Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin's Press. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Maame is an absolutely stunning debut novel that fearlessly deals with many challenges faced in contemporary society. Maddie is young woman who works a job in a toxic environment by day and takes care of her father, who has Parkinson's disease, by night, while her mother lives and works in Ghana and her brother does whatever he wants.

When her mother returns to London, Maddie seizes the opportunity to move out and start a new life complete with new friends, a new job and a new relationship. What she finds is that years of complicated family relationships, depression and her own insecurities don't magically disappear just because she's turned a new leaf.

Maame is a heartbreaking book filled with radiant hope that we can be more than the product of our upbringing and that none of us have to navigate the most painful aspects of life alone. This book is absolutely a contender for favorite of the year. Lovely, honest, brutal and shining with unquenchable strength, Maame is a story you can't miss.

Recommended for fans of Candace McCarthy Williams, Bernadine Evaristo and Etaf Rum

𝗠𝗔𝗔𝗠𝗘 by Jessica George - With more and more books we’re seeing a new sort of micro-genre: twenty-somethings coming-of-age. Now I love a good coming-of-age story, but typically those have been with younger characters. When the characters get to be in their mid to late twenties, it can be tricky. Sometimes the pieces all fit together and sometimes they’re a little wonky. Even though I really enjoyed 𝘔𝘢𝘢𝘮𝘦, early on something about it just felt a little off to me.⁣
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Maddie, the 25-year old title character, had a lot going on in her life. She was the primary caretaker of her father who had Parkinson’s, her mother spent most of her time home in Ghana, her brother was also largely absent, and she provided financially for herself, her father, and too often her mother. Despite all those very adult responsibilities, to me Maddie skewed YA. She was just SO innocent, constantly Googling basic life questions that you’d normally expect a person of her age and life experiences to know. ⁣
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Don't get me wrong 𝐈 𝐃𝐈𝐃 like this story. Maddie was sweet, earnest, and willing to fight for herself when push came to shove. Throughout the story, she had a lot of growth, which made me like her more and more. I really appreciated that she was willing to admit her own flaws, and also learned to look at those around her without the rose-colored glasses. By the end of the book, I was fully on team Maddie, it just took me a while to get there. Despite a few qualms here, I’d definitely give George’s next novel a try. One last thing - that 𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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Thanks to @stmartinspress for an ARC and to @macmillan.audio and @libro.fm for an ALC of #Maame. (Great on audio!)

Maame aka Maddie takes care of her father who has been afflicted with Parkinson's disease in Maame by Jessica George. Her mother comes and goes every few years back and forth to her native Ghana to supposedly help an uncle run his hostel. Her brother mirrors that behavior in that he's never around to lend a helping hand. It's a lot for a young woman to handle, but Maddie takes it in stride even though her social and work life could be better.

When her mom returns from Ghana once again, she's encouraged to find an apartment and live her life. She's determined to change everything despite any misgivings because she's ready to experience everything that she's given up. That means dating, partying, meeting new friends, accomplishing career goals, and sharing an apartment. She finds all that and learns so much along the way, but then tragedy strikes once again. Will she find her way to happiness in all areas of her life?

I loved this book so much. Maddie is such a likeable, relatable character, and you're really rooting for her to gain more recognition at work, find true love, and enjoy her disappearing youth. It's exciting to be there for all her firsts and the new experiences she undertakes. And the other characters ring true and feel distinctive, so that you're never unsure who this or that person is.

And like a friend, you're there when she does experience heartbreak, work issues, and the challenging relationships she has with her immediate family. You want to be the good friend to lend a helping hand and be her confidante. She's not the perfect girl everyone thinks she is, and it's refreshing to read about such a nuanced character.

I also liked how she's torn between caring for her father and dealing with her other relatives as well as reconciling her African roots with her modern British lifestyle. She wants to live like any other single woman her age, but she does feel responsible for her family and their actions. She understands the importance of her background but feels the pull of the life that's out there waiting for her. It's very realistic and, at times, you feel the same frustration that Maddie does.

