Thanks so much for the review copy. I can see why this is a book club favorite. Thanks again for the review copy.

In this lovely debut novel, Jessica George captures the uncertainty, and anxiety of Maddie Wright, a woman in her mid twenties. She is a people pleaser who earns the nickname Maame (“the responsible one”) from her family. She has a dead end admin job where she is often “the only Black person in the room,” and while her older brother, James, lives his life as he wants and her mother spends most of her time in her homeland of Ghana, Maddie becomes the main caregiver for her father who has Parkinson’s. As her social life dwindles, she worries she’ll always be a virgin. Maddie begins the “slow descent into a dull existence.” Then her mother finally comes back to take care of Maddie’s father, and Maddie moves into a flat with two roommates who are determined to help her start to live “a larger life”. But just as she’s getting a taste of independence, tragedy strikes at home and at work, and she’s forced to confront the anxieties she faces in daily life.
This books joy is in the gutsy portrayal of Maddie as a complicated, sharp, and vulnerable person who is trying to figure out how to adult! Highly recommend!!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press and of course to Jessica George, for a warm and inviting read!

If you can’t afford therapy, I would prescribe this book for anyone who wants to learn more about grief, depression, anxiety, intergenerational trauma and so much more. There are some really solid lessons the main character experiences in the course of reflecting on her role as “Maame” or “mother” in her family, even as the youngest daughter. Jessica George crafted excellent characters that are complex and believable. Reading this writing gave me the impression of effervescence, a bubbling up that was unexpected at times, but overall intriguing and pleasing. Can’t wait to read more from this author.

I received a digital advance reader copy from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review. I also listened to the audiobook.

For a debut novel, this coming of age story of a British Ghanaian woman sure packs a punch. Maddie is responsible for caring for her ailing father while trying to find her own way. Her mother is in Ghana half the time and her brother selfishly chooses his own pursuits over helping with family responsibilities. I was impressed with the way George was able to address such sensitive topics with lightness and humor. It was well done, and I found myself cheering for Maddie amongst the chaos of the hand she was dealt.

Maddie is a likeable heroine who feels guilt for choosing her own life when the weight of family expectations seem so heavy. I enjoyed learning more about the experience of being a Black woman in London, and how she found her own voice to go for what she wanted. I especially enjoyed how she used Google to navigate the questions she had. It was so relatable and had me cheering her on to the end.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Jessica George for an early copy of the book.

5🌟 - I loved it!

I loved this one so much! It’ll definitely on my favorites list at the end of the year I already know it! I can hardly believe it’s a debut novel 👏🏻

This was such a good coming-of-age story that explores friendships, complex family dynamics, grief, relationships, careers, identity in culture, mental health, and navigating your 20s.

Touching, relatable, and charming this is one that needs to be on your radar!

Maame is such a great story about finding your path and overcoming the challenges that we all face at one time in our lives. Maddie learning to deal with her grief over losing her father to Parkinson's while simultaneously tryhing to live up to the expectations her family has for her (specifically her mother and brother) was so relatable.
Maddie is such a well written character, and her experiences and failures pull you in immediately. She longs to be her own person instead of what everyone else wants her to be, but she seems thwarted at every attempt by the people in her life. This ultimately makes her growth as a young woman, and her character arc as a whole, incredibly satisfying. Watching her stand up to her mother and brother and attempting to forge new relationships and boundaries, not just with them but with her extended family and friends as well, was masterful. You can't help but to root for her, even when she's holding whole conversations in her head or googling random questions about dating, sex and whatever else pops in her head.
I appreciated the therapy sessions that played out in the book. Maddie going to therapy was such a pivotal decision and led to her growth as a young woman and I loved that it wasn't just glossed over.
This was such a great debut. It was witty, vulnerable, emotional, and relatable and I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

This is a book that will stick with me for a long time. A beautiful and honest portrait of a woman as she faces issues of race, class, sex, family and friendship and emerges with a newfound perspective on all. I loved being inside Maame's head and felt incredibly strong emotions as I journeyed with her. All of the characters are well-written and there are many passages that are incredibly and surprisingly funny. I would highly recommend.

George’s writing is humorous and light, yet she covers meaty topics. She explores the weight of family expectations, Maddie’s guilt at choosing her own life, the mixed-up feelings of grief, the experience of being a Black women in London and more. Maddie is a likable heroine who is trying to decide what she wants out of life and how to ask for it. Maddie’s growth was an emotional roller coaster. This coming-of-age novel is compulsively readable and I really enjoyed it.

“…Maame: the responsible one. The woman. The mother. Often before her time.”

I loved this coming of age novel by @jessicabgeorge. Maddie aka Maame is a late bloomer, a devoted daughter, and a quiet force to be reckoned with as she makes her way in her newly independent life. She’s anchored and a little scarred by her role as the stable care-taker in her first family, but bravely taking steps into independent life. She’s been sheltered, so her learning moments are heart-breaking, sometimes cringe-worthy, but ultimately universal. Maddie gave me restrained, Ghanaian Bridget Jones vibes, packaged in a story with substance and relatability. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy!

