Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book. I had a lot of emotions when reading this. Maddie is going through at least a decades worth of coming of age in such a short time period. I laughed, I cried, I yelled and I just want to hug Maddie and be her friend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

*****Publishing January 31, 2023*****

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I absolutely loved this book from the characters to the story, it was so well done! I can see why this book is getting lots of attention!

Maddie’s life is complicated, she works full time as a personal assistant in marketing at Covent Garden Theatre in London, while taking care of her father who has Parkinson’s. Her mother lives full time in Ghana running a hotel that her father left to her when he died. Her mother is overbearing and frequently asks for money to be sent. Maddie’s brother no longer lives at home, so its left up to Maddie to take care of her father. When her brother is asked, he can never help financially or with the caring of their father.

Maddie doesn’t like her office jobs, so frequently jumps from job to job. Her back aches from lifting her father and mentally she is not happy. Once her mother plans to move back for 1 year, her mother insists she move out in order to live life and find a husband. Can she find her way or will her life continue to spiral out of control?

This author takes the serious topics of Parkinson’s disease, caregiving, death of a parent, racism, depression, friendships, panic attacks, complicated relationships and weaves it into a meaningful, engaging and entertaining story! A story that keeps you thinking about it even after it’s done! A great book club pick as it will lead to many good discussions!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press , I was provided an ARC of Maame by Jessica George via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Maddie is Ghanian living in Croydon, South London, but her family calls her Maame, which has many meanings in Twi, including woman. She lives with her father who is suffering from Parkinson’s and her mom has returned to Ghana - a familial situation she’d prefer stays in the family. Her current circumstances have left Maame sad and searching for meaning in her life. She works at the Covent Garden Theater, negotiating predominantly white spaces, rife with micro and macro aggressions towards her, which she finds exhausting to deal with. When her mom returns to London, Maddie is ready to start living life to the fullest as a young woman should be doing. But when tragedy strikes, she finds herself at a crossroads, forced to reckon with family duty and living between two cultures. This is a beautifully written and moving novel that explores Maddie coming into her own. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for the advanced review copy.

I adored this book. All the characters were well-developed so that you could understand and empathize with their actions even when you didn't agree with them. I found myself constantly rooting for Maddie to find happiness and contentment.

Jessica George gives us the challenges of family dynamics, social expectations of sexuality, responsibilities as the child of immigrants, racism, imposter syndrome, romance, and friendship in a heartbreaking and powerful coming of age story. She teaches us that growing up happens every year until death through not just Maddie's choices but her brother and parents. Of particular importance is the theme of growing up too fast. Maddie says, "I loved being referred to as a women when I was still a girl. I love being viewed as a grown up before I'd even gotten my period. But now I...." For the first time, Maddie is given the space (and forced) to make her own decisions. Her mother says, "When you see what life is like outside of this house, you will understand and you will wish you had lived sooner." Growing up too fast but under the restrictions of family obligations, Maddie develops depression. The lesson I took away from Maame is being an adult is really hard. Especially when you're taking care of the adults who are meant to take care of you. This review sounds depressing, but there is light at the end. Don't miss Maame. I think we'll be talking about it for a long time.

Awww I really loved this! I related a lot to the main character Maddie as I also am the child of Ghanaian immigrant parents. The balance between independence and family obligation is something very complicated and emotional, especially when factoring in cultural norms/traditions.

Refreshing hearing a coming-of-age story but in your twenties and not in your teens - there were light funny moments but also heavy ones as well. Also, the lowkey frustration/shame of not being fluent in Twi (or whatever your native language is) was relateable!!!

Loved loved loved the ending! felt so seen and this was so enjoyable and moving! thank you so much @stmartinspress!

At 25, Maddie struggles to navigate adult life when all her friends seem to have everything figured out. Her mother spends most of her time in Ghana; her brother is pursuing a music career and is barely present, while Maddie is the primary caretaker for her father, who suffers from Parkinson's. When her mom finally returns to London, Maddie leaps to start "living" finally. She moves into an apartment with roommates, says yes to smoking and drinking, and starts online dating. But when tragedy strikes, Maddie is forced to face her unconventional family, her loneliness, and her messy love life.

Labeled as a coming-of-age story, I didn't expect to ugly-cry while reading this book, and I loved every moment of it. MAAME encompasses the messiness of the mid-20s perfectly with Maddie, a self-deprecating and introverted protagonist. Her struggles with loneliness, friendship, dating, sex, and starting a career are all topics I related to profoundly and wished I'd known when I was younger. I especially appreciated the discussions on sex in MAAME and how George paints a realistic picture of what young women face in modern-day dating, particularly the microaggressions young women of color could encounter when dating white men.

One of the most poignant aspects of MAAME is the relationship between Maddie and her father; both are reserved and tend to bottle their emotions inside. As a result, they lost valuable time communicating with each other. It's a heartbreaking reminder of how we can sometimes let our relationships suffer due to our own struggles. It's a rite of passage for every child to realize that their parents aren't perfect, and MAAME does an excellent job of capturing this moment of realization for Maddie.

