Loved loved loved this audiobook! First of all the narration was so well done and made for an immersive read while listening to Heather Agyepong read the story.

Maddie is the responsible adult daughter who cares for her ailing father with Parkinson's. Her mother is too busy running her business in Ghana to help and her brother is too busy with whatever he's doing to help at home. So of course Maddie does what needs to be done at home.

Life changes course in a lot of ways and Maddie struggles in this coming of age story. It makes one reflect on their own experiences and struggles as each individual finds their own way in life.

I loved Maddie's voice and her goodness. Definitely give this a go. I expect that it'll be big and perhaps even a celebrity book club choice!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance audiobook.

This is one of the best books I read this year. Emotional, moving, and well written. Audiobook narrator was very enjoyable.

Audiobook ARC from the publisher via NetGalley, but the opinions are my own.

Maame by Jessica George is such a special book - right off the bat the voice of our protagonist, Maame aka Maddie, was so unique and exciting that it immediately drew me in. Maddie is a young adult living in London strapped with the responsibilities of someone far beyond her years - she cares for her ailing father while sending money back to her mother in Ghana. She works hard at a job where she feels like she always one step behind and generally has never had the opportunity to exist in the world as many young people do - carefree, promiscuous, and social. All of that changes when her mother comes to London to care for her father - Maddie moves out and starts to spend her time doing the things she has been dreaming of. Soon after, everything changes and she is forced to grapple with some big challenges and questions as she continues to find her way.

Wow! I loved this book - the tone was simply unmatched compared to my other reads this year. Maddie’s voice and perspective is so memorable and I really felt like I went through this experience of tremendous growth with the character. The book explores meaningful themes of familial duty, racism, female pleasure, love, friendship, culture, and connection. All readers will be better for picking this one up.

The audio narration was fantastic and added a richness to the story that was very additive. I would highly recommend this version of the book!

Maame is out 1/31/23 - thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC.

I was extremely impressed by Jessica George's debut novel. Maame is a coming of age tale, or perhaps a coming into adulthood tale, of Maddie, a 25 year old, first generation Londoner, who moves out of her family's place for the first time in order to come into her own. Maddie is inexperienced and at times naïve, as she has little dating experience and feels adrift in her career; yet she is simultaneously mature beyond her years, after serving as primary caretaker of her father with Parkinsons, while her mother lives mostly in Ghana.

The novel covers a lot of subjects deftly, some lighthearted and many emotionally heavy. I felt that Maame particularly shined in its portrayal of Maddie's fraught experiences with her immediate family and the loneliness and microaggressions that come of being Black in predominately white settings. All in all, I found Maame extremely moving. I also think the narrator, Heather Agyepong, greatly enhanced my experience of this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan audio for the advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

✨Review✨

Maame
By Jessica George
Rating: 5/5⭐️
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Pub day: 1-31-2023

Wow, it’s hard to believe this is the author’s debut novel. This hypnotically written coming-of-age story had me riveted until the last page. There are so many important themes that George tackles in these pages, from familial responsibilities, to personal growth, to dealing with grief. She also deftly examines the importance of understanding and embracing one’s mental health.

This is a profoundly thoughtful story that is both heartbreaking and hopeful. I can wholeheartedly recommend this one on audio!

“You can not hope to understand an end without starting at the beginning.”

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the alc in exchange for an honest review!

Pros: I enjoyed this own-voices book. This book examines the main character’s (an introverted woman in her mid-20s) relationships—with her Ghanian immigrant parents, her irresponsible brother, her best friend, her new roommates, her sort-of boyfriend, and her workmates. It also examines her personal growth, which begins with a sheltered woman who needs to consult google for all social interactions and who neglects her goals to be a dutiful daughter. I am curious if portions of this book are autobiographical because the author shares biographical similarities with the main character.

I listened to this book and really enjoyed the audiobook because, as it is told in first person, it seemed like the main character is telling the reader about herself and her life.

Cons: The only thing I can think of is that this book might not be for every reader. I can see how some readers will not understand the naïve/sheltered/introverted main character, but at the same time I think many readers will relate to her and very much enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book.

🌺BOOK REVIEW🌺

Maame by Jessica George
Rating: 6/5 ⭐️

“Smart, funny, and deeply 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’m so sorry to tell you guys that every other 5 star review I gave this year might have been a lie. Maame by Jessica George was an absolutely exceptional read. Maddie was a charming, warm character and I couldn’t wait to see things come together for her. This book deals with family responsibility, growing up, family roles and culture with such grace. I loved Maddie’s list of “firsts” that she wanted to accomplish upon moving out.

