Maame" by Jessica George was one of my most anticipated reads for 2023 and it did not disappoint. It is a very powerful coming-of-age story about family relationships, grief, and the search for happiness and fulfillment in life. Maddie is an endearing and realistic character and anyone who has ever felt the weight of family responsibility will relate to her. I loved following Maddie's story and watching her grow as a woman from the first page to the last.

This book is beautifully written and doesn't shy away from heavy subjects. I could relate to Maddie's experience with depression and overly critical but emotionally unavailable mother. Her experience as a black woman in both the workplace and in the dating scene really resonated with me, as I have watched my friends of color have similar experiences. "Maame" is thought provoking and emotional. It will definitely be considered one of the best books of 2023 and I feel privileged to have read an advanced copy. Five glorious stars!

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for this eARC. The book will be published on 31 January 2023.

There is a reason why this text is featured on so many Anticipated Books of the Year. It is an intensely readable and beautiful story about a daughter's coming of age. As a reader, I fell in love with Maddie and breezed through this novel.

Understanding the difficulties of being a caregiver firsthand made this novel resonate on a personal level for me. I saw myself greatly in Maddie's story, but one need not feel a personal connection to be deeply affected by this story. It is at times heartwarming and devastating, funny and serious all at once.

Maame has been getting quite a bit of buzz the past few weeks, so I went into reading it with very high hopes. The hype is real! I LOVED this book and believe that it will be on my Best of 2023 list (even though it's only January). The novel follows 25-yr old Maddie, who is called Maame - woman - by her family. She's graduated university and is living at home and is the primary caretaker of her father, who is suffering from Parkinson's, because her mother lives mostly in Ghana and her brother is never around. We hear about Maddie's life in London - her job, living at home, her dating (or non-dating), her caring for her father and other responsibilities, her habit of Googling answers to life's questions.
I laughed out loud and then cried like a baby during this book. It made me feel all the feels and I could relate to so much even though I am not a 25-year old Black woman.
This is such a fabulous debut that will affect everyone who reads it. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and most of all, it will make you root for Maddie!
Many thanks to #StMartinsPress and #NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for my honest review.

THIS BOOK. Oh wow. It was amazing. This book is about so many things from racism to family issues to finding your own identity to grief and more. I absolutely loved Maddie. She was relatable in so many ways like her googling every question she had and her habit of people pleasing at the expense of her own needs. I really enjoyed her journey of leaving her home and becoming exactly who she wanted to be. I also really liked the look at her struggle to be the perfect daughter, the responsible one, especially with her family’s Ghanaian traditions so deeply rooted in her, but also the way she didn’t feel like she fit with that way of living, growing up in London. Maddie had so many lessons to learn and my heart broke for her each and every time she had to learn them the hard way. This book also had a really good discussion about consent and sexual pleasure that I found really well done. Also there were some really funny moments that I thought helped balance out the pain and grief. I really can’t say enough good things about this book. It’s absolutely a book people need to read immediately.
TW: death, illness, racism, mental illness

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. George did such a great job capturing the feelings of anxiety, grief, and guilt when it comes to complicated family dynamics. I wanted to wrap Maddie in the largest hug and tell her that she’s doing enough and that she deserves better.
Towards the beginning of the book, George has Maddie talk to the audience/reader, but towards the middle she stops doing that. I’m wondering if that was an intentional choice—if it was supposed to reflect Maddie trying to quiet her subconscious. I’ll have to sit on that piece a bit more.
Maddie’s realization that she could love her mother while also acknowledging her mother’s imperfections was powerful and resonant.
Overall, really enjoyed and will definitely recommend to students!

George's novel was so addictively enjoyable, even as the themes get deeper and more affecting. The obligatory existence of Maddie as daughter/caretaker, her reserved and naive character, and the slow way she blossoms as the story goes on.

I love her core friends who leave an impression even though they aren't on the page for long, I wanted more of their support and interactions, but what was shown was amazing. Her mother is infuriating and the way she handles and handled her relationship with her children and husband had my teeth on edge.

But with compassion, George takes us into Maddie's life, her insecurities, her struggle with acknowledging the stress and weight of being the foundation for her father and the lack of support from her mother and brother. What drew me into this story was the premise of family and how obligation can become an unwelcome and almost physical millstone and how it can affect one's relationships and mental health. As a person of African descent, this exists in my world as well and the familial dynamics were all too real for me.

There was humour, moments of self-doubt and questioning, and vulnerability that added to the narrative and made this read even more impactful

Maame is a story about Maddie, a twenty-something woman who has really never grown up due to her family situation. Maddie lives in London with her father. Her parents are Ghana immigrants who have placed a large amount of responsibility on her while her mother returns to Ghana and her brother lives his own life. Maddie stays in her family home to take care of her father who is ill. Everything falls on Maddie including the care of her father and financial responsibility all while working a full time job. Maddie has never really matured past her teenage years. She never goes out, she never dates, and has few friends.

Maame will tug at your heartstrings. I found myself routing for Maddie to stand up for herself. Jessica George has written a special book that I think many readers will enjoy. I will be anxiously awaiting George's future releases.

