This coming-of-age story gave me all the feels.

Maddie, a 25-year-old London-born daughter to Ghanaian immigrants, lives and provides primary care to her father, who has Parkinson’s. She carries the weight of this responsibility alone, as her mother spends most of her time in Ghana and her brother is largely absent. When Maddie is unexpectedly given the opportunity to move out, she experiences several firsts and navigates straddling the pull of family obligation and finding her own way through adulthood.

Deeply moving, Maddie captured my heart early. We laughed, we cried and through her eyes, I witnessed the difficulty of trying to live in two places, and the complex journey it can take to find belonging.

I was rooting for Maddie all the way.

I have to say that this is probably one of the best debut novels that I’ve read in a while. The writing, the characters, the tone of the book worked so well together. Struggling to find a balance between the Ghanaian family values instilled in her since childhood and her life and aspirations , Maddie is is sweet, smart and is doing her best to find her way in the world. As her nickname implies, Maddie was pushed to be the responsible one, the one that has her life together, the one that will take care of everything from a very young age. So its not shocking to see her struggle as an adult when she’ s her automatic default is to be a people pleaser, even at the risk of her happiness.

As I was reading Maddie’s story I felt more and more connected to her as I see her navigate social situations to the moment she finally starts taking control of her life. The story is told in a way that it feels like we are having a conversation with her, and the inner monologue that makes up most of the book allows for us to get a deeper understanding of what she was thinking at the time.

Culture and family values are at the forefront of the book, every choice and action is influenced by this. This is one of the things that I was able to identify with the most when I was reading the book. Maddie is the daughter of Ghanaian immigrants, making her first generation Londoner, who has to live up to the high expectations of her family. I myself am an immigrant from Mexico so although I don’t have the title of being first generation, I am able to identify with a lot of her struggles.

When we first meet Maddie, she is a very naive character who struggles with being able to use her own voice. She not only is unable to express her wants and needs but she also feels like she’s not able to do it because of what other people might think. I felt for her when she was unable to be herself in front of other people and had to create a persona so that she would fit in when she could have easily make friends but the way that she was brought up from a very young age did not allow her to have those types of connections. Not because people didn’t want to be her friend but because she didn’t allow people to see the real her. I saw someone say that she didn’t like that she spent so much time googling things that she didn’t know but to me I think that they fail to remember that yes she’s part of society because she had a job and had some friends but she also wasn’t.

One thing that bothered me the most of the book was her need to feel loved, because to her loved was showed by taking care of others needs. If she liked someone as a friend or as a potential bf, she didn’t want to burden them with her life story, instead she changed herself to fit what they might like.

This year so far i’ve read a couple of books that deal with the loss of a loved one and this book has that as well. But instead of the usual mourning and trying to get better, we get a character that has a lot of guilt (even though she has no reason to feel guilty ) and who feels the need to go back to how she used to feel before the death of her father even though she is aware that she wasn’t happy. I think part of her not wanting to admit that she was depressed also had to do with the fact that she would have to admit that her depression didn’t come from death, which in her eye makes more sense, but that it came from an accumulation of her life events and not something traumatic. This is something that is very common with people who are immigrants, we are told that we need to either bottle up our feelings or that we need to talk to them to our parents or church, going to seek help from a professional who isn’t family is a no no. And that’s not to say that it happens with every family but unfortunately a lot of them do believe that.

I could go on an on about how much I enjoyed reading this book but i will end it with this…

you wont regret picking up this book, some of us find ourselves at a much older age and thats okay, Maddie will be okay.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this story! It’s told through the eyes of Maddie, a young woman living in England who’s family hails from Ghana. It’s a very coming of age tale and really goes in depth about family, and the expectations they unwittingly bestow on us. I loved the transformation Maddie makes throughput the story and her acceptance of herself and her family! I would definitely recommend to anyone who can relate or just enjoys books about growing into the person you were always meant to be.

AMAZING! My favorite book so far this year! I loved the Maame.. She is a character that will stick with you for a long time!

Maame by Jessica George is a smart, funny and moving coming-of-age story about contemporary issues in today’s world.

Maddie is caring for her father, who has late stage Parkinson’s, while still living at home. Her mother spends most of the year in Ghana and her brother is never around. In her mid twenties, Maddie is anxious to begin her adult life on her own but torn by her duty to her family. When her mom returns from Ghana and moves back home, Maddie jumps on the chance to move out. She signs a lease for a new flat, starts socializing with her peers, begins online dating and focuses on asserting herself at work.