The story goes along at a quick pace but is very thoughtful in examining her choices, her hopes, and her feelings about everything that goes on. Maddie's character and voice permeates the writing and feels like you're reading about a real person. And I loved how the book ended--it's fitting and inspirational and ties everything together. What a great book to read! I highly recommend it and cannot wait to see what the author writes next.

Thank you for the ARC! I really enjoyed reading this modern coming of age story. I found many aspects of Maddie's character to be relatable despite not having many shared experiences with her. She was flawed and frustrating at times but I loved seeing her grow and develop throughout the book. There were times the book felt a bit slow and predictable but as a whole it was an enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend to my fellow female 20 somethings!

If you like books featuring…
coming of age stories
London
Grief and comedy equally expressed and written expertly

Great for fans of…
People Person - book
Sex Education - TV
Act Your Age, Eve Brown - book

This book was so beautifully written and compelling. Journeying with Maddie as she figured out this period of her life and worked to figure out her independence as the caretaker for her family was equally hilarious and poignantly sad. I have handsold this book multiple times in the past week.

“It’s an ordinary week within the most extraordinary circumstances because apparently — and this is what everyone fails to mention about the grieving process — I still have to live.”

Madeline Wright — Maddie — is a 25-year-old woman still living at home as her father’s caregiver as he battles late-stage Parkinson’s. Her older brother moved out years ago, more interested in doing his own thing and Maddie’s mother lives in Ghana, only making the occasional return to her family back in London. Because of this, everything falls on Maddie’s shoulders.

After being fired from a job she admittedly hated and with her mother’s sudden return, Maddie is finally ready to live life. She’s excited to move out, start dating, experience things she’s only heard her friends discuss.

MAAME is easily one of the buzziest books of 2023 and I can see why. Unfortunately for me, it didn’t quite live up to expectations. Maddie came across as more of a main character you’d find in a YA novel; she’s extremely sheltered to the point where a decent chunk of page-time is devoted to her Google searches: what DTF means, how to have sex, if you should have sex on a third date, should you go out with your flatmate’s ex. Despite her naivety, multiple men end up instantly falling for her and every conversation is full of witty banter and flirty responses even though, moments prior, she was googling the most basic of tasks.

Once the novel finally got going, I was hooked. Maddie’s realization that one of the men she was seeing was also seeing someone else — a white woman — and how their dates differed (she met his family and went places, Maddie was only asked out to a dark theater or invited over for pasta) was stark and brutal and a heartbreaking scene to read.

Grief and mental health are the backbone of MAAME and certain scenes/passages hit me hard. I think this part of the book is what’s behind all the praise and glowing reviews — I certainly couldn’t tear myself from its pages.

I went into this one expecting something lighter given how the summary mentions humor, but did find MAAME incredibly timely and poignant in its discussion on race and grief.

This is the sort of book that digs into your soul. Like the main character, Maddie, I've lost a parent, and the way she wrote about grief and dealing with loss felt very real and true to me. I could understand why Maddie was the way that she is. I also loved the friendships in this book, and the way people were reliable no matter what came their way. This is a fantastic read, and I can see why it's getting so much attention!

How do I even start to share my emotions on this book. Jessica George wrote a masterful coming of age story that deals with cultural topics, family, friendships, jobs, and romantic relationships. Maddie was so beautiful to read about as she grew as a person and embraced all that she could be in her life. The importance of learning to love yourself and everything that makes you as a person shined so bright while I read this and I just fell in love with it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own and uninfluenced.

Maddie is a 25 year old, living in London taking care of her father who has Parkinson’s disease. She never got the college experience or much life experience outside of her parents.

Her mother, who stays in Ghana for a year at a time, returns and tells Maddie to get her own apartment and live her life. She experiences love, heartbreak, friendship, and learns new lessons.