The narration by Heather Agyepong was a stand out, ovation worthy performance. Absolutely my favorite narration that I’ve ever heard. I can’t wait to hear more from her!

Publish date: January 31, 2023
🎧 I highly, highly recommend the audiobook!

Thanks to @netgalley, @macmillan.audio and the author for access to this audiobook!!

#maame #jessicageorge #netgalley #netgalleyreads #netgalleyaudiobooks #bookreview #audiobookreview #books #bookstagram #bookish #audiobooks #booktok

I really, really loved this one. Maame manages to be moving and insightful without ever losing its fun and humor. Maddie is a new favorite main character for me and I absolutely loved reading from her point of view. Watching her grow into her own was so rewarding, I can’t even remember the last time I was rooting so hard for a character. The novel touches on grief, friendship, romance, racism, sexism, workplace issues, family drama etc. and all are handled incredibly well. I hope this book gets all the attention it deserves and I can’t wait to read more from the author in the future.

I have a new favorite character. Maddie.
What an amazing human being! I loved seeing how she found herself throughout this book.

Maddie is finally ready to start living. She’s ready to do more for herself, and have her important “firsts”. She’s ready to say yes to happy hours, say yes to dates, and finally push for growth at work.

This book will make you emotional, it’ll make you laugh, and it’ll make you cheer for Maddie. She deserves the best of the best.

4.5 star

Read if you liked Queenie.

Charming, poignant, profoundly moving, thought-provoking, and insightful!

A fresh new voice of fiction, author Jessica George's luminous debut, MAAME, will resonate with many and inspire you. Maddie's journey will make you laugh and cry as she speaks from the heart.

From grief, loss, regrets, despair, and love to growing up and finding your way the best you can! Self-identity, starting over, and second chances.

Meet Maddie Wright. Age 25 and carrying a lot of weight on her shoulders with family responsibilities. She missed out on all the fun stuff with her friends.

Madeleine "Maddie" Wright’s family is hard on her and they have high expectations. The daughter of Ghanaian immigrants settled in London, Maddie, is working a dead-end administrative job, and is responsible for the care of her father, whose Parkinson's Disease is now at an advanced stage

Her mother (not a nice person) has left the country to help her brother in Ghana to take care of the family business. But her brother is not helping out and she has the full burden of caring for her father, which she loves.

Maddie is shouldering the financial responsibilities – paying the bills and well as sending money to her mom in Ghana, where she runs a hostel with her brother.

Her father's condition has deteriorated and no one is helping her. She is the sole caretaker on top of the bad job, until the day she has no job.

It is time to recalculate. It is time for her mother to take care of her husband.

Maddie is going to break free and live life on her terms. Move out, get a job in the literary world, write, get some flatmates and an apartment. Even try out clothes, foods, travel, sex, drink, makeup, date, and friendship. Live independently.

However, can she do so without guilt? What does it even look like?

Maame” is her mother’s nickname for Maddie – in their native Twi, it means woman—the responsible one. This name has defined Maddie not only in how she interacts with others but how she perceives herself.

Beautifully rendered and captivating, a book of triumph —you will laugh out loud. I was completely invested in Maddie's character and her journey to self-acceptance. She is wise beyond her years and you will root for her—a highly relatable heroine!

George pens a winner out of the gate with excellent storytelling —a coming-of-age debut while exploring the complexities of navigating two different cultures and workplaces with humor and compassion.

AUDIOBOOK: I read the e-book and switched to the audiobook narrated by Heather Agyepong. The accent, dialogue, and voices were highly authentic and highly entertaining! Highly recommend the audiobook for the whole Maddie experience.

Jessica George is an author to watch—I cannot wait to see what comes next!

Thank you to #StMartinsPress #MacmillanAudio #NetGalley #SMPInfluencers for a gifted ALC and ARC.

Blog Review Posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Jan 31, 2023
My Rating: 5 ✨ STARS
Jan 2023 Must-Read Books

I really love this audiobook. It is so beautifully written and so well narrated! It is the story of Maddie, a young woman in her who grew up and lives in London and whose parents are Ghanaian. Despite being the younger child, she has found herself in the role of caretaker and problem solver for her family. When her mother returns from Ghana and offers to take care of her father, who has Parkinson's disease, Maddie finds and apartment and begins to build an independent life for herself. But first, she must figure out who she is, what she wants. She must learn how to center herself in her own life. I hope this thoughtful novel finds a wide audience; I know I'll be recommending it to all of my friends. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for my honest opinion.

Maame is an absolutely amazing debut novel from Jessica George. This is the type of book where the story and the emotions stay with you long after you turn the last page and you just want to tell everyone you know to read it so that you can have more people to talk to about the book. The story is written in a raw and emotion laced way that makes you feel like you are really inside of Maddie's head sensing all of the conflicting feelings fighting for air. Maddie is the glue that keeps her family together even if it means putting her entire life on hold and making sacrifices for people who would not do the same in return. When she is given the chance to finally step out on her own she is forced to ask her self who she is and who she wants to be, without her family. A series of life lessons hit her all at once with tremendous force and threaten to destroy the hope she had for becoming someone new, but its in this darkness that her true self begins to shine through. Maddie is a beautifully complex character that I am sad to leave behind but I'm also happy because of how much she has changed and grown.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio & NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this early audiobook

Maame was a great story and beautifully narrated— I loved the authentic African accent in the narrator’s voice.

I related to the main character, Maddie, as she experienced the loss of her father and her mother reminded me so much of mine and the Haitian mothers in my culture with the huge importance they place on marriage and finding a mate. I couldn’t stand the fact that she couldn’t rely on her brother or her mother, that broke my heart. The love and dedication she had for caring for her father was one to truly admire which speaks to the fact that she was called Maame.

It’s a story of Maddie’s exploration of finally becoming who she wants to me be without living up to the expectations her mother placed on her early on where she was forced to be more grown than she was.

Maame is a story that revolves around a Ghanaian woman named Maddie who is living in London and has been caring for her father with Parkinson's for years while her mother stays away in Ghana and her older brother travels the world. When her mother decides to return to London, Maddie dips her toe into living as a twenty-something on her own with a new job, new flatmates, and a dating life. Even with some unsettling subject matter, Maame is a delightful book and Jessica George deserves kudos for knocking it out of the park in her debut! I enjoyed listening to Heather Agyepong's narration as the charming Maddie learns to navigate adult life and stand up for herself in both her personal and professional lives. I definitely recommend this book and look forward to future titles from Ms. George. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the early listen in exchange for my honest opinion.

When I first started reading this book, I didn't feel connected with the characters and the story, somehow I felt like I was just going through the motion, after a few chapters I started to understand more why it was written this way or why I was feeling this way until the last chapters when I finally felt connected and the story was making more sense

Maame was living in London a very stressful life. She was trying to move out from the shadows of her mother who lived in Ghana but even that far away she manages to put so much stress on Maames life. Her story wasn't a happy one it was full of complexity and many problems, including money, job, family, and even acceptance from others.

Maame was taking care of her father, she was the only one in her family that really care, not even her brother would consider helping, she was the only one juggling so many heavy things without any help but yet all the time criticized or judged by her mother thinking her word was the ultimate truth in all this.

Maame's mother was pushing her too much to find a suitable man, subconsciously making Maame feel like that was the way to go, or at least in her mother's eyes, even if that meant a cheating BF, in her mother's eye marriage was the image of a perfect life. It was more important for her mother to say her daughter was already married than for her own happiness. That's how crazy her beliefs were.

Marriage over happiness, marriage over school and knowledge, marriage over work so in other words marriage was everything for that woman even if she wasn't even able to have a happy one, in her subconscious mind she was determined to make Maames life miserable with her beliefs.

Maames life was perfectly described in this paragraph:

“It made me grow up when I should have had more time. It made my dad overlook me when I was a child, my mum leave me behind, and my brother get away with doing the bare minimum. It made me lonely and it made me sad. It made me responsible and guilty. It made me someone if, given the choice, I wouldn’t want to be.”

Her whole family leaned on her without giving her the chance to have a regular life, and every experience now feels rushed and pressured making her unhappy, she was learning everything on her own. in my opinion Maame didn't have a mother, that's not the way a mother behaves.

I couldn't find any funny moments as the description suggested, I was more angry reading how the mother was able to wash her hands and give her daughter problem after problem just because she believed marriage was the salvation for everything in this life.

The last couple of chapters were finally making more sense to me, it is when I started to like the story and Maame's character, she took the whole book to finally be able to look around and see how she needed to stop making herself less than. She was the one who was doing everything to make her father's life more bearable, her mother and brother were just two burdens in her path that didn't contribute to her growth or care for her and her father, they only complained and criticize and make demands until one final day at least her brother was able to finally see his mistake.

My favorite part of the book was the last, when Maame was finally in charge of her life, finally was able to see her value and not take anything coming from her mother. When she was finally able to speak for herself and made her mother and brother understand how terrible they were and how much she has worked to care for her father, this was the best part, finally, I was able to understand this was a process for Maame, that she had to live to finally grow and move out from the constant shadow of her mother and her crazy ideas that not even her believed or follow.

The Narration by Heather Agyepong was more like telling a story or what was happening, like a conversation not so much a narration but it was ok, she did a good job.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced audio copy of Maame in exchange for an honest review

Day 1 - I love it. Jessica George develops her characters with perfection. I already want to be best friends with Maddie. She sets up the scene to feel like you’ve lived it for years already. Everything is very relatable and engaging. Heather Agyepong is incredibly easy to listen too and is doing a wonderful job of performing the book so far. She’s a great fit for this one!

Day 2 - I almost finished this today because I got so wrapped up in it. It seems like such a benign story. Maddie is going through things that we all go through one way or another but the way Ms. George writes her reactions to the events really makes you think. Also, I’m not saying she made me a life long fan with this quote but she probably did. “Everyone is a David Attenborough fan. He’s the world’s grandpa.” Ugh, my heart!

Day 3 - Maddie’s on a first date, which again seems pretty benign, but has me pondering… Can we really relate and connect with people going through tough times in their lives if we ourselves haven’t gone through something similar? This book is going to create some fantastic discussions if the book club scene picks it up. Definitely should be on Oprah and Reese’s lists! I've finished it and now have another author and narrator to add to my favorites list.

Excellent debut novel from Jessica George. Maddie Wright has been dealing with being left by her mother and brother to care for her father battling late stage Parkinsons along with handling an unreasonable boss at a dead end job. When her mother finally returns to take over her father's care, Maddie is able to begin to explore the parts of being a young adult that she hasn't been able to thus far - dating, living on her own. Just when she's getting started, she gets fired and has to find a new job. After landing a new job that may or may not have a future and discovering just how difficult dating can be, another heartbreak occurs, sending Maddie into a tailspin. This book deals with many tough subjects - grief, family relationships, dating, job stress, racism - and does so well. I look forward to what George writes next!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

3+ stars rounded up

“Accept that your life is different now because of this monumental irreversible change and that it’s ok to feel guilt one day and indescribable happiness another. This is life now…this is how you live.”

This debut novel set in present day London is an exploration of love, loyalty and self discovery. Maddie (Maame) is 25 yrs old with parents who emigrated from Ghana in hopes of giving the family better opportunities. Maddie’s mother bounces back and forth to and from her homeland for sometimes years at a time, leaving teenage Maddie to care for her brother and ailing father. In the shadow of crippling responsibility and a mind-numbing domineering mother she is now in her mid 20s and trying to catch up with long delayed personal growth.

Themes such as online dating, undervalued professional development, selfish roommates and family troubles pale in comparison to the crumbling framework of her mental health. Her transformation is somewhat painstaking, and often heartbreaking as she literally “googles” her way toward finding answers to her every question. She finds varying discoveries in her computer searches but lacks the human interaction she so desperately craves and needs. A brutal battle with honesty with herself and others is amplified by an event she may never recover from. I loved the voice of Maddie and narrator Heather Agypong brings to life the character I will not soon forget.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

“Smart, funny, and deeply affecting, 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.”

This book covers A LOT. Leaving home, racism, dating, friendship, self-doubt, sex, duty, illness, family, career, and and and.

It somehow manages, however, to not feel too heavy. Mainly, I think this is due to the main character’s weird mixture of maturity in some things (taking care of her ailing father) and immaturity in others (stunted, socially). One second, she’s talking about feeding her father, the next, she’s Googling about how to lose her virginity at 25.

I’m not sure if YA was the vibe I was looking for, but it toned down what could have been a tragic slog of a book.

This book has a lot going for it.

The stunning cover.
The growth Maddie undergoes as she explores herself.
The personalities of her friends and family.
Did I mention the constant GAD Googling?

I read this one with both my eyeballs and my earholes, and the narrator was A GIFT.

The plot was slow going, but I think it allowed the characters to cook a bit more than they normally might.

8/10

Thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, Hodder and Stoughton Audio, and St. Martin’s Press for this steeped ARC.

In Maame, debut novelist Jessica George tells the story of Maddie, a self-described late bloomer who at the age of 25 is trying to juggle caring of her ill father (with no help from her mom or brother), moving out of the house, dealing with the microaggressions casually thrown at her by colleagues and roommates, and dating for the first time. With a mom who isn't exactly motherly and few close friends, Maddie looks for the answers to all her questions on Google. Readers are also given access to her inner thoughts, which reveal a woman who is deeply unsure of herself but also maybe stronger than she realizes. She's a character you want to root for and it was so satisfying to see her growth throughout the book. I highly recommend the audiobook, narrated by Heather Agyepong, who made the character of Maddie come alive.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan audio for the advanced copy of the book.