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.

My mom died 11/8/22, so this book hit me it all the right places. It was raw, compelling, and emotional. Maddie’s emotions around her dads death and the processing of grief, guilt, managing arrangements and dealing with family & well-meaning friends… it was all very impactful to me.

That being said, there was so much more to this book. This feels like the kind of book that should be read as mandatory reading in high school or a lit class in college. It touches on massively important issues (death, relationships, racism, sex, depression) and it does so in a relatable way (again, I personally am dealing with stuff right now, but I would venture to guess that most people could relate, at least at some level, to what is written about here.

An absolutely exquisite journey of life and self-discovery.

Beautifully written. The authors understanding of grief was spectacular. The ending was everything I needed it to be.

Maddie's Dad has Parkinson's. She is his care taker and her mother is rarely present and Maddie is the only one who takes care of him. Her Mom lives in Ghana and she is running a hostel. Maddie is twenty five years old and lives in London. Her brother does not help her at all with the care of her father. Maddie's Mom visits her every other year and is always criticizing her.

I really loved this book. There are likable characters and unlikable characters. The characters are very well done. I also loved the writing style.

My favorite character is Maddie. She never cares about herself but always takes care of others. She loves pleasing people.
She goes to the University and is the only black woman in her classes.
Her mother calls her Maame which has many different meanings in Twi, mainly meaning Woman.
Maddie did not have a childhood.

I did not like her Mom at all. She was always criticizing Maddie. I also did not like her brother who always thought of himself.

This was an emotional read for me. It had all of the emotions. I love a book that makes me feel. It also is uplifting and I loved the great messages in this book

I want to thank Netgalley, and St. Martin's Press for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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Fresh perspective on coming of age that I really enjoyed.

Maddie is part of a Ghanian family, having grown up in England and now responsible for the care of her ailing father. Her mother lives and works in Ghana most of the time and her brother is conveniently absent.

Life is not great for Maddie right now. She hasn’t had time to be a young adult and she is still living with her Dad. We are with Maddie as more challenges come her way and feel them right along with her.
“I can’t carry on living believing human beings are as good as it gets” She looks at me. “We’re the worst.”

Maddie comes to terms with her life and it is a hopeful, lovely message. This is a light read, with serious topics.

Thank you to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for my advanced reader copy.

This is a book about a young woman navigating her life - caring for an ill parent, feeling heavy responsibility and trying to make better/more fulfilling choices. The voice of Maddie is authentic and relatable. I appreciated the race storylines which were subtle but realistic. The topics of heavy responsibility, family matters and grief are covered with realism. There are some great storylines and characters who I came to appreciate. I loved this novel!

Maame
by Jessica George
Pub Date: January 31, 2023
St. Martin's Press
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
Maame by Jessica George is a moving and deeply insightful novel. The writing is excellent, and the characters are superb. "Maame" is Mother's nickname for Maddie0 in their native Twi which means woman, the responsible one. It is hard to believe that THIS is the debut work of this author. I felt invested in her story grieving and celebrating with her in her moments of triumph. I look forward to reading more from this talented author in the future.

4 stars

Fantastic debut! This is an emotional coming of age story, vividly described, sometimes a little depressing. Maddie, otherwise called Maame, which means “woman” in Twi, is a 25 yr old woman with a lot on her young shoulders. She lives in London caring for her ailing father, and works full time while her mother continues to live in Ghana running a hostel. Her only sibling, a brother who also lives in England, is a reluctant helper. When her mother finally arrives to take over the heavy responsibilities, Maddie is free to move out and develop a social life and date for the first time. I thought this book was beautifully written and well thought out, and can we take a moment to admire that vibrant cover art?! Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be released on January 31, 2023

4.5+ stars

This is an excellent, emotional book. The characters are real and well-developed, the plot is an intriguing mix of sombre and light-hearted, and the text directly addresses some major social issues without feeling too preachy. It was intense and emotional at times but then light and funny at others. I really, really enjoyed it.