Finding herself forces Maddie to deal with issues of race, culture, friendship, sex and love. Jessica George has created a loving character who is unsure, awkward and hesitant at the start of the novel and grows into an assertive and confident woman. George’s description of the grieving process and losing a parent are incredibly moving. A five star debut novel that’s unforgettable. You will find yourself cheering for Maddie.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

I really liked the voice of the main character, Maddie, and I admired her choices to become her own person and "grow up" so to speak in her mid-twenties. I loved watching her become more confident in herself and start doing adult things like move out on her own and follow her heart when it comes to relationships. I found her family so frustrating, though, and I found it even more frustrating how she just let everyone walk all over her. Her mother and brother treated her like crap and took advantage of her kind heart, and it was upsetting to watch her just take it, over and over again. I also didn't expect this book to be so centered on grief and Maddie's grieving process. Having just read Maybe, Someday (very good book but tough for me) I wasn't exactly prepared for this Maame to also have so much grief throughout the book. This book is good, and the writing is really great, but it wasn't exactly the book I needed at the time I read it.

I started this book with not expecting much. I’m 60 and white and this book is about a 20 something, British born Ghanaian woman so I wasn’t sure how much I would be relating to the story as it started to unfold. But I have to say that this beautifully written novel had me both laughing and crying as Maddie navigates love, loss, family, friends and work in a way that is both tender and tragic. Maddie is an endearing and enduring woman that makes you want to root for her in all her successes as well as her failures. She brought me back to so many memories of navigating life at that age. From losing a parent to crappy relationships. Google didn’t exist during my 20s but if it did I would undoubtedly had used it instead of my magic 8 ball for all of the big questions in life. Looking forward to George’s next read!

Wonderful novel! I laughed and cried-a lot. I saw so much of myself in Maddie (Maame). So grateful for a digital arc of this beautiful book!

Maddie is a young woman living at home, taking care of her father, who has Parkinson’s disease. She has a caregiver to help during the day, when she goes to her job as a PA at a theater, but at night it’s up to her to provide care. Her mother lives in Ghana most of the time, and her brother travels around the world with musicians. Needless to say, Maddie has grown up quickly, learning to take care of the household and her father, but it comes at a cost. Maddie hasn’t been able to grow in other ways by living on her own or with flatmate or dating much. After Maddie’s mother comes back to London for a year, Maddie decides to move out and finds a place close to work with two flat mates, Jo and Cam. She’s enjoying her new life and finally dating a few men, when an event at home shatters Maddie’s existence. There is a reason why Maddie is called Maame, a word in Twi meaning Woman. She is a brave, young woman figuring out life one piece at a time. Overall, an enjoyable read.

5⭐️

<b> It’s an ordinary week within the most extraordinary circumstances because apparently—and this is what everyone fails to mention about the grieving process—I still have to live.</b>

Maddie is 25 and takes care of her father who has Parkinson’s. Maddie’s mother spends every other year in Ghana taking care of her family’s hostel, and Maddie’s brother, James, prefers to travel and live his own life. When Maddie’s mom returns to London, Maddie finally moves out of her father’s house and begins living her life for herself. She has flatmates and begins dating and trying new things, she has a new job as a publishing admin (after being fired from her previous admin job). When Maddie receives the worst news after a night out with her flatmates, she is left grappling with her newfound guilt and grief.

This book is funny and heartbreaking and I loved every minute of it. Maddie’s character is so lovable and relatable that you can’t help but love her and all her quirks. It was great to watch her character develop and to watch her become her own independent self. I grieved with her when she lost her father and had to figure out how to navigate life in his absence, and I cheered for her when she stood up for herself and started finding peace in her new normal. This is the best book I have read so far this year!

<b> “Accept that your life is different now because of this monumental, irreversible change and that it’s okay to feel guilty one day and indescribable happiness another. This is life now,” he says. “This is how you live.”</b>

I love a vibrant book! Maame isn’t just a coming of age story, it has culture, humor and heart. Maddie’s awkward character is vulnerable and enjoyable. It almost made me miss my twenties, almost!

I’ll miss hanging out with Maddie Maame! I hope we get to see more of her in the future.

** That amazing cover art fits the story, the character and the journey so well.

Good luck, Jessica George! And congrats on the Jenna pick.

