Coming-of-Age in London

Maame by Jessica George is a contemporary coming-of-age novel that follows the life of Maddie Wright, a 25-year-old British Ghanaian woman. The story is set in London, where Maddie is the primary caregiver for her father who suffers from late-stage Parkinson's disease. Her mother, who spends most of her time in Ghana, imposes high expectations on Maddie, adding to her struggles. As Maddie navigates her career, family responsibilities, and personal life, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery and independence.

Maame by Jessica George is a powerful debut that offers a heartfelt exploration of identity, family, and personal growth. With its authentic characters, engaging narrative, and insightful themes, the novel stands out as a significant contribution to contemporary fiction. It is a must-read for anyone interested in stories about navigating life's complexities and finding one's place in the world.

A big thank-you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for giving me a copy of this book for an unbiased review.

3/5 - Liked it.

Perhaps my favorite thing about this story is that it was so vulnerable, raw, and honest. I picked up the book to learn more about immigrant experiences of people living in London, specifically about the experiences of the children of immigrants. Meeting Maddie, the central narrator of the story, felt like listening to a friend. As she navigates the challenges in her life, including familial duty, being black in a culture that caters to whiteness, grief, friendship, and love, we are given a front-row seat to her experiences.

This could make the story a bit slow at times - life isn't always fast paced - and I found there were a few chapters that gave me second-hand anxiety. But despite this, the story itself is genuine and authentic, and I think that many young people living in London can relate to Maddie's life. Maddie is also whatever the opposite of an unreliable narrator is - she's truthful and introspective, balanced and kind. I found myself rooting for her as she discovered space for gentle joy in the midst of difficulty and grief.

Perhaps most interesting to me was Maddie's relationship with her mother. Although Maddie's cultural experience is so specific, this relationship has played itself out in so many immigrant relationships and I found it fascinating just how relatable it could be. I am simultaneously reading "The Body Keeps the Score" and I could not help making comparisons between the books, and thinking about how we carry our parents' burdens and what we can do to lay them down.

Overall, this was a book that gave me a new perspective and made me think deeply about the events in Maddie's life, and for that I am glad to have read it.

The Good: I loved the premise of this book. This late coming-of-age book tells the story of a young woman in London who is moving out on her own for the first time after taking care of her sick father. Because of this, I guess you can say she's pretty "green" about a lot of things, especially when it comes to men and dating.

Unfortunately, I ended up DNFing the book about 40% of the way through because it was just a bit too crude for my taste. (If you want specifics, you can reach out to me for more details.) I won’t say graphic because I don’t think it was that graphic. The crudeness didn’t come from the main character. It came from one of her friends and from Google. As a late bloomer, she’s too embarrassed to ask her friends questions about men as she starts to date. So she takes her questions to Google. I didn’t mind this at first, but it started to get a bit old. This was really a secondary reason for not finishing the book. The crudeness was the primary.

That said, I think the book was very well written, and for that reason, I would be willing to take another chance on another Jessica George book in the future.

this is the story about love is about friendships. This is a story that brings joy and tears. I was glad to see the focus on mental health and also the refreshing view some different cultures.
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This powerful novel vividly illustrates what it means to NOT have white privilege, through the eyes of 20-something Maddy as she navigates life in London with its passive (and passive-aggressive) racism.

Maddy is a smart but naïve young woman who has been living a very sheltered life, hurrying home after work to care for her father with Parkinson’s. Her mother praises God while spending less time in London and more in Ghana, and her smooth-talking, nattily dressed older brother says he’s too busy and too skint to help out. It’s all on Maddy’s shoulders and has been for years.

With no support system, Maddy struggles to move forward in her career, with dating and intimacy, and with her increasing panic attacks.

The audiobook is excellent, with sparkling narration and just the right amount of accents. Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review #Maame

Maame seems more like an autobiography than a work of fiction. The relationship between Mamet and her family is quite complex. But it’s her relationship to herself that is most important. Mamee is a Ghanian name full of meaning which influences her life. She is the youngest but left with full responsibility for taking care of her father who has Parkinson’s. When she finally moves away she is naive. That’s where the story begins. Recommended

Summary:

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.

So when her mum returns from her latest trip, Maddie seizes the chance to move out of the family home and finally start living. A self-acknowledged late bloomer, she’s ready to experience some important “firsts”: She finds a flat share, says yes to after-work drinks, pushes for more recognition in her career, and throws herself into the bewildering world of internet dating. But when tragedy strikes, Maddie is forced to face the true nature of her unconventional family, and the perils—and rewards—of putting her heart on the line.

Smart, funny, and affecting, Jessica George's Maame deals with the themes of our time with humor and poignancy: from familial duty and racism, to female pleasure, the complexity of love, and the life-saving power of friendship. Most important, it explores what it feels like to be torn between two homes and cultures―and it celebrates finally being able to find where you belong.

