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

“It’s fair to say that Maddie’s life in London is far from rewarding. With a mother who spends most of her time in Ghana (yet still somehow manages to be overbearing), Maddie is the primary caretaker for her father, who suffers from advanced-stage Parkinson’s. At work, her boss is a nightmare and Maddie is tired of always being the only Black person in every meeting.”

When her mother returns, Maddie takes advantage of her freedom and moves out of her family home and into a flat share with other young women. She makes a list of things the “New Maddie” will do, things that other young women her age take for granted: drink alcohol, wear new clothes, say yes to social events, and go on dates. Maddie is just beginning to figure out who she is when tragedy strikes. It’s while grieving that Maddie learns the value of friendship, trusting your own intuition, and putting yourself first every once in a while.

You will find yourself cheering Maddie on the entire way. An incredible debut, Maame by Jessica George is equal parts funny and heartbreaking and will resonate with anyone who has ever experienced loss or tried to figure out where they belong in the world. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this advanced reader’s copy.

This book!!!! What a story and I can’t believe it’s a debut. This reminded me that I am definitely a mood and emotional reader. A story about a British Ghanaian woman named Maddie. It’s about grief, guilt, sorrow, family, friendship, finding who you are and love. It has a bit of everything and I was rooting for Maddie the whole time. There were so many good lines in this story which I must go back and tag. I’m predicting that this will be a favorite for many in 2023.

Big thanks for Netgalley and St Martin’s press for my electronic arc and physical copy in exchange for my honest review.

Publish date: February 7, 2023

What an incredible read. It was moving on so many levels, but ultimately uplifting. At the age of 25, Maddie is the primary caregiver for her father, who has advanced Parkinson’s. Her mother spends long periods of time in her native Ghana—and by long, I mean one year at a time. So life at home is a serious, sad affair. Things are unfortunately not better at work, where Maddie has to deal with a boss who has raging anxiety and depression, on top of always being the only Black person in the room. When her mom comes home from Ghana, she suggests that Maddie move out, so that she can spread her wings and hopefully find someone to marry. But moving out becomes an incredible opportunity for Maddie to explore all aspects of her life and make some drastic (yet realistic and relatable) changes. The journey is heavy at times to follow, as the author manages to make all of Maame’s emotions come through so clearly; but it is ultimately a fantastic opportunity to learn more about our own selves and to gain insight into what our friends in similar situation—being the main caregiver to an ailing parent and being the only Black person in the room, amongst others—might be going through.

This book has left me in a very fragile state of mind and I didn't even realize it was happening until it was over, but wow I really loved it. Maddie is such a relatable character for a number of reasons, and the way her story is portrayed absolutely floored me. I loved the combination of stream of consciousness and first person description, which made me feel like I was in Maddie's head and experiencing things right along with her. While this is a story of learning who you are, it's also a story of grief, acceptance, growth, love, and mental health.

I don't want to say too much, as I don't want to spoil a single moment, but I believe every woman who feels like a late bloomer or like she's stuck in a rut needs to read this to learn that you are not alone in your feelings, and you will find your way through (even though it may take twists and turns along the way).

Highly recommend and need this for my physical bookshelf.

Maame. Woman. But Madelyn (Maddie) Wright is so much more than that. She is a caretaker to her father who is battling Parkinson's disease and a mother who spends more time in Ghana than with her family and sick husband in England. She is a sister. She is a friend. She is a compassionate. She is funny. But she hasn't quite figured out what she wants to do with her life, as she is the sole caretaker for her father.

When her mother comes back to England for a year, Maddie is given an opportunity to move out & have a few normal 20-something life experiences. She makes a list of what the "new Maddie" should do. She meets a new man, gets a new job & things seem to look up. However, when tragedy strikes, she struggles with the guilt, grief and loss. There's no right way to grieve. She must look to her own mortality & decide what she wants to make of her life. Even as she stumbles along the way.

I really enjoyed this story! I loved her quirky family dynamic and her complex relationship with her mother. Her journey through her grief and self-awareness towards her mental health were a privilege to follow along with. Some great dialogue and fun characters, this book had equal amount of heavy discussion and fun energy. I especially enjoyed how much she Googled things - I completely related to that! Anyways, she was a great character & i loved her!

4.5/5 stars!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy of Maame in exchange for an honest review.