Madeleine Wright is a twenty-five year old woman living at home in London; she is a daughter, a sister, a personal assistant, and a caretaker. She is many titles and yet does not know herself or who she is outside of her titles.

Maddie’s mother spends the majority of her time in Ghana, where Maddie’s parents lived until Maddie and her older brother, James, were born. James too is largely absent. It would not be far fetched to claim “abandonment,” especially as Maddie’s recent years have been spent caring for her father with advanced-stage Parkinson’s. Her days are scheduled by her father’s needs. His health is heavily dependent on Maddie’s ability to be with him and oversee his well-being.

Maddie eventually moves out of her father’s home during one of her mother’s stints back in London. What follows is Maddie learning to separate herself from who is expected to be, in order to determine who she wants to be as her own person.

I thought this novel was extremely well done in its portrayal of all sorts of friendships, dating scenarios, workplace scenarios, and generally growing up and away from familial expectations. Maddie’s experiences were viscerally familiar. Googling what’s normal in a situation. Internally through a social situation. Experimenting with dating and nightlife.

Most poignantly, this novel tackled depression, anxiety, and grief with nuance and grace. Those aspects of the book became my favorite, because of how relatable they were. Maddie stood off the page for me in those later moments, and I think it was because she was fully herself, feeling her emotions and allowing herself to react genuinely to the situation. I LOVED whenever Maddie stood up against her mother; it was a long time coming! Maddie’s acceptance of what their relationship could actually be was a beautiful moment. Her growth was evident.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced digital copy of Maame in exchange for this honest review.

✨Book/Audiobook Review🎧📖

Thank you to @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for the eARC and ALC for Maame. I totally had a blonde moment and thought I had until February 7th for pub day on this one. 🤦🏼‍♀️ Nope, that was the archive date on Netgalley. Oops!

OK, so my main commentary on this book is that it is worth ALL the hype. It is so frickin’ good and I loved almost every minute. I went into this one completely blind, just knowing it was a popular ARC. Alllll the topics are covered and in such a fantastic voice. Everything from family roles, grief, racism, work dynamics, friendships and virginity/sexuality are all part of this incredible coming-of-age story. I loved Maddie AKA Maame so, so, so much and I love how her story wrapped up in the end.

I can’t believe this is Jessica George’s debut! Watch out for this author, she’s going places! Whatever she writes next, I will be at the front of the line to read ASAP!

P.S. This narrator, Heather Agyepong, is amazing and her accent is 👏🙌. I highly recommend going the audio route for this one. Those Ghanaian accents add to an already incredible story.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
All the stars!

A #ReadWithJenna book pick, Maame is a "late-coming-of-age" novel that sees Maddie Wright learn what it means to live, without the expectations of your family.

I just adored this debut, Jessica George writes with a startling authenticity. It made Maddie one of the most relatable central characters I have read in a long time. While she is a youngest child, she is also the only girl in her family and from a very young age was called Maame (woman), leading to expectations from family that ultimately translated to incredibly high expectations for herself. While not the same, I related to this as the oldest sibling who often tries to act out that role.

While Maddie is 25, she does not have the life experience most people do at that age because she has spent too much time caring for her father who suffers from Parkinson's. This is a perfect example of someone who had to grow up in one way - but never did in another. I found her concern about making friends, dating and over-googling hysterical and likely true to life.

George is an incredibly talented writer, she took a character-driven novel and gave it legs. I never once got bored, nor did the story ever drag. I am incredibly eager to pick up whatever she releases next.

This story was beautiful. Right from the beginning I was pulled in by the writing style, the raw truth and emotion in Maddie’s story. I enjoyed this coming of age story because Maddie’s a bit older than the teen version of these stories that I’ve read before, so I appreciated the writing of seeing these moments through an adult’s eyes but still for the first time.

There were some challenging topics brought up in this book such as sex, depression, and grief - all of which I thought were handled so sensitively as Jessica George navigated them through Maddie’s eyes. The insight into the culture was interesting as well, especially in the context of ‘Maame’ and the different views of the “woman” of the family. In addition, to the way Maddie was culturally expected to react to the above challenging situations.

Overall this was a wonderfully written book that was entirely relatable, and I really could have read Maddie’s story all day.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. To be posted on my IG @manis.and.manuscripts this week!

