Maame is a beautifully-written novel about Maddie Wright, a Ghanaian-British woman who is finally having her "coming-of-age" moment at age 25.

Maddie has always lived quite a sheltered life, with few friends, no real romantic relationships, a job she hates, and acting as the primary caregiver for her father, who has late-stage Parkinson's Disease. With all this weighing on her shoulders, Maddie has never truly lived for herself. When she gets fired from her job, and her mother returns to London from her latest trip to Ghana, Maddie finally has the opportunity to experience everything she has been missing out on: a new job in her chosen field of study, romantic relationships, and - most importantly - independence. While things do not go quite as smoothly as she hopes they would, she begins to find her own voice and personal worth while on her journey of growth and self-discovery.

I loved this book so much. Maddie is such a lovable character that you really just want to see her succeed in life, love, everything. As a 1st-gen American-born child of immigrants myself, I really enjoyed how the story explored that feeling of disconnection from two cultures, with no real experience in how to be 100% one or the other. I also appreciated how the story deals with mental health and depression, and how that may impact our daily existence without being something that we even have the capacity to identify within ourselves and acknowledge.

Overall, this was such a fantastic story, with an MC you fall in love with and want the best for. The only reason it was not a 5-star for me was that, as a member of Gen Z, Maddie's naivete sometimes felt a bit forced. But that was my only hangup and it was a teeny, tiny one at that.

Madeline "Maddie" Wright's life is not what she thought it would be in her mid-20s. She's taken on the role of caretaker for her dad, her brother drops in and out to help when he can, and her mother is back in Ghana. She has a job she doesn't like and feels stuck. But when her mom moves back and she gets fired from the job she hates, Maddie decides to start living for herself. But when some of her decisions change the outcome of her life in devastating ways, Maddie questions who is the person she wants to be and is she moving in that direction. A refreshing coming-of-age story about the many emotions of our mid-20s that reminds us all about first love, independence, regret, heartbreak, and friendship.

In Maame, Jessica George introduced us to Maddie, a young woman of Ghanian heritage living in London. She bears the weight of caring for her father while her mother lives half time in Ghana and her brother evades any responsibility. When Maddie finally has the opportunity to start living on her own, she ventures awkwardly into online dating, living with flat mates, and starts a new, hopefully better job in publishing. A family tragedy provides more hurdles for Maddie who leads with her heart as she navigates adulthood. This is a lovely debut from Ms. George.

One of my favorites so far of 2023. I loved Maddie and her story was poignant, heartbreaking and uplifting. Maddie kept her sense of humor even while coping with her struggles with her career and her family. There were times I wanted to scream at Maddie’s family, but I loved Maddie’s relationship with her dad. I think I bonded with Maddie as she cared for her father, but also wanted to have a life that was independent of her family.

Maame was a quick read for me and a lovely, engaging story. I loved the book's London setting. Thank you to St. Martin's Press for my copy via NetGalley.

Maddie, in her 20s, has always been the bedrock of her family. She cares for her sick father while her mother spends most of her time in Ghana and her brother is almost entirely absent. She's a self-admitted people pleaser, her job gives her a lot of stress, she doesn't date, and she doesn't feel that she can open up to her friends about what her home life is really like. Her mom coming home pushes Maddie out in the world, forcing Maddie to consider what kind of life she wants for herself for the first time.

I can't believe this is a debut novel! The storytelling here is so fresh and effortless. The way Maddie speaks directly to us, the reader, is reminiscent of young adult novels--I've never seen that in a book geared to adults, and something about it was just so fun. It made me feel like I was Maddie's trusted friend, hearing all her thoughts. That's not to say this felt like a YA novel: it absolutely did not.

This novel deals with mental health, complicated family dynamics, race and racism, navigating professional life, sex. There is so much here< that we experience through Maddie, but it doesn't feel overdone or overworked.

There was a part right in the middle where I felt like it got too predictable, but it was a short part, and despite that, I still found this to be a solid five star read. I loved being alongside Maddie as she came into her own.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press!

A charming and moving story about finding your way when tragedy strikes. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an advanced copy.

I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick read.


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy.

A well-written story about Maddie who has lived a life of making others happy and doing what others want for her and the consequences of doing that until one day you start living for yourself.

I did end up DNFing this one, but I truly did love the writing of this one. I loved how our expectations on daughters was portrayed on page and how this transcends culture. I ended up DNFing just because it is a heavy novel that was hitting very close for me, and I was not in the headspace to finish it. I definitely would have if I could.

This book is a must-read! This is a beautiful coming-of-age story of a twenty five year old woman of Ghanaian immigrants who has spent her life being the responsible one in her family from a young age. Maddie has been the primary caretaker of her father who suffers from Parkinson's Disease. When she moves out of her father's home, disaster strikes and Maddie must learn to navigate the world she has just begun experiencing while dealing with grief and guilt. I absolutely adored Maddie - the Google searches, the inner monologue - and how she navigated a world she has practically just introduced herself to. While her family lets her down time after time, her friends Nia and Shu remain the support she needs while she deals with the rapid changes in her life. While Maddie seems to be dealing with disaster after disaster, they are a breath of fresh air. I value the frank discussion of depression and seeking therapy - I wish all workplaces were as supportive in that department as Maddie's seem to be. If I could wish for more - it would be more Nia, Shu and Sam. I eagerly anticipate
George's next novel.

