Very well written story.
The story is about a 25 year old Maddie who is taking care of her father who has a diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease. Her mom goes back and forth each year to Ghana, and her brother James doesn’t seem to be around much leaving all of the responsibility on Maddie. Her mom shares that she is coming home and able to move out, which Maddie does and the unthinkable happens.
The story of Maddie’s thoughts and feelings and going through trials and tribulations and her perseverance.

Let me start by saying that I don't think I have ever added so many tabs to any book before now. However, Maame is not just any book. This book was laugh out loud funny, absolutely heartbreaking, and incredibly relatable. I loved Maddie and her journey throughout this book. There were so many thoughts and actions of hers that I could relate to when trying to navigate life on your own. I was surprised to have enjoyed the stream of consciousness writing style as typically this is not a narrative style I gravitate towards. However, Jessica George's writing lured me in and left me in a puddle of my own tears!

Besides Maddie, we meet a relatively large cast of characters including friends, coworkers, and family members. I felt like every character received so much development and I had strong emotions about the characters I loved as much as the ones I would personally like to tell-off! I also really loved Maddie's friends Nia and Shu and how strong their friendships felt. As someone who has frequently lived away from some of my nearest and dearest friends, I found this dynamic so relatable! In fact, there were many aspects of this novel that were relatable - the struggles of dating, the pressures put on daughters to be caregivers, and the many ways that Maddie struggles to set boundaries with her family. In the Acknowledgments, Jessica George discusses how parts of the book are semi-autobiographical and while of course I have no way of knowing for sure which parts she is referring to.....there are so many parts that reflected experiences I've had with navigating complicated family dynamics and grieving. For that alone, I am incredibly thankful that this book exists!

Another important aspect of this story is Maddie's family being Ghanaian immigrants to the UK. We see Maddie grapple with her family's culture and how she feels like she missed out on some aspects - especially the language of her parents. But we also see how her mom's cultural beliefs surrounding the roles of women have affected her life. One important example is the term "Maame" which is a term of endearment in Twi for the responsible one, little mother, or a woman who became one before her time. The name becomes symbolic of Maddie's entire life. Outside of her family we see how in her chosen career fields she is often the only person of color in certain rooms, but more specifically the only Black person in these spaces. She also struggles to date as a Black woman on dating apps where she is treated in an overly-sexualized manner. In both instances she encounters micro-aggressions and discriminatory behavior. We follow Maddie as she finds ways to stick up for herself and learns that there was never anything wrong with her, but rather there was something incredibly wrong with the people who were treating her differently.

Overall, this book was an emotional rollercoaster, but in the best of ways! I was hesitant to believe the hype surrounding this book, but am happy to report it has found a home on my favorites shelf. Thank you to the publisher for an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Maame is one of those books you don’t want to end. A gorgeous, poignant story that deals with dating, sex, friendships, family, and grief. Maddie lives with her Parkinson’s stricken father while her mother splits her time between her native Ghana and their home in London. Maddie is in her mid-twenties at a job she loathes and having never really lived for herself. As her life appears to fall apart in more ways than one, she is forced to figure out who she is and how the relationships she has impact her psyche and well-being. Maddie is the sort of character you want to make your little sister so you can help her navigate dating and friendships and to just tell her it will all be ok.

“Maame (ma-meh) has many meanings in Twi but in my case, it means woman.”

A deep emotional story about Maddie (Maame) who is 25 years old but is the primary caregiver for her sick father. Soon, she finds freedom with her Mum back in town. She’s experiencing new things (drinking, flatmates, and sex) but still is not feeling fulfilled. Not too long after she has moved out a tragedy strikes which brings her through a whole different set of emotions she is not prepared for. A rollercoaster of a story with deep sadness and depression to happiness and everything in-between.

Maame has a slow build up (imo) but it leads to a great story that can be sad but also feels comforting. I received an eARC and I was just reading a little at a time until I was about 30% in and then I was trying to get as much reading in before my phone reminder told me to go to sleep. Maddie’s character goes through so much in such a short time and it all flows together which takes great writing skills. I really enjoyed sinking into this one, thank you NetGalley!

This debut novel from Jessica George, blew me away and had me devouring every page. A charming yet deep, coming of age story about Maddie who is trying to break out of her shell as the caregiver of her family. This story packs so much depth, but will also having you laughing out loud as awkward and shy Maddie moves out of her childhood home, starts dating, tackles a new job and searches for acceptance, love, and independence. I loved Maddie's inner dialogue and her google searches. There is also themes of grief, loss, love, family drama and friendship. Maddie's personal struggles with caring for her sick father and her mostly absentee mother were raw, heartbreaking, and emotional. Furthermore, this story highlights the struggles of a black woman and how she must deal with micro aggressions and racism. I could not put this book down and I highly recommend this book!