The protagonist is a Black woman, and at one point, she’s dating a white man who (not so openly) is also dating a white woman. When she’s able to confront him about it and about why he took the other woman to meet his parents as well as on more public dates while she only spent time with him in private, she says she thinks she knows why, and he says something along the lines of “don’t play that card” in their situation. She responds with what immediately becomes one of my favourite lines from the novel: “It’s only a card to people who think it’s a game.”

Again, this book is excellent, and I’ll be purchasing a physical copy sometime after it releases. I’ve also already started recommending it to friends. I’m excited to see what else the writer will create in the future.

A good fiction read. It's about the complexities of family. A beautiful black girl, whose descendants are from Ghana, finding her place in London. An introvert finding boyfriends, friends and a career. A book club read for sure, which would lead to great discussion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy. I loved the raw emotion of Maddie as she experienced an entry level job, dating for the first time, living away from home for the first time. Along with these experiences as well as heavier topics like racism and being the primary caretaker for her ill father, I could feel Maddie's emotions through Jessica George's writing. 5 stars, and I would recommend to friends.

3.5 stars. This is a coming-of-age novel focusing on Maddie Wright (Maame), a 25-year-old Ghanaian Londoner who has sacrificed her own “growing up” to be the caretaker for her father (who suffers from Parkinson’s) and the bulwark of her family (which includes her mother and brother). Maddie is enormously unhappy due to the burdens her family life — and her work life — have placed on her, so she finally takes the huge step of moving away from home into a small apartment she share with two flatmates From the point onward, Maddie begins to finally grow up, and the story of her doing so is an interesting and compelling one — one in which she finally learns to stand up for herself and to take her place in the adult world. Her struggles are those which virtually any reader can relate to in some way. Although I found parts of the novel slow going, it was an overall engaging read.

Maddie is a young woman with responsibilities beyond her years. Her dad has parkinsons, and his care falls largely to her. Maddie's mother is in Ghana, and her brother James is living a carefree life. At 25, her life is not going the way she'd hoped it would, but if not for her, who would take care of everything? Maame, the name her family calls her, means woman in Twi after all- she must be the woman of her family.

When Maddie is offered a break, she takes it in hopes to reinvent herself. This book follows Maddie as she experiences a coming of age of sorts in her mid-twenties. Through real struggles of family, grief, heartbreak, love, and growth, Maddie begins to take shape, but does Maame fit her anymore? Did it ever?

I was taken by surprise by Maame! The emotion in this book as well as the changes and growth Maddie experiences gave it a depth that made it hard to put down. I really appreciated how complex this book was in the way it addressed the way Maddie perceived cultural biases from her family and her peers, warring against one another. Deep and emotional, this book offered a lot of insight.

Thanks so much to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately it didn’t work for me. Maddie was sweet and there were a lot of things to love about her and root for (and loved the mental health rep!), and I loved learning about Ghanaian culture and traditions. But Maddie as a character was also just, ugh, annoying, and the book was too heavy handed for me overall. I’m just not sure I like the “naive girl discovers the world” trope. Coming of age is one thing, but the naïveté is just painful for me. I found her character to be so contradictory in ways that just didn’t make sense, and the constant Googling was too cringey for me. I’m not a fan of the preachiness of “now we’re learning a basic life lesson!” I also thought it could have been cut down a lot. This all being said, I’ve seen nothing but glowing reviews so I think I’m in the minority. Again, I really wanted to love it and I hope other people do!

The story follows Madeleine Wright as she navigates life with an I’ll father and an absent mother and brother. Madeleine has always been relied upon to take care of things at home but no one realizes the sacrifices she has had to make; everything from jobs, to friends, to moving out of the parental home, to having money for her own use and even a childhood.

This is a profound case study of life. There is sadness, but also humour. Thee are life lessons to be learned. Perhaps even for the reader.

I thought this was extremely well written with well developed and interesting characters.

I will admit, I wasn’t sure I would totally like it. I was interested at the start and then I felt things kind of took on a slower pace, but that feeling didn’t last. Some of the subject matter is difficult, but by the end, I realized that in order to develop the story properly, time had to be spent on the seemingly more mundane.

Themes of racism, grief, finding your way, family and culture.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars