A touching story about a young woman, trying to navigate her world with familial and social pressures. I loved her continuous use of Google. I really liked Maame’s character. She was an interesting person and a people pleaser. I admired her dedication to her dad and also when she decided it was time to let herself experience life on her own. Parts were heavy but they added to the story’s depth.

I wanted to give this book a try although I wasn't necessarily in a place for a literary fiction novel. I found the main character's daily life a bit too strained to continue past the 15% mark.

What a fantastic book to end the month on!

This book takes you on such a wave of emotions. You love some characters and hate others *cough BEN*, and the writing was so powerful, I had so many highlights in my ebook.

Maddie is a responsible, independent young woman, because she has to be, with her mother constantly leaving and her brother disappearing, and she remains to take care of her father. Despite having to grow up too fast, she has this innocence about her, because she missed out on so much.

Maddie navigates trying to discover who she is when she is finally allowed, standing up for herself while managing guilt, grief, and depression, and finally acknowledging her mental health struggles. In the end while working with a therapist, she comes to the realization that she has people who love her and who are there for her, and she is worthy of that love.

This book is beautifully written, and you go through this journey with Maddie wanting the best for her the entire time, because she deserves it.

I want to note that Maddie references her subconscious Maddie, described as how Lizzie McGuire had a cartoon Lizzie, and it’s SUCH a great thread throughout the story. I loved it so much.

Loved this book! This is out tomorrow, January 31. 📚

I was provided a free advanced copy of this book from @netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
Maddie has always been the one to hold everything together, evidenced by her family nickname, Maame. For years she has been in London taking care of her Dad who has advanced stages Parkinson's while her Mom spends most of her time in Ghana. At work, she is feeling unfulfilled and being blamed for everything! When her Mom decides to make a trip back to London, Maddie jumps at the chance to finally break away and live her own life. She moves into a flatshare, goes out for drinks with friends, and even meets a guy. However, the feelings of being responsible for everything don't fall away that easily, and she will have to learn to do things for herself and let others take care of themselves!
This was a really good story! It was funny and sad, hopeful and encouraging, and all around very real! Maddie is naive in her experiences, but we learn along with her the importance of taking care of your own needs first! I appreciated the author not shying away from some tough topics and dealing with them honestly and providing hope for those readers who may deal with similar things.
This story comes out tomorrow (31 Jan), so definitely add it to your list and get a copy!
#NetGalley #Maame

"I was raised to be a daughter, sister, caregiver. Maame. Now I want to be me."

Given adult responsibilities at an early age, Maddie has always been the caretaker of her family. Her mother even gave her the nickname Maame, the Twi word for woman, as a child. So, it’s no surprise that she is the primary caregiver to her father, who has Parkinson’s disease. While her mother and brother could and should help, they don't. Her mother spends most of her time in Ghana, and her brother prioritizes everything else over family. Freed of her family responsibilities, twenty-five-year-old Maddie is finally starting to live her own life.

Maddie is such an authentic and lovable character. You can't help but root for her to find her voice and put herself first. Her transition into the “new Maddie” has its ups and downs. She deals with challenges around friendships, dating, career, race, life-changing events, straddling two cultures, and family duty. I appreciated that the author weaved in some much-needed humor and levity throughout the book. Maddie’s Googgle searches to help her navigate uncharted waters were a personal favorite. I loved seeing Maddie grow stronger throughout this emotional journey. Most importantly, she learns how to protect her peace.

While this coming-of-age story is heavy and focuses on character development over plot, this impressive debut is full of insights as an endearing character comes into her own.

I received an early copy from St. Martin’s Press.

You know what this book is?
Utterly charming.
It’s also an honest book about the difficulties in putting others before yourself, even and especially when you want to. Maddie’s love for her family knows no bounds, but she is put in a situation where she can finally move out and start to live her own life. She learns a lot of lessons along the way about compassion and self-respect and I adored her for her mistakes as much as for her dreams and successes.
Maddie is the well-meaning daughter in all of us who just needs a break. And while this book can feel slow, I think it’s important so we remember the details in our own lives by watching hers; so we remember to slow down and experience the moment when she does. This book is simply about life, as complicated and uncomplicated as that can be, and it sure was heartfelt, honest, and very hopeful.

**Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Jessica George for an ARC of this book!**

"Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves."-Henry David Thoreau

In the English-Twi dictionary, "maame" means mother, and can also mean to bring "to bring up a child with love and care." And although Maddie has had this nickname for many years, the role of caretaker isn't necessarily one she feels born to fulfill...but she does so anyway. Maddie's father has late stage Parkinson's, and with her mother traipsing back and forth between London and Ghana (where mom runs a hostel), Maddie has been the steadfast, reliable daughter who puts her own aspirations on the back burner more often than not to be the rock her father needs to get from day to day.

When Maddie's mother finally decides to return for more than a fleeting moment and put down some sort of roots, it feels like a sign, and Maddie is ready to break free. Free of what, though, she isn't sure. She starts with embarking on a new career and moves into her own place with two roommates. But grappling with a new career as an admin at a publishing company isn't quite the drastic switch she was hoping for...and when romance taps her on the shoulder, Maddie isn't exactly sure she's ready for that either. And when a tragic situation shakes up Maddie's world for good, she begins to question EVERY choice she's made in this new life. Will Maddie's 'failure to launch', coupled with the timing of this tragic incident, keep her mired in depression and paralyzed by fear? Or can this instead become the true watershed moment she has been so desperately seeking?

I'll admit that I knew very little about this book going in and wasn't exactly sold by the cover, but I have to say by about 10%, I KNEW this was going to be on my 2023 favorites list. George's writing is smooth and effortless, and with the way this book is narrated, I felt like I truly UNDERSTOOD Maddie as a character almost immediately. Her style of first person narration is simultaneously charming and conflicted, and I was invested in her journey immediately. I think part of the reason I grew to care for Maddie so quickly was that I saw so much of my younger (and to some extent, current) self in her and above all, I just wanted to see her THRIVE!

Though somewhat misguided and a bit too reliant on Google, Maddie has a pure and loving heart and a selfless nature, and it's no wonder that even in her mid-20s she is struggling to find her voice and her place in the world. So much of her past is heartbreaking, her relationship with her family members is as twisted and convoluted as most, and yet...even in the wake of her worst decisions, I just wanted to reach out and reassure her that the answers DO come...at least, for the most part.

People often say to "be the person you needed when you were younger"...but in terms of this book, this felt like the READ I needed when I was younger, but I am still so grateful to get it now. George has just the right balance of silly moments and humor (at times Maddie's inner dialogue and angel on her shoulder reminded me of Zach Braff a la Scrubs and his 'daydreams', which was always delightful) and yet, she handles heavy topics like depression and finding personal fulfillment, what it means to be family and what you can (or can't) expect from those you love, and the joy AND pain that can come from navigating through your first real relationship.

This is bildungsroman the way it was meant to be written: moving, impactful, thoughtful, emotional, and as ever-evolving as life itself. A truly effortless and beautiful debut!

4.5 stars

Maame was such a beautiful and moving coming of age story. It may only be January, but I can already tell this will be one of my favorite books of the year.

Maame follow Maddie, a young 25 year old woman who’s been forced to grow up quickly, but is still very naive in a lot of ways. She’s the lone caretaker for her father, who though still young suffers from Parkinson’s disease. When her mother returns from Ghana, Maddie decides (through her mother’s suggestions) that she will move out and start living more. The year of Maddie! It’s not long before Maddie begins learning life’s hard lessons.

Maddie was such a likable and relatable character. I felt her heartache during those soul-crushing moments she faced and really hoped she would stand up for herself more. Even though this book dealt with some heavy topics the author still managed to keep it light and threw in some funny moments (Maddie’s google history must be out of control). This book also offered commentary on racism in dating and the workplace and the microaggressions you may not even realize.

10/10 stars. Very impressive first novel and I can’t wait to read more from this author. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advance copy.

This book. Wow. Wow. Wow. Where to even start? This book addressed important topics such as grief, mental health, racism and family duty in such a powerful way without ever feeling dense as it really did go down easy.