Maame (pronounced ma-meh) was such an interesting exploration of grief (most specifically the effects of generational grief), friendship, dating, social cues, work changes, and ever-present moments of racism and sexism. The novel tackles the gambit. I think this would be perfect for fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine since we deal with a MC that struggles with fitting in, understanding how to interact in various social settings, is dealing with depression in a visceral way and the themes of grief. TW for death of a parent. I knew it was coming but it really hit hard in an unexpected way and the aftermath of picking up the pieces, with a rather estranged family and an outpouring of those claiming relation -since our MC is Ghanaian- is a lot. Our MC is also only 25 years old but has spent her entire life acting in the best interest of her family, to the detriment of her own wants or needs, due to how she was raised and familial circumstances. It's really an interesting view into what happens, with nature vs nurture, when the nurturing is not quite beneficial. This one is honestly difficult to describe in a succinct way because so much ground is covered. However, this would be a perfect read if you're looking for something hard hitting (in the feelings department), an exploration of life, love, and relationships, and dealing with mental health issues through it all.

I love this book. I wish everyone I knew would read it too.
I don't typically love character-driven books but I absolutely adored George's writing. Maddie is SUCH a relatable character, I found myself highlighting passages more than any other book.
Thank you so much for this copy to review! I will definitely be reading more of George's works in the future.

Maame was a delight to read- traversing grief, loneliness, love, and learning with depth and lightness all at once. As the main character, Maddie, develops confidence and finds her voice, so does the plot, becoming stronger as the story continues. Maddie is a singular personality, completely unique, nuanced, and relatable.

A good book, not worth all the hype and honestly I probably would have thought higher of it if I had read it randomly without the hype. It was good it just had a little bit of a beginner feel but a very promising start for a first novel.

I tried multiple times to pick up this book, although I loved the cover I did not enjoy the writing of this novel.
It has rave reviews on NetGalley, so although it wasn’t for me, I’m glad others were able to connect to the story as the synopsis did initially appeal to me.
Thank you NerGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a chance to read this ARC.

Maddie, known as Maame by her family, is a young woman of Ghanaian descent making her way in London while being the sole caregiver for her father with Parkinson's. Her dead-end job and family responsibilities make it difficult for her to date, have friends, and pursue her dream of a job in publishing. Maddie's mother returns from Ghana for an intermittent stay and suggests she move out and live her own life while her mother takes over as the family caregiver.

I greatly enjoyed this novel. Maddie's situation was extremely stressful and stifling for such a young person, and I was pulling for her to get out and experience life without so much guilt. Her dating mishaps and job woes were very relatable. The additional difficulties she experienced as a black woman in those arenas gave me pause as she astutely considered the motives and perceptions of those around her.

This story also touched on themes of familial obligation. Maddie was always the responsible one, and as such, her mother and brother continued to expect her to do the heavy lifting. She was in a difficult spot, and her contentious relationship with her mother went through a transformation as Maddie went forth and spread her wings.

Treat yourself to this honest and hopeful story of personal growth and discovery. You'll cheer Maddie on as she pursues her hopes and dreams with her own brand of cautious optimism.

Maggie lives at home, takes care of her ailing father, works at a job where she isn't respected, and struggles to find any purpose or independence in her life. Her mother lives abroad in Ghana much of the time and her brother is living his own life away from the family. Her father's health and their family finances fall entirely on Maggie to manage. When the opportunity arises for her to move out on her own, she jumps at the chance to start over as a new Maggie. This new life obviously comes with some big ups and downs that she has to work through.

I love so much about this book. This book goes deep on some heavy topics like depression, sex, death, and racism. The topics are so important and so beautifully handled by George. Maggie's struggles are real and raw. It's hard being a 20-something woman trying to find your way in the world. Throw on top of that everything else that Maggie has to deal with and I could feel her emotions pouring out of the page.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book.

This is a must-read! I loved every page of this book. Maddie is so endearing, and you can’t help but root for her as she tries a series of “firsts” (dating, finding flatmates, going clubbing, and pot brownies, to name a few). She is the perfect example of a woman who was forced to grow up too quickly, and is finally making time for herself. Her struggles were believable and at times I wanted to cry along with her. When something made her happy, it made ME happy. I watched her make mistakes and grow from them, and ultimately find a voice for her own desires.
This is also an important book regarding race, family, and culture. It’s often that Maddie finds herself as the only Black person in the room, and reading about how that felt was really educational for me. It’s so easy to pretend not to see micro-aggressions and casual racism, but this ultimately reminds you that it’s something that should always be called out. I also really enjoyed learning about Ghanaian culture, and there’s definitely a few recipes I’d like to look up.
There is a strong religious element in this book. Usually that would bother me, but not in this story. Religion is part of who Maddie is, and to leave that out would be to leave a piece of her behind. It just worked, and it wasn’t preachy or too much. It was just her. However, if religion is a big trigger, maybe steer clear.
This book will make you feel all the feelings - frustration, aching sadness, absolute joy, and even peace. I recommend it with all my heart.