I just fell in love with Maddie. I felt like I was living in her head with her and experiencing this life challenges with her. Jessica George is a seriously good writer. I don't think I can write enough in this review that would justify how good this book was.
I definitely recommend it!

I would imagine it’s very hard to write a not-super sad book about the death of a parent and mental health struggles. George figured it out; while we have very different stories, I am so glad I got to read about Maddie and how she walks through life. I have spent a lot of time avoiding books about death- especially the death of a parent- and it is soul filling to read one without feeling destroyed.

Edited to add: I decided to give this another go, and I am so, so happy I did. I don't know why Maddie's story clicked for me in February, but it did and it was beautiful. I loved how the author explored grief and growing up and becoming an adult. I found the googling to be relatable. This book showed me that I need to be better at 'not yet'-ing a book instead of giving up completely. I am so glad this ended up working for me in the end.

Original thoughts: I am so in the minority when it comes to my opinion on this book. I have read a lot of the glowing five star reviews, and I'm so glad this book is getting so much love. After trying in print and audio formats, I have decided to throw in the towel on this one. I think this new coming of age in the twenties stories aren't working for me right now since I am in the middle of my twenties. Maybe? So glad it's getting love and I'll share this title when asked for this type of book.

Maame by Jessica George. Pub Date: January 31, 2023. Rating: 4 stars. For a debut novel, this story packs a punch and I was very impressed with the content, storyline and overall feel of the novel. The reader is taken on a journey of Maame, a young woman in her 20s who has a lot of burden to bear as a caregiver of her father. Her mother is in Ghana half the time and her brother turns a blind eye and is selfish without offering any help. Maame is left to care for her father all while trying to figure out her own life. Once the opportunity is presented for her to move out and be able to have more independence and freedom, she takes it and discovers a world she never knew existed. Using Google to navigate hardship and questions she has, her feelings are so relatable and I felt my heart going out to her as she takes on her independence in a world that sometimes is not the nicest to young females. I remember feeling some of Maame's own feelings as a young female in her 20s. I highly recommend this novel! Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #maame #netgalley

This was an incredible read about how cultural differences play such a big part in relationships. And how as a result it might be hard to find yourself, and who you are meant to be. After Maddie leaves the care of her father to her mother, who is back from an extended stay in Ghana, she moves out of her childhood home and into an apartment with girls she never met before. In the process a number of life changes occur and Maddie is forced to figure out some things for herself.
I felt this book was very relatable, and especially poignant for girls who feel as if they have to care for others. I also think this book was really easy to read, and once I was about half way through, was very hard to put down!
I recommend this book to anyone who is wanting to discover new authors, anyone who wants to read about what it might be like to grow up in a different culture, and to anyone who might face some of the struggles Maddie does.

Hello Best of 2023 list!

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the advanced readers copy. This title was an absolute gem and left me thinking about it days after finishing. The author painted a relatable and strong main female POV who is navigating through many of life's struggles. I highly recommend it fo your next fiction book and it would be great for a book club discussion!

I loved this charming and captivating debut novel. It has stayed with me since I finished reading the last page. It captures the sacrifice and love of a daughter seen through the culture of Ghanaian immigrant parents. Maddie is the main caretaker of her father in London and her journey of finding herself is very real, raw, funny and sad. It's a powerful book and definitely a favorite of the year for me. I highly recommend it!

I tandem read and listened to the audiobook which had a fantastic narrator.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital copy of the book to review. All opinions are my own.

Maame is the story of Maddie who is single and living in London with her disabled father. Her brother is nearby but absent. Maddie's mother is in Ghana helping with the family business and seldom comes home. Maddie's led a serious life and it's time for her to come out of her shell and get a real life. It doesn't happen overnight, but it happens. She doesn't have a boyfriend, then she has one and then she doesn't. She lives at home and cares for her dad, then moves in with roommates and then she moves out. She has a job, then she doesn't, but then she does. This is a good story....about life, love, family, maturing and facing life in the real world. We've all been there and gotten through it. I know why its on the bestseller list now. BTW, I would like to know the proper pronunciation of the word "Maame".....

I absolutely loved Maame! It is one of the best books I have received through NetGalley. Maame grabbed my attention from the beginning. I was rooting for Maddie as she grappled with very relatable issues that 20 somethings face.

I would read anything that Jessica George writes in the future.

Poignant coming of age story of a British Ghanaian woman. Maddie takes on he responsibility of care for her ailing father, endures her absentee. Miner and brother, and tries to hold together a full time job. She dreams of a release from the box she’s made of her life, and slowly she breaks free.

A tremendous debut novel.

Maddie’s mom calls her Maame which means woman. It not only feels like a nickname but an expectation even when she was a young girl. When we meet Maddie she works full time and takes care of her father who has Parkinson’s. Maddie is the responsible one while her brother Chase’s his dreams and her mother is gone for a year at a time.

Soon Maddie gets the chance to figure out who she is outside of her role in her family. I loved following Maddie on her journey of self discovery and figuring out who she is and what she wants. She deals with mental health issues and grief. It felt relatable and honest. The pressures placed on Maddie by her family and society are heavy. The book touches on racism and what it’s like being a black women in a predominantly white society.

This book and Maddie will stick with me for a while.