Warning Possible Triggers: Parental loss

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Twenty five year old Maddie lives in her parents' London home. While her mother spends most of the time in her Ghana homeland, Maddie is the caregiver for her ill father. It's only when her mother returns for an extended time period that Maddie is free to strike out on her own and learn the ways of the world.

Naive Maddie is years behind her peers when it comes to social interactions, dating, sex, and living with flatmates her same age. As new situations come her way, she relies on Google for advice because she's too embarrassed to ask a friend. A recurrent and hilarious plot device.

What I liked -- never feeling the need to skim. The writing style was superb in that regard. The sections about her work life where she felt unappreciated, and was often the only black in the room. Her awkward sexual experiences leaving her wondering why people thought such a painful event was worth the effort. The relatable family squabbles and the cultural disconnect between a Ghana homeland and life in London. Maddie's two best friends whom she took for granted, until she later realized how very special they were.

What I didn't like -- the majority of the book dealt with Maddie's dad's death. While I understood the need to explore her reactions to such a devastating event, I thought it overtook the better parts of my reading experience.

This was a charming and sometimes frustrating read that I thought was unique and thought provoking. The main character, Maddie, is incredibly lost in her life and I found myself wanting to scream at her a few times to either communicate more clearly or stand up for herself. Obviously the plot of the book is her finding her way and the obstacles in her way, but she was a bit challenging as a MC and in so many instances had far more patience for bullshit than I would have - but she's learning. That's the point, huh?

I was deeply saddened by a lot of things in this book, and you will experience a range of emotions. Her father is terminally ill, her love interests are, quite frankly, terrible people, and no one in her life is treating her as she deserves to be treated. As an oldest daughter myself, I definitely understand a lot of the responsibilities and expectations placed on her.

I very much enjoyed the ending of this book and would honestly love to know what happened for her when the story ended. Maddie grew so much as a character - some reviews have said her constant googling was distracting, but I think it was a clever literary device that underscored just how insecure and unsure she was of everything she did. The frequency shows just how dire her need for guidance and understanding was. This book felt deeply personal to me, especially with the novel she's writing having a MC named Jess, as is the author of this book.

Overall, it was a touching and dynamic story of a young woman facing more obstacles than most and showing that it's never too late to make changes and grow yourself, no matter the odds. It was unique to anything I've read before, and I thought the exploration of race and oppression was well incorporated into the story as opposed to others that are much more on the nose- it was raw and real. I would absolutely recommend this book to others.

4.5 Maame is a lovely coming of age story that is a debut by a clearly gifted writer, Jessica George. Maddie is a 25 year old Ghanian woman, nicknamed Maame by her family, living in London that is finding her footing a bit later than her peers due to her devotion to care for her father who has Parkinson's. Her brother is completely self absorbed and offers no assistance except empty promises and while her mother has been gone she is about to return to London. Maddie takes this opportunity to finally move out and start carving her own path. There is a little bit of everything in here from figuring out how to live with roommates, bosses that are horrid, bosses that are supporting, familial guilt, and some really solid friends. There is definitely grief, guilt and sadness here, sprinkled with some humor - hey its a pretty realistic story of life during that phase - but in the end you will cheer for Maddie to find her footing and venture forward. I will be keeping an eye out to see what Ms George releases next.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an early release e-copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Maame will be released on 1/31/2023.

Absolutely superb novel about the challenges of breaking free from where you are to go where you want to go and do what you want to do. The biggest challenge is continuing to move forward when the pain of stability is replaced by crippling setbacks in seriatim. Maame is a continual surprise of forward momentum despite the death of a beloved father, an unfair firing, the belated painful loss of virginity, the betrayal of a boyfriend, racial micro aggressions and racism, and roommate issues. Inspiring and thoughtful examination of a belated coming of age. A heroine to root for.

This was a really well done debut novel that touches on so many of the things we have all loved through even though the details may be different. Maddie is a young woman with a deeply fulfilling life and a lot of responsibility. Her father has Parkinson's disease and she is his main caregiver as her mother spends most of her time in Ghana and her brother keeps himself too busy to be much help.
When Maddie's mother returns to London and says she plans to stay for a year, Maddie is given an opportunity to finally move out on her own and try to live a more fulfilling and exciting life. The move is just one of the many changes in store for her but , just like in life, not all of these work out the way she thinks they will.

Maddie’s nickname is Maame which means “Woman” in Twi. This is fitting because Maddie puts everyone above herself. When we meet Maddie, we learn she’s the daughter of Ghanian immigrants, lives in London with her father who has Parkinson’s while her mother spends most of her time in Ghana, and works full time in a job she finds unfulfilling.

Maddie is a little lost (as most people are in their mid-twenties) and has a tremendous amount of pressure from her family. Witnessing her growth and self-discovery made me feel a sense of pride for her.

This was a wonderful debut novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Maame is easily going to be a 2023 favourite of mine.

We follow 25-year-old Maddie Wright who is the primary caregiver for her father with Parkinson's; while her mother is in Ghana, and her brother is off spending his days with friends and avoiding responsibilities. When Maddie's mother returns from Ghana, Maddie moves out to begin living her life, experiencing things she's never had the chance to, and choosing which Maddie she wants the world to know when her father passes away.