There's so much to love in MAAME, and this will likely be my top read of the year. This beautifully written and emotional coming-of-age story will resonate with readers of all ages and make you lol & sob at the same time. For those in their 20s, it's a valuable book to know that they're not alone; for readers who have passed this stage (like me ✌️), MAAME made me realize how far I've come and could go.

Maame by Jessica George was a 5 star read for me. This debut novel was really good and I hope the author writes another. It’s about family, self discovery, betrayal and acceptance. I really can’t give this the praise it deserves. My words fail me to explain how good I thought it was.
The audiobook version was narrated by Heather Agyepong and she was perfect. I highly recommend this one.
Thanks St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley.

I love books that make you "feel" for a character and this one did that. This is a story about family dynamics and friendships and finding oneself in the world. I enjoyed how the author wrote it with us knowing what the main character - Maddie was thinking all the time. I liked how Maddie used Google - a lot! It touched on a lot of hard subjects and did so in a realistic way. I learned things and that is always a bonus.

This book tackled some heavy topics (e.g., racism, death, grief, mental illness), but did so in a sensitive, thoughtful way.

I loved the character of Maddie - she was socially awkward but she was written in such an endearing way.

It took me a bit to get into the story - it had a slow start, but I enjoyed it. It was moving and insightful and I’d recommend it!

Charming, stunning, funny, touching, all words that apply to this spectacular book. Maddie is one of the best characters I’ve had the pleasure of reading about. She is navigating the world, trying to find her place in it, while dealing with an ingrained sense of duty towards her family, Maddie’s mother has called her by a nickname, Maame, since she was a young girl. The word means woman. At the beginning of the book, Maddie is far from the woman she is meant to become. Watching her journey toward becoming that woman was a pleasure. I’m sure to read many more books in 2023, but it will be difficult to top this one.

Families can be complicated. Twenty-five-year-old Madeleine "Maddie" Wright’s family is no different and Maddie is struggling. Her life is far from ideal. The daughter of Ghanaian immigrants settled in London, Maddie, working a dead-end administrative job is responsible for the care of her father, whose Parkinson's Disease is now at an advanced stage. Her mother who alternates between Ghana and London is constantly critical of Maddie but this does not stop her from guilting Maddie into shouldering the greater part of all financial responsibilities – paying the bills and well as sending money to her in Ghana where she runs a hostel with her brother. Maddie’s brother who lives separately is self-absorbed and never seems to be around when Maddie asks for help.

When Maddie’s mother returns to London for a year, Maddie takes this opportunity to move out of her father’s house, take up residence in a flatshare with two young women, start a new job in a publishing house (after being unfairly fired from her previous job) and finally live her life. As the narrative progresses we follow Maddie as she navigates her way through professional ups and downs, old and new friendships and romantic relationships. Not all her experiences are pleasant ones. Naïve and inexperienced in the ways of the world, Maddie struggles to strike a balance between the different aspects of her life. When tragedy strikes, Maddie experiences an immense sense of guilt and loss that plunges her into a state of despair. As she tries to come to terms with her loss and move forward, Maddie begins to understand the importance of prioritizing oneself even if it means confronting those who have taken her for granted.

<b>Maame</b> by <b>Jessica George</b> is a moving and deeply insightful novel. The writing is excellent and the characterizations are superbly done. “Maame” is her mother’s nickname for Maddie – in their native Twi, it means woman; the responsible one. As Maddie reflects on her life she shares how she feels that this nickname has somehow defined her, determined how she is perceived by her family members and has influenced not only how she interacts with others but also how she treats herself.

“It made me grow up when I should have had more time. It made my dad overlook me when I was a child, my mum leave me behind, and my brother get away with doing the bare minimum. It made me lonely and it made me sad. It made me responsible and guilty. It made me someone, if given the choice, I wouldn’t want to be.”

Both inter and intra-role conflict are excellently depicted in Maddie’s story. The author gives us a picture of how culture influences roles and expectations within families and relationships. In Maddie, struggling to find a balance between the Ghanaian family values instilled in her since childhood and her life and aspirations as a Londoner, we have an endearing protagonist who is sweet, smart and lovable and is doing her level best to find her way in the world. Her struggles are real and relatable and her pain and grief are palpable. I found the author's writing on Maddie’s struggles with grief and the discussion on mental health particularly powerful and moving. Maddie’s first-person PoV reels you in and makes you feel like a confidante with whom she is sharing her experiences. I felt invested in her story, grieving with her, feeling her anger ,guilt and pain and celebrating her moments of triumph. Heartbreaking in parts, and hopeful in others, the author tells a beautiful story of love, family, friendships, personal growth and self-acceptance with wit, wisdom and emotional depth. It is hard to believe that this is the author’s debut novel. I look forward to reading more from this talented author in the future.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this beautifully-penned novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel is due to be released on January 31, 2023.

Incredible Moving Story about Maddie, a 25 year old who takes on so much responsibility at such a young age. It has got in the way of her developing her own life and having confidence in the person she is. Her father has Advanced Stage Parkinson’s Disease and Maddie really is the only one in their family to care for her dad. It takes from her, but shows her wonderful and beautiful heart.

