Love, love, love this book. Jessica George did a fantastic job of introducing us to Maddie "Maame" Wright, a 25 year old Ghanian woman living in London.

Maddie lives at home, where she cares for her father, who has Parkinson's. Her mother lives in Ghana and her older brother can't be bothered to help. Her father has a PT caretaker, but Maddie loves her father and feels an obligation to care for him, missing out on living her own life. This is a coming of age story, of finding out who you are after only knowing yourself as Maame.

Jessica George makes us really care about Maddie. She writes about depression, loss and guilt so honestly but this isn't a downer of a book! I really enjoyed it.

Maddie is solely responsible for her father who suffers from Parkinson’s when her mother is in Ghana, which is most of the time. When her mom comes home, Maddie steps out on her own to find herself and start her life but then tragedy strikes.

This was a great coming of age story but it was unique due to its diversity and exploration of grief. I loved the main character and how she grew. She was so naive and innocent in the beginning due to her upbringing. I loved how she started to explore, but stayed true to herself and her personality. I really felt for her and her experience. At times it read like a non-fiction.

“It’s only a ‘card’ to people who think it’s a game.”

Maame comes out 2/7/23.

It doesn't matter if you were a "twenty something" last week or last century, Maame will resonate with you. While Maddie (Maame is a term of endearment in her native Ghana with multiple meanings including "mother" and "woman") juggles bad dates, horrible bosses, a demanding (but routinely absent) mom, she is also the primary caretaker for her ailing father. When Maddie's mother returns from a year long stay in Ghana Maddie seizes on the chance to move out of her parent's home and into an apartment with roommates. What sets Maame apart from other "coming of age" novels is the beautiful writing-reading Maddie's experiences and her inner most thoughts is like having a conversation with your life long best friend. You can't help but feel for Maddie as she gets her heart broken yet again. When Maddie faces a life changing loss her grief is palatable and raw. As the pages turn you feel like you're looking at passages in her diary. This honest and brutal look at young adulthood is spot on. Maame is poignant and stirs your emotions. It will make you look back on your twenties with both a tear and a smile. Not many books can do that, but Maame does perfectly.

Go, right now, and preorder this book. If its not available to preorder yet, then mark down the date in your calendar. Because this book is... incredible.

Jessica George has created a character in Maddie that is so relatable its sometimes scary. Maddie's struggles with insecurities, introversion, lack of world experience, are things that reach across all cultures and take you by the throat and squeeze. There were so many times I laughed, nodded along, and just quite frankly UNDERSTOOD what Maddie was going through--from her google searches to simply staying quiet in situations that she should speak up--that I felt like George was writing this character and this story solely for me.

And yet, it had an added layer of a culture that is far different from my own. While White mothers can be... overbearing and interfering the way Maddie's mom was, there was very clearly a different level of generational and cultural situation (i can't think of the right word) going on that is not easily understood by anyone other than someone else from that culture. George and her characters explained this perfectly after Maddie and Ben broke up. But the way she showed how Maddie was relied on, to the detriment of her mental health and her financial well-being, was handled in a way that was easily understood by anyone, and didn't make Maddie seem like a victim or her mother a villain... it was simply <i>how things were</i> for her mother and therefore how they should be for her daughter. It made my gut twist and made me feel uncomfortable, particularly in the weeks after <spoiler>her father died</spoiler> but that was... in some ways, i think, the point.

The other thing George did masterfully was the depiction of grief. Its been 10 years since I lost my grandfather, but every step of Maddie's journey felt so similar to my own, and I think its safe to say it made me realize I'd buried some of my grief very deep. But the way George wrote, unflinchingly, about Maddie's grief and resulting depression and panic attacks... they were so well handled but so very real and raw.

George's book is a love letter to anyone that has ever been through something devastating. Its a love letter to anyone who has ever kept their mouth shut when they should really have spoken up. Its a love letter in finding who you truly are, through your own lens and not through the expectations of anyone else. Its a love letter to anyone who has ever felt like they weren't going to make it. I urge you to read this book when its released next year. Because its powerful and beautiful and George's is a voice that demands to be read.

I enjoyed this one, it was a heavy for a portion that was hard for me because of the sadness, it was real. It was honest. I really felt for Maddie and wanted things to go better for her.
It had moments of humor too, I had no idea I wasn’t the only one googling every single thought in my head in detailed questions for google. Maddie does that too! Made me smile.