I really had no idea what to expect with this. It is a "coming of age" story in many ways as a woman attempts to find herself - but later in life than most. She has been the caretaker for her father but finally is able to move out and take on life as her own person. Her joys and trials are relatable, We get to see Maddie come to terms with her background and heritage. It is uplifting and would make a great bookclub read

In her debut novel, Jessica George delivers a capital-I Important novel that doesn’t read like one. On its surface, it’s as light and as bouncy and entertaining – even when it’s tragic or anxiety-inducing – as Bridget Jones’ Diary or an advanced YA novel. It races along, bristling with excitement and energy even when it’s weighed down with sadness and grief and melancholy. It’s jammed full of great characters, bursting with inner lives, realistic motivations and believable quirks, creating a lavishly fleshed out world and then sucking you in. Maame gives voice to a number of the most pressing contemporary issues currently facing society without ever becoming preachy or falling into agitprop. It’s a stellar debut from an incredibly talented new voice.

Grateful for the opportunity to read this book. Maddie is her father’s caretaker while her absent mother lives in Ghana. I very much enjoyed this book.

I highlighted this book on my Booktube channel. The video can be accessed here: https://youtu.be/6J9tbc8JSEQ

A beautiful, moving debut.

It took me a while to settle into this book, but it was well worth the read. Maddie’s journey is difficult to read at times, and so many emotions were brought up for me reading Maame, but it’s a wonderful coming-of-age tale that felt so relatable at times.

Unrelated to the content, the cover is absolutely stunning! I love it so much. Also, because I didn’t read this arc before it was released (I’m an awful reviewer, I know), I was able to purchase the audiobook. If you like audiobooks, I highly recommend getting this on audio. The narrator was wonderful and really brought Maddie and her story to life.

I will definitely be keeping my eye out for the author’s future works.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the complimentary e-arc. All opinions are my own.

Maame follows Maddie, a Ghanaian woman in her 20s living in London. She’s having a rough time. Between work troubles, an overbearing mother, and being the main caretaker of her father with Parkinson’s, she barely has time to breathe. This book is a bit of a coming-of-age story and I really enjoyed it. It has deep themes but remains hopeful, with a very lovable main character and side characters. Recommend! Thank you for my e-ARC @stmartinspress!

📖 BOOK REVIEW

BOOK: Maame
AUTHOR: Jessica George
FORMAT: Audiobook
GENRE: Contemporary Fiction
DID I CRY: No
PUB DATE: 1/31/23
RATING: 9/10
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you so much @macmillanaudio @stmartinspress @librofm @netgalley for my #gifted advanced digital and audio copies of #Maame out now!

MY THOUGHTS

What a WONDERFUL debut this was! Taking booksta by storm, this book packs it all — self-exploration, identity, grief & loss, guilt, familial duties, expectations and roles, culture, racism, love and relationships, friendship, boundaries, mental health, personal growth, etc etc. I think for me, the grief explored in the book through the loss the MC experiences is one of the best, most realistic portrayals I have seen in literature and it’ll stay with me for a long time.

Along with those powerful themes, the writing was beautiful & following our MC through 1st person POV made the story more personal & moving. I had a little bit of difficulty with the characters at points. All were EXTREMELY unlikable (intentionally) except for Maddie (our MC), but even at times Maddie’s naïveté had me feeling frustrated as a reader. But at the same time I understood exactly why she was portrayed the way that she was so it didn’t take away from the story. I also really enjoyed that it was a coming-of-age story for a woman in her mid 20’s. This also felt more realistic and relatable for someone of the same age, and being able to compare myself and connect better with the story and MC.

I think if this book was a little bit longer, I would have felt more satisfied after finishing. This book packs a LOT of themes and plot points and I typically have difficulty with this — feeling like the story is a little too big for the book. So if it had been maybe 50-70 pages longer, I feel that it would have covered each theme a little more in depth.

I loved chatting about this book for my #LowMaintenanceBookClub in Feb & think it’s a great book for discussion! Definitely recommend & bravo to Jessica George on a knockout debut!

Maame by Jessica George is a charming novel. I think it’s a debut and there are definitely elements in the writing that reveal that.

The main character is Maddie, short for Madeleine, and her family nickname is Maame, which she resents as we learn later in the book. Maddie, is in her mid-twenties, works as an administrative assistant who wants to work in publishing. She lives at home and takes care of her father who has Parkinson’s disease when we meet her.

This is a coming of age novel and I really appreciated the glimpses into Ghanaian culture. Maddie is still figuring out how to incorporate being Ghanaian and British. She eventually moves out and rents a room in a flat with two flatmates and explores life free of taking care of her father.

The book is well-written and sweet. There are a few scenes that seem unnecessary to the story but do have entertainment value in some sense. We explore her love life and her work life and most of all, her relationship with her often absent yet authoritative mother and selfish brother.

I enjoy reading Own Voices stories and am happy this is out in the world.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Somewhat of a “coming of age story of a late bloomer. Maame’s mother is absent and has her own life in Ghana. Maame spends most of her time taking care of her father , who has Parkinsons.

When her mom returns she makes the big decision to move out. She is on a journey of discovering who she is as she starts dating, builds her career and friendships.
Within her story there are some serious topics such as racism, and discovering emotional and sexual connection. The topic that made me ponder the most is the impact taking on a parental role has on a young persons life. Her story was funny, heartwarming and hopeful as she met lives challenges. Excellent on audio.

Thank you to the publisher for a Netgalley.

I really enjoyed this story of Maddie and how she began to really live her life in her mid-twenties. This book is sad, and I will admit I scanned a few portions when she talked about her dad. As someone who lost her father a few years ago, I find it hard to read about at times.

But I liked reading about Maddie and how she began to navigate through the life she wanted to live. Not a perfect life, but learning to work with the hand that she has on the table. This book was extremely well written, and I look forward to future works by this author.