There is so much that happens throughout the novel that you can't help but cheer Maddie on, wishing only the best for her. I wanted to jump in, hug her, comfort her, and tell her that I understand and that she is not alone. The way Jessica George portrayed loss and grief through Maddie was so realistic--showing how grief can consume us and the different stages of grief we experience. Maddie was complex, messy, real and flawed; and yet, you can't help but still love her character. There were many moments where I saw myself in Maddie--relating to her thoughts and emotions. I didn't expect to get emotional and cry while reading this but Jessica George did a splendid job of creating a connection between her readers and characters from start to finish.

I highly recommend checking out this beautiful and honest coming-of-age story.

Thanks to St. Martin Press for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4.75/5

Lovely debut novel with a fully realized main character. Includes difficult themes of depression, grief, parental absence, and racism with insight, strength and compassion. I really loved the ending! Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

This novel was a quick, easy read. I was so intrigued by the premise of Maame, and I look to reading more of George's work. It is apparent at times that this is a debut, and the author is still working on their voice. It'll get fleshed out with time, I'm sure. This coming-of-age story touches on many heavy topics, and Maddie's character touched me. It read more YA at times, which threw me off since the novel is being marketed as literary fiction - it definitely doesn't read literary, and that's okay.

Maame by Jessica George
Maddie is the twenty-five-year-old daughter of Ghanian descent who is the glue supporting her dysfunctional family. As her father slips away with Parkinson’s disease, her brother enjoys independence from all responsibility, since Maame (Maddie) takes care of everything, and even her mother leaves her in charge, to spend every other year in Ghana. So, Maddie stays home and is her father’s caretaker. Stuck in a job that doesn’t value her, with a few close friends from high school and no social life, Maddie bears the burdens of family without reprieve.
When her mother returns, Maddie takes the opportunity to find out how life can be and moves out. And it all falls apart.
The name Maame, what her mother has called her from childhood, means Woman, and implies that she carries the weight of the family on “heavy shoulders.” Despite the burden, this book is more a tale of discovery and growth than sorrow and shame. George’s voice is fresh and gives a peek inside Ghanian culture as an immigrant, but also the story of how family values mold and guide characters, even when they reject them.
Thank you to St Martins and NetGalley for this ARC. Maame goes on sale January 31,2023.

Maame is a debut novel about 25 year old Maddie, who is coming of age in London. Maddie has been burdened with being her chronically ill father's caregiver, and because of that has not had a chance to experience many things that other 25 year olds have (calling all eldest daughters, this one's for you!). Her absentee mother returns to care for her father and she is able to finally move out and begin experiencing life independently from her family. During this time of exploration Maddie experiences some traumatic events that cause her to reevaluate her identity and grapple with her mental health. Maame is compulsively readable, the author's writing feels like speaking to your best friend. She is at times charming and funny (she has an inner monologue represented by a Lizzie McGuire type cartoon), but also deeply emotional and poingnant. Maame touches on growing up, grief, racism, mental health, sex, friendship, and diaspora/Ghanaian culture.
I loved Maddie and her story so much, and really recommend this one! I have a feeling it'll be on a lot of must read lists this year!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.
ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Maame by Jessica George #debut #literaryfiction #newrelease

Maame (ma-meh) has many meanings in Twi but in my case, it means woman.

This book centers around Maddie. She is 25 living in London, working a job she hates, and spending all her free time taking care of her father, who is suffering from Parkinson's disease. When her mother comes back from a year long trip to Ghana, Maddie finds the opportunity to move out on her own and start living her life for the first time.

This is a very unique coming of age story. Maddie is dealing with the traditional roles she must fill but also wanting to find her own voice. I loved Maddie and her journey to really be able to go for what she wants. As the reader, we are able to really get into Maddie's head and feel her feelings. This is a very heartfelt and beautiful debut.

I alternated between print and audio on this. Either format is a win.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I am so happy this was my first book of the year! <I>Maame</I> is a contemporary fiction novel from the perspective of a young Ghanaian woman named Maddie. She is a caregiver for her father who has Parkinson's while her mother lives in Ghana and her brother assumes she's responsible for everything because WEAPONIZED INCOMPETENCE. Anyway, Maddie is fired from her horrible job and learns that her mom is coming home to the UK to take care of her husband and is encouraged to move out of her childhood home. She finds an apartment and a new job when tragedy strikes.

In its conversational tone, <I>Maame</I> begins a lot like <I>Luster</I> or <I>Queen</I>, moving its heroin through the tumultuous path of coming of age. And then it turns a corner about halfway, splintering off into it's own exploration of grief and family roles. We get a front row seat watching Maddie become an adult person with boundaries, self respect, and expectations for how she is treated. And it is satisfying as hell!

The book steadily plods along, yet it always engaging. I would have enjoyed more from the friendships. At times, I'd get confused about which best friend was which and it could have used a bit more characterization for the two of them.

If you enjoy meandering character studies or books about grief, this is a great one. I aggressively recommend this one!