Maddie lives in London as the caretaker for her dad with Parkinson’s, her mom and brother are off doing their own thing leaving Maddie to be the adult in the family. Then Maddie’s mom returns from Ghana to takeover and encourages Maddie to finally strike out on her own to live in her own place with roommates and navigate dating and a new job. This new lease on life gets cut short when tragedy hits and Maddie has to deal with the fallout both emotionally and financially. Maddie deals with depression and how to navigate her family life within her culture.
It is a coming of age story and I love that it highlights therapy. I also loved learning about Maddie’s culture, how she deals with often being the only Black person in work and social circles, this book tackles racism through Maddie’s eyes. There’s a lot to love about this book despite having to walk with Maddie during her difficult journey. It’s worth it in the end. I have a lot of respect for Maddie. Glad I got to know her through this book.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A story of a woman named Maame who has to find her way. I liked her and I liked her story of finding a path away from your family and all of their expectations. I found the culture of Ghana fascinating. Enjoyed this book.

Maame is a beautiful story that follows the life of Maddie, who resides in London and cares for her father with Parkinson's. While Maddie is caring for her father her mother resides in Ghana where she works at a hostel that runs in the family. When Maddie's mom tells Maddie that she'll be heading back to London to stay for a year she advises Maddie to move out and start living her life...including breaking into London's dating world. With so much life to experience and the burden of caring for her father released from her shoulders she tries to find herself. But as Maddie starts to live a little, tragedy hits and she find herself battling with depression amongst everything else.

This book addresses situations of caring for a parent, depression, friendships, and dating. It a coming of age novel that is relatable to the reader as she goes on a journey to find herself separate from her family. But as she becomes more independent the financial burdens of her family comes back to drag her back down. Amongst the tragedy Maddie finds herself at a job she loves as a publishing assistant but realizes she has to find her voice to share her thoughts and receive credit for her ideas.

The book was able to describe Maddie's journey as she reaches many milestones in a beautiful way and left the reader with a satisfied ending. You're able to see where everything leads Maddie and the person she has become from it all.

I rate this book 4/5 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for this ARC!

deep, definitely a thinker. maddie is such a complex character and is written incredibly raw, you can't help but feel for her throughout the entire novel.

thank you netgalley for the arc!

This is well written. I just couldn't get in to it. Tried to read it when was in the mood for rom coms or thrillers so was just not the right time for me and this book. Will pick it up later when I'm in a different mind set.

Wow! This was a great read. Such heavy topics but aptly interspersed with fun and levity. I laughed, and I cried. It has a very relatable and likeable main character, and you will be rooting for her to the end.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A quick and interesting read about a young Black woman in London, dealing with finding herself, grief, fitting in and family responsibility.
Maddie's mother spends a lot of time in Ghana leaving her to tend to her ill father, while her older brother shrugs off any of his family duties (this I feel!). She also is trying to understand relationships, growing up and standing up for herself.
I liked it, it just felt like something I had read before.

I really loved reading this book. Jessica George has done an outstanding job bringing her reader along on Maddie's (Maame's) path of development. This is a book that is engrossing and easy to read, even while it tackles some really timely (timeless) themes of navigating familial duty, navigating the world as a young, Black woman, navigating friendships, navigating the best way to earn money while still keeping one's self intact... It was just great. I related to it a lot, and I think my students would also relate to it. I would not assign it for a class, but I would definitely recommend that they read it for fun.

Many coming-of-age books center on adolescent protagonists so it was refreshing to have a different perspective. Although Maddie has long been the emotional and financial rock for her nuclear family, the book follows her as she ventures on her own - moving into an apartment with roommates, finding and navigating a new job in a field that interests her, exploring relationships. In addition, there's an additional layer of her immigrant story, her ties to her Ghanaian heritage in a white, British community. As. a reader, we experience Maddie's loyalty to family while she stands on her own. It's an enjoyable read and I especially appreciated the glimpses into her Ghanaian culture.

What a beautiful book- I highly recommend reading Maame by Jessica George. It is about a mid-20 year old, black woman named Maddie "Maame" and her search for freedom/a new career/boyfriend and so much more. She is her father's main caregiver and when her mother returns from Ghana, she is finally able to move out and pretty much start over. It is mixed with love, grief, friendship and a lot of laughter. Some of the one liners had me cracking up! I lost my father suddenly in January 2021 and this book really hit me hard and at times I had to put it down before I could finish. I gave it 4 stars just because she almost felt too sheltered as a 25 year old and some parts dragged a tiny bit- but still one of my new favorites!

This is a good book. It took a minute to get started, but you truly see the world through Maddie's eyes. She is young(ish) and naive to the real world with immigrant parents and a different upbringing. She is her ill father's caretaker by default, with her brother living his life and her mother living in Ghana. She finally gets out into the world and it is a big world. The narrative is told through her eyes, thoughts, and actions. She lays it all out there and you think through everything with her. It is very well done. You get some family strife, but also some funny snippets and a touch of snark when she starts to find herself.