This is the kind of coming-of-age story that I love to read. Unconventional, with depth that you can relate to [actually, actually relate to] and with heart that just won't quit. I found myself wholeheartedly rooting for Maddie - I think every reader can find a bit of themselves in her. Whether it's that guilt that weighs on us as we think about our families or taking care of sick or aging parents or trying to balance and understand the line between becoming yourself and staying true to where you came from, I found this poignant and lovely. 4 stars for a lovely, lovely read despite being hard to get through at times [mostly from the relatability!!]. Loved.

I heard a lot about this book, and I looked forward to reading it. However, I found it to be lackluster, at best. I enjoyed the last part of the story, but I struggled to engage with the majority of the book. It was more depressing than I expected, and I found some plot points triggering. I wish I'd seen seen some trigger warnings in advance.

This is the author’s debut novel. Wow! Maddie is the primary caregiver of her dad who has Parkinson’s. They live in London, however her mother spends her time in Ghana, and his care falls on Maddie. She tries to juggle her work life and home life. Her mother wants her to meet someone and marry.

In her mid twenties she finally moves out of their home and starts her life. She navigates dating, a job, friends and it’s an interesting journey.

The subject is difficult, but the author mixed some humor which helped get through the hard parts.

This novel deals with mental health, racism, traditions, and relationships.

Thank you MacMillion Audio, St. Martins Press, NetGalley and author Jessica George for this advanced audio and book. This book is available January 31, 2023.

Maame by Jessica George tells the story of love, loyalty, and being devoted to your family. This was a beautiful and very realistic story that many will find comforting and eye-opening. With the events that happen, I feel like a lot of people will be able to relate to Maddie’s character. It was a fantastic read and can’t recommend it enough.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for allowing me to review this e-book.

This was a really good story of a complicated family, Leaving Maddie the main character looking for acceptance and self worth.
Maame, or Maddie's life, is a stressful and complicated life. She is the youngest of two children, but the one that is left with all of the responsibilities.
Maddie's father has advanced Parkinson's disease, and her mother is gone doing her own thing in Ghana for most of the year leaving Maddie to care for her father, with occasional help, plus a full time job to go to.
Maddie has plenty of ideas to give at work, but doesn't ever seem to get the chance to express them, and quite often in her jobs she has been the only black person in the meetings.
When her mom comes home to stay for awhile, Maddie is able to get an apt with some other girl, and has to navigate the rules of sharing and making friends. She try's online dating, starts to find her voice at work, and try's a lot of firsts in her life.
But when tragedy strikes, and she has to deal with her family, she sees how dysfunctional they have all been and she has to wade through all of those feelings to be able to have an understanding of their relationships.
This book was funny, sad, enlightening and eye opening at times.
I would like to thank NetGalley and St Martin's Press for a copy of this book.

Maame by Jessica George

This was a powerful story that shows you the struggles of families plus how to find your place in the world. It is a story that will make you cry as well as make you laugh. I had to laugh at myself because when Maddie uses google to ask questions about sleep and other things I had to laugh at that cause I have been that person. Maddie is a twenty-five year old who is struggling. Her mother was non existent when growing up she spent most of her time in Ghana away from her children. So Maddie doesn't have the skills that a mother would teach her daughter all she taught Maddie was to obey her and the family. Maddie has so much pressure on her from her family, she is a virgin, and just learning the ropes of the world around her. She has a job in the publishing business and now living with two flatmates in London.

The guilt her family puts on her and their dependency on her is heartbreaking. The first few men she dated just where not what she needed but one in particular took her virginity with false pretenses that they are a couple. He was terrible human being. Maddie just breaks your heart what she goes through.

This is not your run of the mill books it really dove into some serious topics how family can keep you stunted, grief in how it hurts bad, guilt how families manipulate, starting over, regret and most importantly growth into a women.

I liked how moving the story is and watching Maddie grow as the story goes on she endures so much while figuring out the world. You laugh like I said when she is googling simple things. I laughed hard at that. One more important thing about this book it is an immigrant story. How different immigrants do different things in families. The children are responsible for a lot of things with their parents. The pressure on Maddie was horrible from her family. Her brother was no better he was just not their at all. Her mother was a piece of work as well.