I loved this book! It's rawness, honesty and main character made this book pure perfection. The audiobook narrator was great and it truly helped me immerse myself in the story. I liked how this book made me feel as I traveled along with MC, Maddie, as she sank into the despair. She ultimately grew and is on a journey of healing I found very satisfying. I loved how much I identified with her, found her honest and kind. It was hard to believe this was a debut novel. What a wonderful read!

Narrator was fine, but I ended up switching over to the book form after about 20% in. The book was okay; I'm not sure why it got such hype....maybe I'm not the demographic that should be reading or would be raving about this. I didn't find myself liking the main character as she seemed somewhat ridiculous. I understand that the book is kind-of a "coming of age/ self-discovery" story, but there was SO MUCH going on that it was very disjointed and I couldn't track why certain things were even in the story line as it didn't advanced the story.

Maame is one of those books that just makes your heart hurt for the main character and all they have to face in their life. Maddie, a 25-year-old, is tasked with the care of her ailing father. Her mother visits once every other year and is not a kind woman. Her brother is no help to Maddie. It feels like the weight of the world is on Maddie, and has been since she was given the nickname Maame at far too young of an age.
I loved Maddie, I loved seeing her growth throughout the book as she was given the opportunity to live her life without the entire familial weight on her shoulders.
My one downside of this book was the ending. It felt like it was just wrapped up a bit too quickly to give justice to the preceding story.

Maame tells the story of a Nigerian woman in the UK. It is a tale of family and tradition, plus what it means to live between 2 cultures. Never feeling like you fully fit in. I loved reading about the experience of the child of immigrants and how they bridge the culture divides between their parents and their home.

An incredible coming of age story I just could not get enough of. Chalk full of emotion and hope, this definitely was not an easy read, but it was so worth the emotional turmoil I went through reading it. It left me raw, but in a good way.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was incredible! I want more coming of age stories like this one.

Maame follows late 20s Maddie who is the primary caretaker of her father who has Parksinson's. Maddie has put her own life on hold for years, to try and keep her family from falling apart, But after her father's sudden death, Maddie's world is fractured. She suddenly has only herself to care for and she's realizing that she doesn't know what she wants.

This book was fucking fantastic. I loved Maddie's character so much. She has so much empathy and care for people. It makes it easy for others to take advantage of her, but as she learns through this book, she has boundaries and she's going to start saying no more often.

Thought-provoking and emotional, Maame by Jessica George gives readers a smart coming-of age story. You'll want the best for Maddie, the main character who is finding herself and navigating independence . The daughter of immigrants from Ghana who have moved to London, Maddie is taking care of her father and is responsible for a large portion of the family's financial responsibilities. Her mother (who constantly criticizes and guilts Maddie) travels between London and Ghana but is mainly in Ghana operating a hostel with Maddie's self-absorbed brother. When Maddie's mother comes to London for an extended period of time, she takes the opportunity to move into a flat with two other young women, starts a new job, and is ready to begin experiencing a life of her own. Being naïve and inexperienced at dating, she'll experience ups and downs. Through it all she'll have to figure out what is important to her and confronting others.

This debut novel is deeply insightful. The superb writing explores culture and conflict as Maddie struggles to find a balance between her family's values and her own aspirations for herself.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This audio book narrator was not my favorite, but the story was intriguing!!! It sent me right back to my early twenties and feeling hopeful and also, truly, all over the place while I tried to figure myself out. The author really captures that feeling well. The dating scenes lacked something but I’m not sure I could say what? Cohesiveness maybe?

**NetGalley Review**

Wow! I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this one, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was so easy to fall in love with Maddie and cheer her on as she navigated the real world and all of its ups and downs. This book had a bit of everything: humor, sadness, self-growth, joy, culture, family drama; and I devoured every bit of it! I am so glad I listened to this one, but I'm upset it took me so long to get to it! Thank you to NetGalley, Jessica George, and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this one in exchange for an honest review.

I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.
Maddie tries to deal with family obligations and figure out who she is and wants to be. She tries to live up to the expectations she sets for herself.
Maddie is relatable in how she is a lost young adult just trying to make her way in the world.

We meet Maddie who takes care of her father while her mother goes back to Ghana from time to time. Her bond with her father is extremely close so when he passes away her world is shattered. However, with his passing she decides to finally put herself first and try to make a life for herself. We see Maddie coming into her own over time and making her way in this world.

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.

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.

Beautifully written. Good Story but Ultimately way too depressing and hits way too close to home for me so I couldn't finish it. DNF at 10%.

I received a copy of this book from netgalley for a honest review.