This beautiful book contains a story about Maddie, known as Maame (woman – the nurturer) to her family, was immersive and beautifully complex. It is a charming, vividly drawn, and poignant coming-of-age tale about a 25 year old people pleaser starting out in London’s publishing world. Dealing with friendships vs. family secrets, racism in the workplace vs. expectations of a junior employee, racism in relationships – a toke or a trophy vs. being loved for oneself, familial obligations packed into biblical quotes vs. finding oneself as the only one trying to actually fulfill the obligations, and grief, the loss of a parent, but also for the need to alienate, to set boundaries - this story was simply wonderful.
It was fabulous to see Maddie finding her inner strength and learning to prioritize herself and her dreams, learn to speak up for herself, step by step.

Struggling with family responsibilities and a ho-hum job, Maddie moves out of the family home and strikes out on her own. Through pluses and minuses, she finds herself learning about life and love. Well written and recommended.

4.5 stars

I read most of this on my own, but the audiobook came in and I ended up listening to the last 30% of the book. As much as I was drawn into her story on its own merits, the audiobook really added to my experience.

This was an adult coming-of-age story with Maddie never really having a childhood. As a result, she is mature beyond her years, but so innocent in many other ways, especially with regard to dating, as well as her dreams of working in publishing. Maame means woman in Ghanian, which is fitting since she raised herself after her mother moved back to Ghana and her father was mostly absent, lost in his work, and her older brother hopped around his friends' homes.

This story covers many themes, and it does it well. These include racism, workplace discrimination, terminal illness, grief, depression and suicide, sexuality, difficulties with roommates, true friendship, familial and cultural expectations, forgiveness and acceptance, arranged marriages, and navigating the workplace to make your voice heard. The story moved me to tears more than once, and I cheered for her as she found her voice. As serious as many of these issues are, somehow the author found a good balance and even when I was crying for her, I never felt like the book was stifling. In the end, I felt like I had read a heartwarming story as Maddie comes into her own.

My short experience with the narrator, Heather Agyepong, was so positive that I will probably go back and listen to the whole thing.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Maddie is young black woman of Ghanaian heritage, living in London and caretaking for her father who suffers from Parkinson’s. Her mother and brother are mostly absent. When her mother returns from one of her extended trips back home to Ghana, Maddie finally gets her chance to move out of the family home, stop being a caregiver and get to experience the challenges of roommates, lovers, friends, work challenges and figuring out who she is within and outside of her family. Maame, meaning ”woman”, is the name her mother calls her, a name that Maddie sees as a burden. A terrific read. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a preview copy.

Maame is a solid debut novel, focusing on a 25-year-old Londoner of Ghanaian heritage, Maddie. She has been the main family member to help care for her ailing father, who is suffering from an advanced case of Parkinson’s. Her brother makes excuses. Her mother is out of the country, running a hotel in Ghana, more often than she’s in London. So it all falls on Maddie’s head (yes, there’s a health aide that comes to help out too). When her mother arrives in London and says she’s staying for a long time, Maddie takes the opportunity to move out and try to start her life. In a way, this is a delayed-coming-of-age novel.

I liked this book but didn’t love it. I did enjoy learning more about the Ghanaian culture and the Ghanaian diaspora in England (although I would have liked to learn more!). Maddie is pretty immature socially for someone in her mid-20s, someone who has a university degree, even though she’s mostly been a homebody, not completely by choice. She habitually consults Google for answers to questions about social situations, which I found odd (but perhaps someone younger wouldn’t think it odd). Examples: “How to be happy” and “What to do when you’ve been fired” and “How long do guys wait before asking a girl out on a date?” She really wants to fit in and lets her new flatmates drag her into situations that make her uncomfortable, in an effort to be more “normal.” There is a big deal made of the fact that she’s still a virgin at 25. A positive aspect was how the author treated mental health issues, panic attacks, grief and so on. And her treatment of the everyday subtle racism Maddie endures was another good part of the book.

Her mother was a mostly unlikeable character and we didn’t really get to know her dad at all, due to his advanced illness. I realize that in many (most?) cultures, it is expected that the daughter take care of the parents, but her brother was worthless and that really annoyed me, in addition to her mother being out of the picture. Maddie shows a lot of growth, both interpersonally and at work, over the course of the book, but it really only shows up in the later portions of the book. I think people in their 20s and 30s will relate to a lot of situations that arise in this story.

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient. The audiobook was beautifully narrated by Heather Agyepong.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook and to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.