At times this book was darkly funny in a way I appreciated, but fair warning, it does get pretty bleak. Now, I love a “depressing” book, so that didn’t bother me, but fair warning to make sure you’re in a good place for this one.

I loved Maddie as a main character. She was relatable and endearing. I thought she was so well-developed and I really felt for her and wanted to give her a hug. She is in her mid-twenties but this really was a beautiful coming-of-age story.

I absolutely adored this book and can’t recommend it highly enough. Is it too early to say this will be a strong contender for favorites of the year?

Maame is such a beautifully written story, and the way it described grief hit me right in my core. Maame is just trying to find her place in the world, but her family certainly isn't making that easy. Being the oldest daughter myself, I related to the expectations placed on Maame. She sacrifices so much to take care of her father - works at a job she doesn't like, has a limited social life, and still lives at home. Meanwhile her brother and mother are off doing whatever they want. So Maame is finally getting a chance to break free from that life and carve her own path, but life gets in the way. It is rare for me to find a book that so relatedly discusses grief, a beautiful yet complex relationship between a father and daughter and finding ones way in the world. The mother and daughter relationship also was really nice, though the mother was quite a frustrating character but I loved the way we got to know her better and I liked that ending. So there was a relationship in the book that I didn't like - Maame and the boys. This part is where I really struggled, it made me deeply uncomfortable and I had to really skim through parts of this (for my own sake, not because of the writing).

Overall though I loved this book! I don't think I've stopped raving about it. I loved learning about the Ghanian traditions and culture, the intersection between British and Ghanian cultures, and the way that Maddie struggled with the name Maame as a way to describe her struggles with the two parts of herself. It so beautifully discusses the experience of so many children of immigration. I definitely recommend you pick this one up!

This debut novel was beautifully written and captivating. My heart was instantly with Maddie and the characters in her life. George’s writing is what kept me coming back for more, as I found the book slow to start. I’m not sure why I felt this as you can tell from the first page it is going to be an excellent and moving read. I think I just wasn’t in the mood for this book at this time. But once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down. I was always rooting for Maddie and loved this coming of age story. Thank you for this advance copy. I’ll be sure to be telling my book club how they have to pick this one up!

Jessica George's debut Maame is beautiful. While my background is very different from Maddie's, there were many aspects of her story that resonated with me. It is so challenging to be a young woman trying to determine who you are and what you are meant to do in the world. Sometimes the weight of the expectations is crushing and I wanted to give Maddie a hug and the promise that it will get better. George's writing feels honest and real-Maddie feels like she could be someone you know, your best friend, or maybe even you.

Interwoven in this coming of age story, we see Maddie grapple with complex family issues including taking care of her father who is severely ill and requires near constant care. Additionally, she often has to navigate predominantly white spaces as a young black woman who has often been told to make who she is smaller to fit in.

I found it difficult to put the book down because I was so happy to see Maddie grow and come into her own. When she started to claim her space and trust herself enough to finally communicate her feelings and needs, I felt a surge of pride. Maddie is able to take some of life's most difficult challenges and come out stronger, finally finding the happiness she has been searching for all along.

Many thanks to my friends at @stmartinspress @macmillan.audio and @librofm for these #gifted copies.

Say hello to my first 5⭐️read of the year!!!

Powerful, authentic, tender, and fresh. George’s debut is a deeply affecting yet lighthearted must read.

In the words of Juliette, “What’s in a name?”

Maddie was called Maame, or woman, at a young age. Much too young to assume the responsibilities inherit to the term. And yet, those stresses landed firmly on her young shoulders.

The juxtaposition in which we find her is intriguing… able to run a household and care for an ailing parent… but socially naïve and deeply immature in comparison to others her age.

With Google as her guide, Maddie seizes an opportunity to strike out on her own resolute on saying yes to new adventures. Along the way, this late bloomer experiences many firsts, comes to terms with her past, and gets to know the woman she wants to be.

George completely captivated me with this poignant coming of age story. I laughed. I cried. I *rooted* for Maddie with everything in my being.

With a strong and distinct voice, Maddie came fully alive to me. She was multifaceted, and her inner dialogue felt deeply resonant. I was charmed by her awkwardness, and fully dedicated to her through her most vulnerable times.

I loved every aspect of Maddie’s arc… the naiveté, the mistakes, the successes. The funny parts. The sad parts. But in those sad parts, those moments of devastation… George’s writing really shines. Not many authors have the chops George has… that ability to unpack heavy, pertinent topics with humor and lightheartedness.

Seeing Maddie’s growth was deeply rewarding and a powerhouse mental health representation.

My first 5⭐️ read of 2022 became a favorite for the entire year. Even with 11 months left on the 2023 calendar, I have bets that the same could happen with Maame this year.

🎧 I alternated between the physical and audiobook versions and both were engaging. Narrated by Heather Agyepong, the audiobook brings to life the Ghanaian tone. But some areas, such as the Google searches, were easier to digest in print.

Our protagonist Maddie, a 20-something British girl with Ghanaian parents, struggles to find her place in the world. She’s treated differently among her peers because she’s black, but she also doesn’t feel as connected to her parents’ culture and language as they (specifically her mom) think she should. When Maddie’s mom comes back to London after her half-year in Ghana, Maddie moves out for the first time in her life. On her own, Maddie grapples with loss, grief, friendships, and love.

This was a beautiful, real, sad, and often funny story of identity and self discovery. Thank you to the publisher for the ARC, I loved it!

4.5, rounded up. I put this one off for a while because I knew it would be heart-wrenching, and it is. At twenty-five years old, Maddie is not only the primary caretaker for her father, who has Parkinson's disease, but also has no support from her mother or older brother, both of whom are conspicuously absent at inconvenient times (her mother in Ghana and her brother in...various places) and contribute nothing financially. On top of this, she loses her job for an infuriating reason.

Through Maddie, Jessica George explores the themes of racism, sexism, and abuse in an occasionally funny but often devastating way; I wanted to both hug Maddie and scream at her to remove herself from dangerous situations. While a little slow at times, the way George structures Maddie's days feels organic; her development is believable, which makes what she experiences all the more frustrating. If you're worried about this feeling like a depressing slog, don't be; the ending is incredibly satisfying.

Maame is a wonderfully written coming-of-age story that tackles heavy and important subjects but will also leave you feeling uplifted.

I found this story to be equal parts heart wrenching and heartwarming. I absolutely loved Maddie’s character, and thought Jessica George did an amazing job of writing her as so real and raw and relatable. The book notes that George based Maame on her own experiences, and I am grateful that she chose to be so personal with her readers.

Maddie is the child of Ghanaian immigrants, living in London, and taking care of her father who is ill. With this difficult experience alone, she has been forced to grow up faster than she should have. I felt like this was an aspect of the book that many can relate too, specifically those who are children of immigrant parents. There are many challenges that come with being first gen and having to help your parents navigate a new world, and I am glad this book helps validate those hardships for so many.

In this story, there is also a heavy emphasis on mental health, including the ways in which we (especially women, and especially women of color) can overlook our issues because we don’t feel we have the right to be struggling. I thought this was so important to read, and I thought it was perfectly depicted through Maddie.

With all the seriousness of this plot, I loved that it had much humor and lightness dispersed throughout, too. Maddie’s relationships with her friends, Nia and Shu, were so fun to read; we all need friends like that in our lives. I also liked how Maddie occasionally addressed the reader directly in the writing, as well as getting glimpses into her Google searches and text messages.

Overall, this was an excellent debut novel, and I would highly recommend giving it a read. It is officially out tomorrow! And I’m pretty sure it is also going to be a @bookofthemonth pick for February, so be on the lookout.👀
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Thank you to @stmartinspress for the advanced copy of this book and the opportunity to support another woman of color.💛

Maddie Wright is stuck. At 25 years old she’s stuck at a job she hates, stuck at home taking care of her father with Parkinson’s. Stuck with all the responsibilities of life. Not that Maddie minds, she loves her father, but just she wasn’t the ‘Maame’ that everyone relied on to keep things together. As her father’s condition worsen’ s, Maddie is given a chance to branch out into the world. But will the new life challenges that come with experiencing the world be too much for Maddie to juggle?

