The perfect coming of age story for those feeling lost in their mid twenties. A fantastic debut and I can’t wait to see what this author writes in the future!

I honestly cannot say enough good things about this book. Maame falls right in my sweet spot - a relatable family drama that explores the day to day stressors and connections of adult children and their immigrant parents.

Maddie is a twenty-something living in London with her father who has Parkinson’s. With her mother living primarily in Ghana, Maddie is her father’s caretaker while also working full-time. Maddie’s brother also lives in London but consistently dodges any family responsibilities. When Maddie’s mom moves back to London, Maddie moves out on her own to start her own life.

Maame explores the complex dynamics of Maddie’s family and Maddie’s identity within her family and the implications of that identity as Maddie finds her place among friends and in the workplace. Maddie is so likable and caring that you can’t help but root for her as she navigates her new life outside the family home.

Maame has depth and heart and I adored it. If it’s not on your list, it should be.

I know it's early to say this, but I can already promise this will be one of my favorite books of the year.

It's a unique twist on the coming-of-age novel, this time told from the perspective of a sort of weird loner character (I mean that in the most loving way possible) who I spent the entire time rooting for. You'll get to watch her figure out who she is and what she wants out of life -- and what she doesn't want. It's also about family, and setting boundaries, and love, and friendship and so many of the messy things that come with being in your 20s.

Maame is an incredibly fresh, engaging, and powerful novel that delves into the complexities of family, grief, self-growth, guilt, and regrets. It is truly memorable and unique, playing a beautiful melody with the strings of your heart and embracing your soul with a newfound perspective. Through its captivating story, Maame encourages readers to start anew and find solace in the power of resilience. It is a book that will stay with you long after you've finished reading.

The character development in this novel was outstanding. When we first meet Maddie, she is on the verge of moving out of the family home where she has grown up and is now caring for her father. Although she has graduated from university, and worked as an underpaid p.a., she is still deeply under the influence of her family and their mores.

A new job, a new apartment, new flatmates and a list of intentions later, Maddie is like a newly hatched chick stumbling around the yard. It was wincingly painful to go shopping with her, as she tried to clothe the "new Maddie." I was increasingly anxious for her as she made bad decisions (aided by googling for internet advice.) But as she dealt with the consequences of her mistakes, and dealt with some really bad things happening to her, she began to find her confidence and her voice.

I highly recommend this debut novel by Jessica George!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I had the chance to duel reading and listening to the audio version, narrated by Heather Agyepong. Agyepong gave a voice I never would’ve pictured for the main character. Even after finishing the book weeks ago, I can still hear Agyepong’s narration ranging in my ears. She did a memorable job.

Long story short, it wasn't for me. I almost DNFed the book. It was prolonged initially for me and didn’t start to pick up until after tragedy struck. I want to say it’s because I couldn’t fully connect with the character. If anything, I resonated with Maddie’s brother and his selfish ways.

I did appreciate the conversations and topics about mental health, female sexuality, adult peer pressure, and family expectations. The more and more I read books with these types of issues with open dialog, the more I feel like the world is learning to talk about the elephant in the room freely.

I’m in complete awe of this story (and the fact that it’s a debut novel what!!) 😍

jessica crafts a beautiful characterization of her plot, characters, and realistic portraits of daily emotions of being a Black woman today. the grief subplot was a lot to read, especially from someone who is suffering through grief herself, but she wrote it so effortlessly that I felt completely emerged in the story! and I loved the journey that everyone went on right along with them …

this was the perfect book to open up black history month for me (even though we should be reading black authors all year long!!!)

while the length was a little long for me, I felt so in touch with every single part of the story that I didn’t mind in the long run ☺️ such a beautiful beautiful plot omg I can’t stop saying that

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!!

rating: 4 stars
wine pairing: south african chenin blanc

Maame, by Jessica George, follows a young woman whose life has been put on hold while she cares for her family. Naive and insecure at age 25, Maddie moves out of her family home, determined to embrace new opportunities and actively live her life.

The reader is first introduced to Maddie when she is living at home and caring for her ailing father. She cooks, cleans, goes to work, feeds her father, helps him to bed and starts the routine over again the next day.

In an effort to escape her constant sadness, Maddie finds a flatshare, a new job, new friends, and her first romance. But when everything crashes down, she is forced to face her depression and examine her life.