I got to read a prepub copy for my honest review. I really enjoyed this one and definitely recommend it. I'll probably go to my local indie book store to buy this one in hard copy.

5/5

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Maame was SUCH a beautiful novel about growth and love and finding yourself and who you want to be apart from your family. Maddie, a “late-bloomer” makes the big leap to live outside of her home for the first time, after having been the sole caretaker of her father with late-stage Parkinson’s and the sole money-provider for her, her father, and her (overbearing) mother in Ghana. Her mother nicknamed her “Maame”, which in Twi, means woman, often because Maddie (although the youngest in her family) was the main caretaker. With this move, Maddie learns to find community in the people around her, does things she had never done before, and begins to discover who she is apart from her being Maame.

I thought this story was so beautifully crafted and took us through such an important part of Maddie’s journey. It was amazing to see how Maddie grew away from being the person who carried everyone on her back, constantly full of guilt and fear of failure, into this confident young woman who stood up for herself and her needs. Her journey of learning to open up to those around her was really special to me as someone who has struggled with the same. I really loved how important community and care were in this story as well- Maddie’s friends were always so supportive of her and always gave her the space to just be. I also adored the romance at the end with Sam, someone who made her feel cherished and seen.

Overall, would so recommend this beautiful story!! <3

I have had a hard time starting my review of Maame because I had such mixed feelings about it. I had a really hard time getting into the story. I didn't love Maddie in the beginning and didn't feel really interested in her life, I was bored. But I am so glad I stuck with it because I absolutely loved the second half of the book! I loved the changes in Maddie, the way she was finally able to stand up for herself and really recognize what she wanted. I loved the complex family dynamics, and especially Maddie's relationship with her father. I loved Nia and Shu. The writing was so beautiful and the story so emotional. I will definitely be looking forward to seeing more from Jessica George.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for sharing the digital review copy with me!

A wonderful book but long in places. Maddie lives in London with her father. Her mother is involved with life in her birth place Ghana and not true to her marriage. She goes back and forth between London and Ghana. This leaves a 24 year old Maddie handling her sick father and not exploring life. She begins to experience life and due to circumstances feels guilt. A beautiful read.

Maddie is 25 and the primary caretaker for her father who has advanced Parkinson’s. This means she has spent all of her coming of age years taking care of others. At long last she is given the chance to move out and live her life and it’s a tough learning curve.

So I have mixed feelings about this one. The beginning for me was slow and arduous. The MC is a doormat and it’s infuriating and cringey at times. Which I know is the point but it made it hard to pick up and continue. It wasn’t until about 50-60% of the way in did I get hooked. I couldn’t put it down!!Maddie finally found herself and I was rooting for her! Her character growth is the saving grace here. There are some major truth bombs dropped at the end that I thought were worth highlighting.
I enjoyed the writing style. It felt true to the current twenty something culture. The cover is gorgeous.

This book is heavy on the depression and grief so be aware.

Medium spice 🌶

Maame is set to release February 7, 2023. I think you should pick it up and give it a go.
Thank you @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Jessica George's debut novel Maame follows a woman in her mid-twenties, Maddie, trying to find herself and have independence while being the backbone of her family. Maame is beautifully realistic, candid, and will have any reader rooting for Maddie in her search for herself.

A realistic coming-of-age story for people who for one reason or another feel like 'late bloomers'. Maddie begins the book caring for her ill father-- and being the only one to do so, even though she has a mother and a brother. After acting basically as his caretaker for almost eight years, she is given a chance to leave home when her mother returns from Ghana. She has to balance living her own life and becoming a 'New Maddie' and the responsibility she feels towards her father while her other family members are not willing to help. The reader follows Maddie's conflicting feelings towards the responsibility she has been given, while still loving her family, and trying to make a life for herself after living for others for so long.

Maame is really one of the most realistic books I have read, in the best way. Its a truly compelling story about grief, family, love, relationships, hardship, living as a black woman, and trying to find oneself. George's style of writing is so personal I had to make sure it was not a memoir-- Maddie's narration really makes you feel as if you two are friends talking to one another and not like she is a character on pages. The many real life elements did not feel overwhelming even when life was overwhelming for Maddie, which I find many authors have trouble balancing. It felt like I was following her busy, quick-changing life while not getting lost. The ending is perfect and makes you so happy for Maddie-- not everything is perfect for Maddie in the end, but when is life ever perfect?

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.