Maame, was nothing and everything I expected.

This was a fantastic debut & WOW, just wow. I don't even have the words for the way this book made me feel. While the book started out slow for me, it ended up packing a punch. I wasn’t entirely sure where we were going with Maddie’s story, but honestly, I’m glad I read it slowly and went in with zero expectation. Reading it slower really allowed me to absorb the events/ thoughts Maddie was having and continuously reflect back upon my own life. So many of the things Maddie is struggling with are things so many readers can relate to, especially those in their mid-20's. For me the portrayals of grief and sadness really hit home, especially where her dad was concerned.

I don’t know how George did it, but she packed so much into a little more than 300 pages. The story of Maddie deals with depression, grief, loss, identity, family, cultural norms, race, sexual orientation, and so much more. I loved it & even though Maddie & I are completely different people so many of her thoughts are things I could relate to when I was in my mid-20s. Maddie’s grief consumed me but there is also so much hope, love, and humor in the book which is a great representation that life is never one thing. I highly recommend picking up a copy of this wonderfully written debut.

I also loved all the ‘Google’ references because that’s exactly how I live my day to day, lol. I did a combo of Audio & reading & both ways are great! The narrator was fantastic!
Maame comes out January 31, 2023. Huge thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof.books.

At the young age of twenty-five, Maddie Wright has a lot on her shoulders. She's had the nickname Maame, which means woman, since childhood. She has been the responsible one in the family her whole life and now resents being called Maame as she felt she was forced to grow up way too soon. When we meet Maddie, she is living in London with her father and helping with his care as he suffers from Parkinson's. Her mother spends most of her time in her homeland of Ghana and while Maddie's older brother James lives close by, he rarely visits or contributes to the family. Maddie's admin job in the theater is a thankless one. And her love life is non-existent. She seeks advice by searching Google. She faces subtle forms of racism in the workplace, where she is often the only Black person in the room; and in the dating arena. When her mother returns home, Maddie decides to move out on her own into a flat with two roommates. When life seems to be getting better, Maddie is faced with tragedy and needs to find a way to set herself on a new course requiring her to rethink her life and her relationships.

Maame is an incredible debut by Jessica George. Not only did I adore Maddie, but I loved George's writing style which was filled with many heartfelt moments sprinkled with humor. The book tackles grief, sadness and depression in a realistic, moving manner. There were sections that had me sobbing and other parts cheering Maddie on. I highly recommend reading this unique coming-of-age book that expresses many universal themes so well.

An exemplary and outstanding coming of age story! You will root for Maddie this whole story and her triumphs become yours as well. Highly recommend! Definitely purchasing this for our collection!

Title: Maame
Author: Jessica George
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:
"Maame" by Jessica George

My Sentiments:
'Maame' was one profound story that would be humourous and sad. All that Madeleine Wright, 25 years old, living in London, had to go through was quite painful, losing one's father [to Parkinson;s disease] and having an absent mother [living in Ghana] and brother [who also lived there in London]. Maame had to be the caregiver to her father, who was ill until her mom returned from Ghana. Now, why was this ... story going in the direction it did, where we find Maame's life was torn between her life and her family. We find Madeleine was the one that sacrificed her family, her home, her jobs, and her friends. And while at home, where were her mom and brother? It was interesting to learn more about her mother, brother, and even father, who loved his daughter and had to become a woman too soon. We find Maame [who met a woman] was also busy working on 'self-development, handling grief and struggling to find love and acceptance.'

The story will feature 'racism, dysfunctional family, and grief, with one finding their way in life, family, friends, and culture.' Will Madeleine [Maame] make it out of this situation she has been placed in by the end? This story will be long, so be prepared for a read that leaves everything by the lot.

This is where I say the reader will have to pick up this author's first novel, "Maame' to see how well this author brings it all out to the reader.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, St Martin's Press, for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.