There were times when I wanted to take Maddie by the shoulders and shake some sense into her. And it was a stretch to believe that a 25 year old black woman living in London would be new to the idea of racist microagressions. But eventually (and somewhat predictably) Maddie starts to stand up for herself.

The book’s best characters are her two true friends Nia and Shu, who show love and support when Maddie finds herself adrift.

Maame’s biggest strength is how George both realistically and respectfully depicts depression and anxiety. And Maddie isn’t the only character suffering. George includes a supporting character at the beginning of the book who refuses to take time and seek treatment because it would make her appear professionally weak.

This was a well-written story and enjoyable read, despite the heavy themes. At times it felt a little too familiar. I found myself comparing elements of Maame to Queenie, Such a Fun Age, and The Other Black Girl. Maame, in contrast to those earlier titles, lacks their sarcastic bite. With its casual first person narration and straightforward prose, Maame is sure to be a general crowdpleaser.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing this ARC.

Maame
Author Jessica George

Thank you, @stmartinspress and @netgalley, for the arc of this gorgeous debut! I finished this one earlier this month, and it is my first 5 star read of 2023! I loved Maame so much.

Maame (translates as woman in Twi) is a poignant, tender, and moving coming- of- age story told of Maddie's life in London. With her mum back and forth from Ghana to London and her brother no longer living at home, Maddie is the primary caretaker for her father, who suffers from advanced Parkinson's disease. She works in publishing, is typically the only Black person in the office, experiences a myriad of prejudices and inequalities, and is unaware of how to stand up for herself both at home and in her workplace.

When her mum finally comes back from Ghana, Maddie decides to leave home and live on her own - she's never experienced real friends, dating a boyfriend- even going out socially. She has the quirkiest and funniest inner monologue and gets most all of her advice frrom google, which is just so witty and hilarious.

There's just so much to love about Maddie- her innocence, her sense of family obligation and her Ghanian culture, her kindness and love for her father, the relationship she forges with her mum and brother, her humor and wit along her winding path to self- discovery, and finally, her understanding of who she is and where she belongs.

Written with compassion and insight covering some heavier themes of grief and mental health that are completely relatable, Maame is a January must read! I couldn't stop rooting for Maddie, and now, weeks later, I can't stop thinking about her either.

5.0 out of 5 stars Maame is Daddy's Girl!
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 31, 2023
Maddie is the primary caregiver for her father. Her mother lives in another country and her brother can't be counted upon to do their share or provide financial support so it all rests of Maddie's shoulders.

She dreams of a new normal where she can date and meet people her own age. Nearly at her breaking point her mother finally returns to care for her husband, thereby releasing Maddie to go out and experience life.

Socially awkward with strangers, Maddie gets her chance to live, love and make mistakes. Just as she starts to find her footing, the family patriarch dies and it destroys the already shaky foundation she's navigating. His death releases some long pent-up feelings and only when she goes through the stages of grief does she come out on the other side with more clarity of her life and what she wants. Read it.

Maame by Jessica George

Maame is a novel about a young woman named Madeline (Maddie). She is the daughter of Ghanaian immigrants who are now settled in London. As the story begins, Maddie’s mother is in Ghana running hostels, Maddie is the one who is entrusted to take care of her father. Her father has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s and doesn’t communicate much to her. Maddie works during the day at a dead-end job that she eventually gets unfairly fired from. Her mother returns from Ghana for a year, finally allowing Maddie to get a flatshare with some girls her own age. At the age of 25, she can finally begin living a life of independence. As the story progresses through Maddie’s point of view, we go on the journey with her as she navigates this new freedom. She finds herself a new job in publishing, she begins to date and meets up with friends.
Maddie feels that she needs to please others, often putting her own needs aside. Unfortunately, she had devastating news while enjoying her new freedom, one that gives her so much guilt that she becomes depressed.
This story is heartbreaking at times, as well as hopeful. Maddie is finally strong enough to stand up to her mother and complain about all that she has done to keep the family going. She resents that her mother calls her “Maame” which means woman in Twi. It made her try to live up to that name and put her own life and desires away.
It is easy to like the main character, Maddie. She is thoughtful, generous but also naïve and inexperienced. You can feel her pain as she struggles with her grief and depression.
This is a debut novel by Jessica George. She certainly has me cheering for this book and I look forward to reading what she writes next.
Many thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of Maame in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Maame is a heartwarming, nuanced examination of a young woman coming of age. Maddie is a character who elicits so many emotions--she is frustrating, deeply lovable, relatable, etc. This was a slow start for me and I struggled with Maddie's naiveté at the novels beginning. However, the development of Maddie and the exploration of family dynamics is so well done over the story's arc. The ending was very satisfying and this is a great addition to the shelves of anyone who loves a character driven novel.

