This was such an inspirational book. Maddie's overbearing mother, although in Ghana most of the time is very difficult and Maddie is torn between family duty and doing things just for herself. The book is named Maame because that is what her mother calls her - it is Twi term meaning "woman" which she is but she hasn't really had a chance to be on her own, She is obligated to take care of her father while her mother is absent. Finally, her mother returns and Maddie tries to live her best life but life isn't easy especially since she had to be a woman long before she was ready. Very powerful story with themes of family, self growth, grief, guilt, regrets, and finally starting over!

This book took me a minute to get into.. It was a slow, but interesting read. The main character, I thought was written decently, Just some of the things that happened in the story irritated me at times throughout the story. After a certain point, it did get a little more engaging.

Maddie's life is very mudanely chaotic in a way that feels very relateable. Often times, your day to day life is very simple and then events occur that upheave that normalcy and force you to adjust to a new one. The author did a great job of depicting this through Maddie leaving home and then tragedy bringing her back but bringing her back changed.

I thought the discussions that occured here on grief, love, being a late bloomer and even the toll that being the stable child takes on a person were all timely amd experiences many folks will identify with.

Overall, a very interesting, unique, and yet still familiar read.

rom beginning to end, no notes! Bookstagram is very good at getting my energy and me to buy books because everyone says they’re good and the pretty pictures that they’re featured in. Sometimes y’all be lying but with this one, chef’s kiss.

Maddie stays at home with her sick father, as the oldest daughter, only moves out once her mother, his wife finally decides to return from Ghana to UK and so now Maddie has a life of her own. Maddie recently lost her job but had enough saved to buy her own flat, go out drinking, work on her social skills and date. (I related to this so much. I’m one of 8 kids and the oldest daughter, once I got out of the big house and lived alone, I explored NYC in ways I always dreamed.

The beauty of having your own life and identity means you are learning your own language and what your world needs. The brutality of that is everyone else is living as well and you can miss the opportunity to say goodbye to a loved one. In the midst of family duty, Maddie is dealing with microagressions at work, giving herself to the wrong men, and living with roommates. Watching her find herself and her voice was really one of my favorite experiences this year! (Yes, my therapist said I need to go outside!)

The character development. The trauma. The happy ending. Chef’s kiss. Did anyone else enjoy this as much as I did?

What a great novel really touched on finding your way in life. I would highly recommend this to anyone and Jessica George is a wonderful wonderful writer.

A novel that does and feels so much. I can't believe this is a debut! Gorgeously written, endlessly quotable — so many lines I wanted to pluck from the book and wrap myself up in.

7/10

This book actually reminded me of the book Small Joys, which I read recently and, if I remember correctly, I gave it the same 7/10 rating.

Small Joys was about Harley, a black boy in his early 20s who had a troubled relationship with his father, was depressed, moved into an apartment with some strangers and found himself.

Maame, on the other hand, is about a black girl in her early 20s who had a troubled relationship with her family, was depressed, moved into an apartment with some strangers and found herself.

Y’see the similarities?

But seriously, folks, this is a good book.

Maddie’s (aka Maame) mother lives in Ghana most of the year, her brother is out living his own life so Maddie is stuck living with her father in England and taking care of him as he struggles with Parkinson’s.

She finally decides to move out of her parents place and try to grow up. Yes she’s a bit depressing, yes she lets people walk all over her… but you feel for Maddie. You want her to win. You want her to find good people who respect her. Because deep down Maddie is a good person who is just trying to live a good life for her and for others.

This is a lovely story and so well written, especially for a debut novel. I was impressed.

#maame #netgalley

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick. Our library purchased and our patrons have been checking out and and enjoying the book. I see it is a popular book club choice as well we hope to have more oppurtinies to support authors like them

MAAME is a must-read debut novel in 2023. I was lucky enough to read it early and learned a lot from this book. From Ghanaian culture to self-growth issues, MAAME shows the complexity of life throughout the story.

It was beautifully written from the perspective of Maddie, a caretaker of her father. She learned to navigate her life after her father's death to get out of her comfort zone -- facing her separation anxiety, embracing her uniqueness, and learning to love herself.

It's funny how I didn't initially like Maddie and became her supporter in the end. It shows the author, Jessica George, did an excellent job building this character. MAAME is out now, so don't miss it!