This is a five star read for me. This story is still sitting with me because I can see some of myself through Maddie. I recommend this book for anyone who loves books around immigrant family life. I want to give a shout out to the beautiful cover for the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's press for a free copy of Maame for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

-Summary-
Maddie is 25 years old, living at home, working a low-paying job while being the primary caregiver to her dad, who has Parkinson’s. Her mom is a part-time British resident who spends most of her time in Ghana. Meanwhile, her brother is useless … I mean, living far from home and successfully avoiding familial responsibility.

Long story short, Maddie truly is “Maame,” or mother.

One day her mother informs her that she will return to London to hold down the fort and strongly encourages Maddie to go out the door and, hopefully, into the arms of a husband, but to start a new flat (apartment) will do.

This book follows Maddie’s journey of self-discovery and the lessons she learns while exploring her newfound freedom.

-Thoughts-
I probably looked like a Cheshire Cat reading this book. I love everything about it!

Maame is a fantastic coming-of-age story that explores issues of dating, race, religion, grief, family tension, culture, and tradition.

Maddie is out of this world witty, and I think she is better equipped for life (professionally and socially) than she gives herself credit for. Her friendship with Nia and Shu is a true asset to the book. I need them to exist as my friends IRL!

This book does a great job speaking on the struggles children of immigrants (like myself) face when trying to exist in a world that differs significantly from the mindsets and traditions they experience at home. The book emphasizes the influence our upbringing has over our thoughts and actions and how much we tolerate in the name of family.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for the opportunity to read an advance copy. Thank you, Jessica George, for writing a delightful book.

Release’s January 31st, 2023

Maddie, also known to her family by her Twi nickname, Maame (ma-meh), which means, among other things, woman, has been saddled with the caretaking responsibilities of her aging father who is in the advanced stages of Parkinson’s. Her mother, who has been traveling back and forth to Ghana for years now, staying a year at a time, is scheduled to soon return to London. With this in mind, and under the direct encouragement of her mother, Maddie moves out for the first time into an apartment with two new flatmates.

George has written a wonderfully compassionate <I>Bildungsroman</I> of sorts for this twenty-five year old woman, experiencing independent life for the first time. Despite the burdens that have been placed on her over the years by her family, Maddie has remained rather innocent and younger than many her age. These later-in-young-life coming-of-age stories that have popped up over the last few years feel more in line with the idea of “coming of age” — after all someone at 13 still has a lot of years to grow compared to someone experiencing their push into adulthood at the quarter-life mark.

Maddie is thoughtful, funny, and endearingly quirky. Her inner monologue is refreshingly delivered and incredibly relatable. And while I didn’t love, on the whole, her tendency to Google search almost anything under the sun, it did serve her characterization well by reinforcing how inexperienced with life she has remained. Plus, some of those search results were downright comical.

As narrator, Maddie has a strong, developed voice, making it easy for any reader to be able to feel as though they know her well. She’s incredibly accessible with a fresh and direct voice that many novels with similar main characters never quite achieve.

On top of this sudden positive change in Maddie’s life, she is also dealing with a good amount of family issues and the contentions that can stall and damage those relationships. She has a difficult relationship with her mother and her brother, James — neither of whom have pulled their weight to care for Maddie’s father or to help with expenses. As Maddie tries to work through being on her on for the first time, she is also wrongfully terminated from her job and has to quickly find a new job to support her new life.

There is so much vulnerable earnestness George has written into Maddie — it’s easy to care about her and the journey she must take in this emotionally powerful debut novel.

A beautifully written account of growing up after taking care of so many besides herself. Maame is a late bloomer in so many ways and watching her navigate the world and finding herself was a literary treat.
Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for a chance to review this book.

Maame - Jessica George
"Maame (ma-meh) has many meanings in Twi but in my case, it means woman."
Maddie has to grow up quickly and be her father's caregiver while her mother works in another city. She feels like she has missed out on so much while being tied to her home and family for the last ten years. Maddie's mother soon arrives back home, and Maddie moves out to experience life on her own. I really enjoyed the character development of Maddie and was routing for her throughout the book. I'm looking forward to reading more from Jessica George in the future.

MAAME [out on 1/31/23!]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It’s not even 2023 yet and I may have already found my favorite read of next year!

Maddie is in her mid-20s and still lives at parents’ home in London, taking care of her father with advanced Parkinson’s while her mother is in Ghana and her brother is MIA. She works a job she barely can tolerate in order to make the ends meet for her family. When her mom comes back from Ghana and gives Maddie the chance to move out — to go to bars! make new friends! to even go on dates! — she sets out to become a new version of herself. We follow Maddie through the ups & downs along the way.