What I loved:
✨Coming-of-Age: Maddie’s journey is messy and heartbreaking, yet her self-awareness and growth offer hope while learning to understand, forgive, and love people who hurt you.
✨Underlying themes: familial obligations, racism, mental health, and grief. Maddie’s mental health journey, while realistically dark and heartbreaking, shows that people want to help. Sometimes those people come from unexpected places in your life. Opening yourself to others is sometimes the most challenging part.
✨Narration: Heather Agyepong for the win! She embodies all of Maddie, from her sheltered introverted personality to her longing to find the “new” Maddie (I found these moments hilarious) to the dark times driven by grief and loneliness. Heather’s range amazed me!

Highly recommend both the book and the audiobook! You cannot go wrong with either.

Happy pub day to Maame by Jessica George, a sweet and serene slice of life story beautifully narrated by Heather Agyepong.

This is a coming of age story for a late blooming, extremely tender and sympathetic MC named Maddie and also Maame, the definition of which plays heavily into her simultaneously expedited adulthood and latent social development.

You will definitely root for and be proud of her as she steps into her own life fully. Prepare to laugh out loud, punch a pillow, and cheer.

Thank you to St. Martin's for the ARC and MacMillan Audio on NetGalley for the early listening copy.

#maamebook #jessicageorgeauthor #comingofage #sliceoflife #fiction #diverse #stories #January #tbr #booksbooksbooks #bookstagram #bookofthemonth

I am saying it now...this is going to be a 2023 favorite for me.

Maddie's story was so heart wrenching and emotional, and yet so, so beautiful. From her relationship with her family, being her father's sole caretaker, a dead end job that she hates, to starting to find herself in her mid-twenties, learning to advocate for herself, wading through the fog of grief and depression, and fighting her way out of it.

I felt like Maddie and I were friends, and she was talking to me about her days. I rooted for her, cried with her, and celebrated her.

Maame is a wonderfully written and impactful novel. When it begins, Maddie is in a rut and comes across as rather naive, or at least inexperienced in many of the things most twenty-somethings go through. On the one hand, she’s responsible and caring, spending most of her free-time aiding her father, who has Parkinson’s. On the other, Maddie is observant and curious, and she often Googles how to do things: how to befriend your roommates, how to tell if a guy is interested in you, how to be happy. She’s instantly relatable, perhaps especially for Millennials and Gen Z.

But for all its whimsy, Maame also shows a young woman who is burdened by too much. Maddie is depressed, burnt out, possibly in the midst of a quarter-life crisis. Her mother and brother put too much pressure on her to care for her dad; they’re not much help themselves. Maddie’s job isn’t any better, with an unreasonable boss and an undercurrent of racism that she can’t ignore. Finally it all comes to a head, and Maddie is on the hunt for a new job, a new living situation, and a chance to finally step out of her family’s shadow.

At this point, I enjoyed seeing some of Maddie’s early wins. New roommates, possibly friends; a potential boyfriend; a better job. Things are looking up, even if her mom still nags her too much. But then the big tragedy strikes, and Maame moves in a new direction.

It’s hard to talk about the second half of Maame without revealing major spoilers. Indeed, one of my favorite aspects of it is something I should save for a book club discussion rather than a spoiler-free review. Keeping it vague, here are some of the themes that stood out as I read it:

1. The intense pressure Maddie dealt with and that many women, in particular, often experience. Maddie’s other name is Maame, which means “woman” in Twi. But as Maddie explores later on in this novel, this name comes with expectations and burdens, and she’s been holding the family together since she was far too young. Never mind that she’s the youngest one in the family. How did she become the primary caregiver to her father? Why have finances always been up to her since she finished school? How did her mother and brother not see that she was struggling and offer to help out in some way? The pressure from her home life merges with stress surrounding her job, career path, and finances, but it also contributes to her feelings of isolation and depression.

