Ghanaian immigrant parents. Maddie is the main caretaker of her father in London and her journey of finding herself is very real, raw, funny and sad. It's a powerful book and definitely a favorite of the year for me. I highly recommend it!

I tandem read and listened to the audiobook which had a fantastic narrator.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital copy of the book to review. All opinions are my own.

Maame is the story of Maddie who is single and living in London with her disabled father. Her brother is nearby but absent. Maddie's mother is in Ghana helping with the family business and seldom comes home. Maddie's led a serious life and it's time for her to come out of her shell and get a real life. It doesn't happen overnight, but it happens. She doesn't have a boyfriend, then she has one and then she doesn't. She lives at home and cares for her dad, then moves in with roommates and then she moves out. She has a job, then she doesn't, but then she does. This is a good story....about life, love, family, maturing and facing life in the real world. We've all been there and gotten through it. I know why its on the bestseller list now. BTW, I would like to know the proper pronunciation of the word "Maame".....

I absolutely loved Maame! It is one of the best books I have received through NetGalley. Maame grabbed my attention from the beginning. I was rooting for Maddie as she grappled with very relatable issues that 20 somethings face.

I would read anything that Jessica George writes in the future.

Poignant coming of age story of a British Ghanaian woman. Maddie takes on he responsibility of care for her ailing father, endures her absentee. Miner and brother, and tries to hold together a full time job. She dreams of a release from the box she’s made of her life, and slowly she breaks free.

A tremendous debut novel.

Maddie’s mom calls her Maame which means woman. It not only feels like a nickname but an expectation even when she was a young girl. When we meet Maddie she works full time and takes care of her father who has Parkinson’s. Maddie is the responsible one while her brother Chase’s his dreams and her mother is gone for a year at a time.

Soon Maddie gets the chance to figure out who she is outside of her role in her family. I loved following Maddie on her journey of self discovery and figuring out who she is and what she wants. She deals with mental health issues and grief. It felt relatable and honest. The pressures placed on Maddie by her family and society are heavy. The book touches on racism and what it’s like being a black women in a predominantly white society.

This book and Maddie will stick with me for a while.

Oh my goodness, I absolutely loved this book! The responsibilities that Maddie handles without any family support seem overwhelming to me. She is a twenty five year old girl who grows into a woman (what Maame means in the Ghanaian language of Twi) who manages to finally live her own life and definitely lives up to her nickname of Maame.

Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this excellent book.

The story started slowly and rather boring to me. I struggled to get into it at first. Once I did I couldn’t put it down. I absolutely couldn’t stand Maddie. She ended up growing on me. I wanted to yell at her so many times. I think the story developed really well. The beginning background was the only part I didn’t vibe with. I also wish they would’ve explored how interracial her world was. I feel like that contributed to her stressors. It wasn’t lost on me that the new people who came into her life and made the best impact were black (Sam and Angelina). I like that the story ended realistically. Maddie became likeable or maybe this was written in such a way that it pulled empathy out of me. I was happy she got to find some happiness versus just existing. She finally got to be the main character in her life.

This was a good story. I was really rooting for Maddie. Her journey was heartbreaking at times, but there were also parts that made me laugh out loud too. Grief and growing up are complex and so was this story, and yet it was simplistic and easy to read at the same tlme.

This was a book I didn't know I needed and wish I read sooner! Maame, or Maddie, grew up shouldering the responsibility of keeping the family going. At the ripe age of 25, she's responsible for caring for her father, who suffers from Parkinson's and feels pressured to "go out" and live her life. When she finally takes that advice, she deals with major guilt and regret. I love the connections to Ghanaian culture and upbringing. Though I hated the dates, I appreciated reading about horrendous dating experiences (because it's good to know that literary works parallel life). Sometimes Maddie frustrated me, but her humanity is also what compelled me to continue reading. I LOVED the book and will likely read it again in the future!

I love this book! It had all the feels as you navigate life and growing up with Maame. It’s infuriating at times as you read and watch her go through the trials of life that most of have felt or experienced. It makes your heart break and soar at other times as you are filled with hope for her character. The journey of family, friends and relationships both in the working world and every day life are so real and humanistic. The story is a true one of the heart. Her relationship with her parents and brother as they navigate their culture and the implications of how they have combined the two into their lives and how they live. Overall, great read. It will make you think and hopefully pause and take in what other peoples lives can be like because at the heart of the story are very real and true experiences and how they impact the individual.

Maame tells the story of a young woman, Madeline, who is of Ghanaian descent, living in the UK in her family home, caring for her ailing father by herself. Her mother has a business that she runs in Ghana and only returns yearly while her older brother checks-in infrequently by phone but is checked out of the family's relationships and needs. Maddie becomes depressed, feeling stuck as a caregiver while working in a job she hates. Losing that job and then being freed from caregiving duties gives Maddie the chance to finally explore the world as a young adult and grow to find her voice, not only for her vocation but within the family and within romantic relationships. Despite her depression, Maddie demonstrates preservation, strength and determination as she creates a new life for herself, despite setbacks. She also begins to heal relationships within her family, forgiving herself for mistakes and opens up her very private life to new friends. A lovely, heart warming book, that deals with the grief, insecurity, and loneliness that many of us feel. This is the first book in a long time that has brought tears to my eyes as it touched my heart. The book also reveals how immigrants can feel out of place in spaces where their customs are not understood, while also having trouble connecting with the countries they left behind. A beautiful coming-of-age story with a hopeful conclusion for a better future for Maddie and her family.

Maame does everything for her father who is suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Maame’s mother spends most of her time in Ghana working for her family’s old hotel, and her brother is too busy living his best life to help out. Maame is left to do everything, which leaves her with little time to dedicate to herself. When her mother tells her she is coming home, Maame decides to move out and start living her life. After getting fired from the theater Maame lands a job at a publishing company, and is so excited finally put herself first. She’s enjoying hanging out with her roommates, starts dating and is finally feeling like the 20 something she should have always been. Life is going well until tragedy strikes, and everything starts to fall apart. Maame goes on a severe downward spiral and it’s going to take all she has to get out of it and get her life back on track.

I was skeptical first as Maame seemed like such a pushover, and it was frustrating, however I was so glad as the book progressed to see her growth. This book explored the microaggressions Black women face in the workplace and when they have friends of different cultures. This book also touches on how Black women always have to bear the burdens amongst their families, friends and relationships. I definitely recommend this read,

Thank you St Martins Press and NetGalley for this ARC #SMPInfluencer