I loved this book! It was a coming of age story for a young Black woman. Her life was so complicated because of her family’s situation. The feelings in this book were tangible and really pulled at my heart strings. There is an element of found family which I love in a book.

The story does deal with a parent struggling with debilitating illness, and this part really resonated with me. The writing was so strong.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Jessica George, and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I've been seeing so much buzz about Maame, and I'm thrilled to say that it lived up to all of its hype! This was a beautifully heartbreaking story that enamored me from the very beginning. Part coming-of-age, part study on grief, I resonated so much with Maddie throughout. My life looks very different from hers in many ways, but George perfectly captured many big feelings of being 25. Maddie was loveable, sincere, and relatably flawed while being a narrator I rooted for until the end. George's writing style is absolutely stunning as well, and I am shocked that this is a debut novel for her. I already anticipate reading whatever she comes out with next. My only and biggest complaint overall is that the book felt a little disjointed at times due to its short nature (hence me rounding down to 4 stars instead of up to 5 from my true rating of 4.5). I was confused at first why I had seen so many people say it was an emotional read because the book is so strictly a more "fun" coming-of-age read focused on a young woman moving out for the first time and trying new things for the first half. Then it takes a sharp turn into grief, depression, and finding who you are through difficult familial situations and trauma. I feel like the book could have benefitted from a bit more blending of these two topics, and I would have liked to see more overall examination of Maddie's relationships with both her Mom and James as well. The ending was wrapped up a little too nicely for my liking (and I think Maddie came about to self-realization a lot quicker than I would expect to happen in real life), but for the book, it did work overall and probably works more for the audience as a whole than it did me. This was a great read as a whole that will be sticking with me for a while.

Full disclosure- I did not finish all the way before my copy expired but immediately purchased my own copy to finish!

UPDATE: 3.5 stars. Maddie felt like the little sister I never had throughout this book. I just wanted to give her a hug and have a good talk the whole time. I also thought all the characters were really well thought out and fleshed out, even down to the first terrible boss who’s only in the first chapters of the book. My issue with this was the pacing. What felt like should have taken months was crammed into a few weeks. Half the action seemed to be going too fast (online dating, finding a therapist) while the other half too slow (funeral planning).

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins for an opportunity to read this e-ARC!

REVIEW: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
.
READ IF YOU-
⚡️Enjoy self-discovery stories
⚡️Love characters that “hop-off” the pages
⚡️Enjoy thought-provoking subjects
.
This book is easily now one of my favorite reads. It is an engaging and powerful novel that will take you on a whirlwind of emotions with the most lovable character leading the way.
.
Maddie or “Maame” is a London born daughter to Ghanaian immigrants who is the primary caretaker of her father who has Parkinson’s. When her mum returns from Ghana, Maddie is ready to take on new adventures never experienced before.
.
A sweet, sad, humorous, heartfelt book that will leave you with the question, are you truly where you belong?
.
If you’ve read it, what did you think?! 🌟
.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing the ARC!
.
#bookstagram #book #maame #booktok #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookstagrammer #booklover #books #booknerd #bookaddict #bookshelf #bookphotography #bookblogger #booklove #booklovers #bookcommunity #bookobsessed #netgalley #arc #bookblog #instabook #instagood #instagram

Loved this book and the main character Maddie. A great story of moving away from home and starting to find yourself. Relationships between parents and adult children are complicated and the author did a wonderful job pulling those apart.

Maddie is an absolute gem. She is basically a saint and to meet her is to love her. I enjoy d joining her in her journey, and learning about life along with her. However, I am very mad at her mother and brother- they seriously suck. As does Jo and a few others. I guess not everyone is perfect and Maddie’s acceptance of this, and my apparent refusal, is one of many reasons I adored this book.
Thank you NetGalley for this wonderful read.

Thanks to @stmartinspress + @macmillanusa for the publicity review copy - Maame is already out {and a #ReadWithJenna pick if that's your jam}

I loved every single page of Maddie's story in Maame. From her relationship with her family to her struggles at work to dating and friendship as well Maddie's Ghanaian culture and her grapplings with racism.

I did not want this one to end and cannot wait to read what Jessica George writes next.