I really liked Maddie and I enjoyed watching her grow out of her shell. The novel itself was funny, but also manages to be sad and heart felt at the time. Some of it was also relatable and I could find myself in Maddie with what she went through.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book!

3.5 rounding up!

FANTASTIC!!!! This incredible novel "Maame" by Jessica George embodied so much wisdom and relevant topics, I found it memorable and engaging. Depicting guilt, family obligations, careers, friendships, race, traditions, love, and following your heart (as well as utilizing many Google searches), this book was truly amazing. Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher. All opinions are my own.

I truly loved this book. There were so many elements and layers to the story. I rooted for Maddie and didn’t want the book to end.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Maame is a book I’ll be thinking about for a long time. Our main character is loveable, flawed, more than a little naive, and I can’t help but root for her. She makes some big mistakes, but who wouldn’t in her shoes? The reader gets to witness her growth and maybe learn alongside her journey.

I tend to really love books from the POV of women in their 20s who are just trying to figure it all out, so when I received an eARC of this one, I knew I would likely be a huge fan. After seeing tons of rave reviews for MAAME here on IG, I bumped it up on my TBR, read it last week in just two sittings and LOVED it.

Maddie is a twenty-something living in London, where she takes care of her father, who has Parkinson’s, while her mother travels back and forth between London and Ghana, where Maddie and her family are from. Maddie has devoted her life to caring for her beloved father, which means that she’s missing out on a lot of the things her friends take advantage of: going out, falling in love, and growing up. When Maddie’s mother announces that she’s coming back to London, Maddie takes it as an opportunity to move out and finally experience the things she’s been missing.

This is one of those books that will make you laugh and cry. No matter what stage of life you’re in, I think there’s something in Maddie’s story that you can relate to — whether it’s her woes at work, troubles with friends, the grieving process, or the ups and downs of dating.

What really shone for me here is the VOICE. George’s writing style feels like you’re reading someone’s journal — very personal and intimate (it’s also a more well-written journal than the ramblings that can be found in mine haha). I’ve seen this book get some comparisons to BRIDGET JONES’ DIARY, and I think those are pretty apt, although MAAME is certainly a more emotional and nuanced version of that book. If you like coming of age novels, I highly recommend this one. Very emotional, but also incredibly witty and relatable. I think it’s impossible not to root for Maddie throughout.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for accepting my request to read and review Maame.

Published: 01/31/23

First -- I am disappointed that the author chose to sprinkle profanity throughout the book. That choice kept this as a book in lieu of a beautiful story. Secondly -- This is based on familial traditions of Ghana. The author doesn't elaborate or give any guidance.

So, with the above said, I could relate to parts of Maame' s growing up problems and her fears socializing. I was younger and not suspected of being anything but American, there is a difference. The pressure placed on Maame by her family was heartbreaking, and I did choke back tears. Her mother was the worst at victimization. I would have liked to understand more of the traditions. Maame was stuck between two worlds trying to fit in, and in the meantime she is abused over and over. She does find out she was loved after a death. That really broke my heart.

The book is okay. It was a heavy hitter for my heart and past. 3.5 stars and I'm not rounding up.

4.5 stars. Somewhat of a quarter-life crisis story, Maame tells the story of 25 year old Maddie who lives in London and cares for her ailing father while her mother flits back and forth between Ghana and London. When her mother decides to stay in London for a bit longer than usual, Maddie decides to take this opportunity to move out and discover who she is.
I loved this novel so much; it made me so glad that my twenties are over. Maddie struggles with her job, friendships, family, and relationships, all the while figuring out how her race and culture intersect and also define who she is. This probably would have been five stars for me if it hadn’t felt a tad bit YA at times, but that could just be because I feel so far removed from my twenties.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC!

I loved this one so much, I read it twice back-to-back! I felt so SEEN by the author’s ability to encapsulate the main character’s relationship with her parents. The responsibility of an only daughter within certain cultures can be difficult to understand, but she just GETS IT! Maddie is me and I am Maddie and I’ve never highlighted so many relatable passages in a book before. Touching, funny, smart, and wonderful!!