2. The subtle racism Maddie experiences at work and in dating. As a Black woman born to Ghanaian immigrant parents, Maddie often wonders if the treatment she receives is normal… or a product of racism. It’s troubling and exhausting, and she often wonders how best to stick up for herself.

3. Mental health struggles, especially Maddie’s feelings of depression, guilt, and grief. Throughout Maame, Maddie is trying to find happiness, but things will get worse before they get better. The way these themes are explored is nuanced, raw, and perfectly described. Whether you or someone you know has faced such mental health battles, it feels real and relatable. Her Ghanaian culture, like so many cultures, isn’t always understanding about mental health or conducive to improving mental health. I appreciate Maddie’s discussions with her mother and (later) therapist about it.

4. Friendship, family relationships, and dating. Maddie is navigating relationships, both new and old, and is learning to take greater control in her role within these relationships. How can she communicate her needs better? How can she let go of the people that aren’t good for her, improve her relationship with those that need work, and prioritize the ones that already provide her with the love she needs? It’s a learning process, and I loved seeing Maddie grow in all kinds of relationships.

Maame is such a heartfelt novel. It made me cry and feel the pain Maddie felt, but it also made me feel optimistic about her future. It sheds a light on the experiences of a woman who is Black and Ghanaian, living in London, and working through racism and cultural differences. Ultimately, it’s a book about coming into your own and being comfortable in your own skin.

Maame is a stunning debut that is moving, tender, raw, and hopeful. It’s deeply impactful and I loved every bit of it. This is a book I’ll recommend to everyone, and I look forward to reading more from Jessica George.

3.5 ⭐️‘s Maddie is a 25 year old naive young women thrown into the world without a clue on how it works. Being the caretaker of her father (who has Parkinson’s) along with her job and keeping her family afloat, she finally has the chance to move out and find herself. Using Google as her guide, she gets herself into some sticky situations. Just as she’s starting to finally find herself, tragedy strikes and she’s more lost than ever. Will it finally take a tragedy for her to find out who she really wants to be? I’m sure to be in the minority on this one, but I didn’t love it! There were parts I enjoyed, but others I didn’t. George tried to balance the emotions, but at times it was just too far on the depressing scale. That being said, the ending was perfect and it ended up being a good read. Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

MAAME by Jessica George is the story of a conscientious, loving young woman caught between the life she longs to lead with her abundant creativity recognized at work, with friendships and romance, and experiences wilder and more free-spirited than the rigid, traditional supportive daughter's life she is expected to lead by her overbearing, presumptive family. Her mother's return from Ghana for a year to tend her ill, estranged husband frees Maddie to move out of the family house and flounder and triumph her way in a drastically different and rewarding life of her own. The voice of Maddie and her ongoing consideration for others and ache to follow her own ideas and carry through her initiatives while she can powered me through this engaging, all-entrancing story. I enjoyed the story and the time with this remarkable, memorable hero. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

Thank you to @stmartinspress for my gifted copy of Maame, by Jessica George! This fabulous debut comes out today, and needs to be on everyone’s list.

Maame tells the story of Maddie, a young woman who is going through a lot of changes in London. This is definitely a coming of age story, because of what this young woman goes through.

I loved this book! It is so beautifully written, and you really get a view of what goes on in Maddie’s mind as she experiences life and it’s changes. Maddie’s growth, as well, is remarkable and would make for wonderful book club discussion. There are so many side characters as well who are well developed and thought out.

I am already looking forward to Jessica George’s next book! Don’t miss this one, especially if your book club needs a February or March pick.

Jessica George’s Maame is rumored to be a Book of the Month selection for February, and I’m so thrilled because I want a physical copy for my shelves! This one is already a contender for top 2023 reads. A coming-of-age story set in contemporary London, the titular character balances career and personal highs and lows. I loved Maame’s voice and her journey in the book. George has a wonderful talent for hitting different emotional beats and developing dynamic relationships with real conflicts and stakes. She also crafts a female protagonist who feels both familiar and unique due to her own quest for independence and balancing familial responsibilities. I loved reading this book and hope others will as well.