When Maddie’s mother comes home from Ghana, she is finally able to start finding out who she really is about. She has deep religious, cultural, and family values instilled in her that often compete with her desires to be a young and care free Londoner. Maggie decides to try though and I routed for her the whole time. She’s new to work, living with flat mates, and dating. It is not always easy to find the balance she seeks and it costs her heavily at points that just hurt my heart, but there are also great rewards to be found in relationships both old and new.

Maddie is a sweet, intelligent, thoughtful woman who at times is really struggling. Yet, it is possible to be honest and speak about herself as she really is feeling and still find the love she needs. It is both refreshing and heartbreaking for sure, and she endures many ups and downs along the way, but ultimately it is the way for her to find out who the real Maggie is.

Fantastic debut novel by Jessica George. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this beautiful story. I am always happy to give my honest feelings about a book.

What an excellent book. I have been avoiding books about grief and loss due to my own grief but I stuck with this one and am so glad I did. It’s a beautiful story of love, loss and trying to figure out who you are in the face of unimaginable change.

I was considering DNF-ing this one around the 60% mark - it is not exactly a “light” read - but I’m so glad I didn’t. I was plugging along and all of a sudden I realize I’m crying, because Maddie is so ME in so many social and mental health aspects.

In discussing how “fine” she is, and not depressed, and some many people have it worse than she, Maddie’s therapist drops this pearl in:

“A person’s troubles are not measured by the size of those troubles, but by how much they weigh on the individual carrying them.”

Read this. All generations will identify with these characters. Even in the midst of wanting to throttle Maddie’s mother, I found myself putting myself in her shoes. Maddie’s inner dialogue/stream-of-consciousness was very witty and relatable.

Maame is a debut novel by Jessica George. It is a bildungsroman story of 25-year-old Maddie Wright, born and raised in London to Ghanaian parents and studied English Literature in college. After she is unfairly fired from a job at a theater, she lands a job in the editorial department of a small publishing company. It is interesting to note that the author, Jessica George, was born and raised in London to Ghanaian parents and studied English Literature. After working at a literary agency and a theatre, she landed a job in the editorial department of Bloomsbury UK. This makes me wonder how much of the story is autobiographical.

Maame has many meanings in Twi, the native language of Maddie's parents. But in Maddie's case, it means "woman." When her mother called her that as a young girl, Maddie was flattered. But at 25, after many years of parental neglect, Maddie hates how the name made her grow up when she was too young. When her mother regularly leaves London and goes to Ghana for a year or more at a time, Maddie is left to care for her sick father. She gives up her social life in order to be one of his caregivers. Her parents forbid her from talking about their odd family situation, so Maddie can never reveal her true self to her friends. She is lonely and depressed. All she wants is to be less sad. Her mother encourages her to move out of the family home upon her latest return from Ghana. But soon after Maddie leaves, the unimaginable happens to her father, and guilt and grief come bearing down.

She starts out as a very naive young woman, trying to navigate family, career, dating, and being allowed the freedom to be an adult. Maddie's pain is palatable and believable. She lacks confidence and tries very hard to be a people pleaser. She struggles with grief and panic attacks. She makes unwise dating decisions. Through the help of counseling and her own self-determination, Maddie learns to become the type of "maame" she is meant to be.

The first part of the novel was a little slow for me, but by the end, I was fully invested in Maddie's character. 4-plus stars.

Fantastic debut novel. Maame is a coming of age story about Maddie who has spent her life taking care of her father and who struggles with finding out who she is when she is finally able to move out on her own. Maddie has a unique voice and I enjoyed delving into the Ghanaian culture.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy of this novel. My review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

Thank you to St Martins Press for an advanced digital copy of this book.

And thank you to Jessica George for writing it! I truly loved this book. It made me feel SO many things! Happy, sad, upset. It broke my heart and put it back together again. So cute, very funny, and loved that this was based on a lot of Jessica's experiences.

This was a beautiful coming of age story and I'm very grateful to have had the opportunity to read it. Thank you!

I really loved this - the writing was wonderful, loved Maddie and watching her grow out of and also into herself. She was a real combo of strong and vulnerable and ugh I just loved the whole reading experience and put the book down feeling warm

Thanks to Jessica George for a great read, St Martins Press for an ARC paperback, and Netgalley for an advanced digital copy

Maame is the story of Maddie, a first-generation Londoner of Ghanaian descent, and her journey of self-discovery as she makes her way through her mid-twenties.

Maddie is the caregiver for her father, whose Alzheimer's means she feels like a stranger in her own home. Her mom is away in Ghana for years at a time, and her brother is useless, as older brothers sometimes are. Maddie has had to grow up before she's ready, but when she finally moves out and tries to stretch her wings, she encounters one obstacle after another.

I loved this honest, raw, and thoughtful portrait of grief, what it means to be an "adult," and life as a Black woman living in present-day London.

Thanks to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.