This book is so relatable and reads so easily; scattered with Google search excerpts, texts, and lists, it feels like we’re BFFs on FaceTime living right alongside Maddie.

At the same time, the topics here are really important. It’s about being Black in London and all of the racism and microaggressions that come with it. It’s about complicated relationships with parents, especially when growing up in a place and culture different from the one they grew up in. It’s also about religion, sex/dating, roommate/friend dynamics, grief, workplace biases and politics, and the expectations put upon mothers/daughters vs men.

I highlighted soooo many quotes in this book: there were lines that resonated with me, lines that made me think, and also lines that made me laugh out loud (one of the first lines I read that made me love Maddie’s POV was “I see that they don’t make an effort to recycle, so sadly they themselves are trash.”)

If you couldn’t tell, I enjoyed every page of this book — highly recommend this as a must-read for 2023. Thank you to @netgalley @stmartinspress @jessicabgeorge for the ARC!

PS - when the epilogue mentioned “Jess” - I was like 😱… is this a nod / reference to the author? Love love love!


note: there were a few formatting errors in the ebook - wonder if that was just because of the ARC format, but some of the italicized vs non italicized sentences in the blog post were getting messed up. Just wanted to call out in case helpful!

This was a difficult novel for me to review. Objectively, I think it's well written. Maddie is certainly a character worth investing your time in, and the book's exploration of how to navigate grief and family failure is exceptional. I didn't necessarily buy into Maddie's romantic relationships the same way, but I do think, overall, the book was worth my time.

Maddie wants to find herself. She moves out, gets a new job, starts dating, and enjoying life.
I struggled with this book. It might be because it's set in Lomdon. It could be that I found Maddie to be annoying questioning herself and her inner battle. The mental health issues she faced are real and addressed but I felt it might have helped addressing it sooner. I didn't think the end could come soon enough. All the googling was annoying but at the same time funny because you know someone is asking that and at least Maddie is brave enough to search for answers

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC

4 stars

This is an outstanding debut. Jessica George is now on my immediate you-write-I-read list!

Maddie, the m.c., has been called "Maame" her whole life, and there's a lot of meaning behind the titular word. This word connects her to her roots, but her mother also uses it to refer to Maddie as "woman." The struggle here is that way too much responsibility has been foisted on Maddie her whole life under the guise of her being a "woman" and not a girl or young woman. An added implication is that while Maddie has been handling everyone else's dramas, she hasn't had enough time to focus on developing herself, understanding important aspects of her identity, or engaging in pivotal life experiences. Many readers will relate to the kind of isolation Maddie feels for different reasons and in distinct situations; truly, it's impossible not to root for her.

I really enjoyed having a window into different elements of Maddie's life and getting to see her struggle but especially triumph in specific situations. This is a wonderful meditation on grief, family, and especially coming of age, even when it happens a little later than others' timelines might suggest is typical.

The narrator of the audiobook adds so much to an already compelling character, so I not only recommend the read but also the listen when and where accessible. I'm looking forward to much more from this author!

What a lovely book! Maddie (Maame) is a young woman trapped in a care-giving situation, a dead-end job, few friends, no social life and no love life. Her mother is in Africa and apparently carrying on with another man while her husband wastes away at home, her brother is in London, but doesn't bother to check in on his little sister or father and when Maddie does manage to get in touch with him for help--monetary or otherwise, he is more likely to ask her for money instead, promising to help out "next month," which, of course never comes. Just when the world should be opening up to her, she is becoming more and more closed in.

Of course, things can't stay like that and an opportunity does present itself and we get to see Maddie venture out of her shell and navigate this unfamiliar world. I loved this character, although at times she did seem more sophisticated and savvy than I would have anticipated one who has been so isolated to be. That did not mar my enjoyment of this book. I think I was more jealous of her quick come-backs and insights. That was certainly not me at 25! Her innocent gullibility does result in some heartbreak, and damages relationships with her new roommates, but that makes her story more believable.

I enjoyed getting a taste of life as a young Ghanaian woman in London, and would have loved to learn more about that culture, but that was not the focus of this book, just a delightful side dish.

George's writing style is fluid and easy to read. Her characters breathe and she puts the reader in the scene with her descriptions that do not take over the story, but enhance the experience. I will definitely keep an eye out for more from this author.

I received an early copy of this book from NetGalley.