Took me a while to clear this one off my shelf. What a fantastic novel!
It was hard to believe this was a debut, really.
Maddie has tremendous responsibility and all her stuff with her family set her own personal development back some.
This is a novel full of heart, love, and deep thoughts about life, family and living.
GREAT READ

This was absolutely phenomenal. I know I'm super late, but I really wanted to read this when I knew I could savor it, and it did not disappoint. It's sad but funny, relatable and everything in-between.

Thank you to netgalley.com for this ARC.

This was a very touching and emotional book for me. Maame is very sheltered by her upbringing and culture and when she finally starts to free herself from it, a tragedy happens.

This story shows her coping with the tragedy as well as trying to follow her cultural beliefs while working and socializing in modern London.

This book was heartbreaking at times and very relatable.

warm, awkward, joyous, a little bit heartbreaking and, most of all, unforgettable, you'll fall in love quickly

this book was hard to put down.

the writing style, pacing & specificity elevate what could've been a mundane tale of a young, ghanian-british woman.

i was *invested* in maddie's situation and the way she looked at the world.

🧡🩷❤️Book Review:
Title: Maame
Author: Jessica George
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/3 stars

I saw many 5 star reviews for this book, and while it was pretty good, it just wasn't a favorite for me. I did get bored at times reading it.

The main character, Maddie, is a people pleaser. Her father is suffering from an advanced stage of Parkinson's, and she is his primary caregiver. Her mother, while still being married to her father, mostly lives in Ghana while leaving Maddie in London to take care of everything, including the finances. She has even loaned large amounts of money to both her mother and brother throughout her adulthood. That was hard to read about. Freeloaders!

Eventually, enough is enough, and Maddie starts to live her own life, they way SHE wants to, not the way everyone else thinks she should. Sometimes, the most toxic people and situations can come from your own family. That can be very difficult to break free from.

Thank you, @netgalley and @stmartinspress, for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Published: January 31st, 2023

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. Maame known as Maddie is late bloomer and her life is filled with responsibilities. She is the sole caregiver for her father who is in late-stage Parkinson's. Her mother is absent as she mainly is in Ghana and her brother is always too busy and hardly visits. She is the only black person in her job. her boss is awful and it seems she's always blamed for something as well as not appreciated for the work she does. She learns that her mom is returning from Ghana and Maddie decides this is her chance to start living her life. She moves into a flatshare, starts dating (she's still a virgin) and pushes for more recognition at her job. But then tragedy strikes forcing her to deal with her dysfunctional family and figure out what is her worth and what does she want in life. This story deals with family duty, racism, coming of age as an adult and the complexities of relationships, friendships and how to have self love and balance that with family. In their culture, parents name daughters for what they hope they will become - patient, kind, etc. Maame means woman in their language. Is that why she's left with all the responsibilities and also why she prefers to be called Maddie? A line that stood out to me: "Some things you're not meant to be saved from. Some things have to be lessons."

What an amazing debut novel! Jessica George knocked it out of the park with this one. The writing is phenomenal. What I loved most about this book is Maddie's character, she was warm and endearing, so loyal to her family! Maddie had a lot of ups and downs, and I experienced all the emotions while reading this one. An added bonus of this one, is that I really enjoyed learning more about the Ghana culture.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley, for a copy in return for my honest review.

This one was a dud for me; it was underwhelming and boring. The author tried to throw a whole bunch of topics (racism, grief, depression, bisexuality, family struggles, online dating...) in the book, but each one was mostly just mentioned for a chapter or two and then never discussed again. The book felt like it consisted of the main character googling everything or talking to herself. Not for me and I do not recommend.

“They were talking around each other, not to each other” maame

First five star of the year!

This debut is a slice of life, coming of age immigrant story that completely stole my heart. Maddie is a mid-twenties black British woman caught between an unfulfilling job and familial duties of caring for her father with Parkinson’s. As a 30-year old first generation Chinese immigrant, I related so much to her struggles with work/career and her relationships with her family and culture (though thankfully I don’t have the experience of a terminally sick parent.) The nuanced discussions of filial piety, responsibility, self-preservation were all so well done, and the representation in this book all felt so authentic. I was rooting for Maddie all the way, and I cried at multiple points throughout the second half.

A decent read and a unique perspective I have not had the pleasure of reading before. There were absolutely moments I loved and also a lot of moments that I just didn’t. A good read overall.