4.5 stars

I've read a lot of books that left me feeling "meh" so far this year. This is one of the first books of the year that really caught my attention and held it from start to finish. I really enjoyed it!

Maame is about a young woman named Maddie, from a family of Ghanian immigrants living in London. Maddie is coming into adulthood while caring for her father with Parkinson's. Her relationship with her often absent mother is strained and her brother is rarely around. Maddie carries much of the burden of the family and is struggling to become her own person while still holding down the duties of her family.

I really liked Maddie as a character, and I feel like how the reader feels about Maddie will play a large role in how they feel about the book in general. This is Maddie's story. She is naive and uncertain about many things (I loved her constant Google searches because I can relate). But as the story progresses, her character grows a lot, and Maddie learns more about herself and her place in the world.

I always find stories about complicated mother/daughter relationships to be fascinating, especially when there is a multicultural and/or religious element. So I was really interested in the relationship between Maddie and her mom and how that relationship was affected by their personalities, their cultural background and religion. So interesting and the relationship was really well-written in this book!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me a copy of this one!

In a beautiful coming of age story we meet Madeline, the primary caretaker of her father who is suffering with Parkinson's Disease. She still lives at home at the age of 25 because it is important for her to help her family in any way she can. When her mom comes back to London from Ghana, she is encouraged to move out and be own her own and experience life as a young adult. The reader moves through Maddie's life after she moves out of her home through several trials and tribulations, heart breaks and sufferings, and eventual triumph.

This was a beautiful story. The character development of Maddie was exquisite. As a reader, I felt connected to her at all stages, especially those times when she was overcome with grief and working through depression. I felt like the author wrote a very poignant book about how to grow up when everybody else is growing up around you, how life experiences are different for different people, and how culture can affect your lifestyle as well. I found it interesting learning more about her culture, and the relationship that she had with her mother, father and brother. I cried when Maddie cried, I cheered when she had successes, and my heart broke over and over for her again when she was working through some of the circumstances she found herself up against. It was truly a stunning book, one I will not forget for many years to come, and I will be sharing it with my friends and family. I feel honored to be get to read this fantastic debut.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

Maddie is left in a London suburb caring for her ailing dad while her mother visits her native Ghana for a year at a time. James, her brother, travels the world as a roadie for a band. Maddie provides not on the day to day support for her dad but also the financial resources needed by the family. Only twenty-five, she has no life outside of work in a job she hates and as a caregiver. When her mom decides to come home, Maddie moves out. She has been fired but finds in new job in publishing which is a better fit for her love of writing. Living a flat with a pair of girls is a whole new world for Maddie. As she embarks on this new chapter in her life she is met with both successes and failures. This is well written with strong character development. I sometimes wished that there was more to Maddie’s story but overall this was a good read. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This book packs a punch! Maame is the nickname that Maddie's family has given her. It means "mother" and Maddie seems to have found herself taking on that role, despite only being in her 20s. With her mother choosing to spend most of her time in their native Ghana and her brother doing his own thing on the other side of town, Maddie is the main caretaker for her father who has Alzheimer's. When Maddie's mother opts to come back to London for the year, she has the chance to finally move out on her own. and find out who she really is.

What follows is poignant at times, heartbreaking at others. Maddie navigates the trials and tribulations of the dating scene and how far she wants to take that. She learns how to build new friendships with her roommates in the flat she moves into. She works on being her own person while still respecting her Ghanaian roots. And she faces the difficult challenge of being a black woman in a white-oriented workforce. I loved Maddie for her resiliency. She felt like a fully-formed, flawed character that was so beautifully written. Her feelings are real and visceral. Seeing her work through this transitional moment in her life was a true joy and I loved every moment. I highly recommend this well written book if you are looking for a 5 star read.