Maame by Jessica George

Published: January 31, 2023
St. Martin’s Press
Pages: 314
Genre: Women’s Fiction
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Jessica George was born and raised in London to Ghanaian parents and studied English Literature at the University of Sheffield. After working at a literary agency and a theatre, she landed a job in the editorial department of Bloomsbury, UK. Maame is her first novel.

“They just won’t understand, you know? We’re Ghanaian, so we do things differently.”

Maddie is a doting daughter. She does everything to care for her ailing father since her mother spends every other year in Ghana, and her brother is busy living his life. When her mother comes home, Maddie moves out and decides to start living. When her dad dies unexpectedly, everything changes, and now Maddie feels like she is drowning. She’s angry but can’t express that; she’s anxious and told to pray. Secrets and expectations are tearing her apart.

This novel was beautiful. I wish I had more eloquent words, but this was a work of art.

I loved Maddie and her journey of self-discovery. She has such a beautiful heart and has spent so much time worrying about others she hasn’t allowed herself to worry.

I found the discussion and processing of grief in this book relatable, and when Maddie found out her dad died, it immediately punched me in the heart.

I loved Nia and Shu. They were the best friends and support system Maddie could have, and their love for her was pure. I loved their protective, honest way of caring for her.

I loved how culture and race were discussed in this novel. And the conversation about “playing devil’s advocate” was perfect and true.

This was a powerful book and a beautiful read. I am happy to recommend this stunning debut.

So much more than a coming-of-age novel following Maddie, a 25 year old living in London but pulled by her Ghanaian descent. Maddie faces typical challenges for her age, but also some extremely unique ones. And though the reader (this reader at least) may not alway agree with her choices, I think most will unite in their support of her. Navigating familial duty as caretaker for her ailing father, a nagging yet absent mother, her first attempts at online dating, moving out of her childhood home, and a difficult job market, Maddie remains relatable and wholly human. An excellent debut from the author.

*I was honored to read an ARC of this book via NetGalley and the author/publisher. All opinions are my own.*

Whew! So much going on in this book. A mash-up of coming of age, family dynamics, grief/depression, friendship, romantic relationships, and Ghanaian culture.

This book had my emotions all over the place. I found myself relating to Maddie a bunch after dealing with a recent elder family member illness/loss. I wanted to be mad for her for her mom not stepping up and being absent. The struggle is definitely real when it came to new romantic relationships/heartbreak and trying to be proven worthy in a career.

I knew very little about the culture and customs in Ghana going into this book. I found that some of the little culture aspects and customs made this book feel more real. The fingernail/toenail custom was interesting to say the least.

The only thing that seemed a bit awkward was the ending, well at least the romance portion. It didn't give me that warm fuzzy wrap up I wanted more of and more like a misplaced piece of plot.

I enjoyed the variety and emotions this book brings to the table. Maddie is one tough cookie for hanging in there through all of life's unexpected moments.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

Maddie’s life in London is not as exciting as you would think a single, 25 year old woman’s would be. Maddie has had to grow up pretty quickly…her mom lives in Ghana a year at a time, her father has advanced stage Parkinson’s disease, and her brother James just isn’t any help at all.

Then Maddie’s mother comes home. Maddie takes this opportunity to move out and find out who she is. Maddie starts a new job, moves out and even starts dating….not all of her experiences have been great but she’s certainly learned a lot.

Then tragedy happens and Maddie’s world is turned upside down. Through the pain that she endures, she finds the strength ton finally come into her own…to have real conversations with her friends and family. She still has a long way to go but at 25, I think Maddie’s finally started living her life for her.

I LOVED this story. Maame(Maddie) was just such a sweat and relatable character. Always there to do whatever she can to help her family and friends only to realize that somewhere along the way…she lost who she was.

Will definitely pick up more from this author.

I laughed. I cried. I sobbed. I smiled. So many heartwarming and heartbreaking moments in this one. This is a beautiful coming-of-age story about love, loss, hope, and finding your way in the world.
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Maddie has been her father’s caretaker ever since he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. She was forced to grow up and take on a lot of responsibility at a young age. Maddie may be 25, but she hasn’t had the same experiences as many of her peers. When her mother returns from Ghana, Maddie decides it’s finally time to move out and start living her own adult life. She moves into a flat with roommates, tries online dating, pushes for more in her career, and agrees to go out for drinks with new friends. But when tragedy strikes, her new life and next steps are thrown into question.
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Maddie is a relatable MC who you can’t help but root for. Her best friend, Shu, is a bad a*s feminist who had me cackling 😁. Maame deals with themes of cultural identity, racism, and workplace discrimination. She also deals with loss. Anyone who’s ever dealt with grief will recognize George’s words.
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Y’ALL, this is now one of my all-time favorite books ❤️. You need to read it!
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I read and listened to this one. The narration by Heather Agyepong amazing and mesmerizing. Thank you to @librofm @macmillan.audio @netgalley and @stmartinspress for these digital ARCs in exchange for an honest review.
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Maame - Jessica George
5/5⭐️
Pub Date: 🎉January 31, 2023🎉

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It's funny how the books I put off reading are often the ones that I enjoy the most. The book stays true to the synopsis, but it offers so much more. I felt like we really got to know Maddie and it was so rewarding watching her come of age and truly start to find herself. A lot of serious topics are covered, but it all flowed and felt relevant. This debut novel is honest, raw, humorous and just an excellent read. Jessica George is so talented and is off to an incredible start!

3.5ish?/5 -- I am struggling to rate this book. Coming of age stories are usually a hit for me; I am sad I can't proclaim this as a new favorite. Maame is a character driven story where we follow 25-year old Maddie's road to self-discovery after spending years of putting others first. I personally felt like this book jumped all over the place in a chaotic way. There were some really emotionally intense scenes followed by playful inner dialogues and Google searches that didn't seem realistic for someone in their mid twenties. If Maddie was even 20 years old I think it would've been more believable. I understand that in a way she had to "grow up" fast to care for her sick father, but she felt too naive and sheltered.

Don't get me wrong, there are definitely shining moments in this book. I appreciated Maddie's journey and there were some laugh-out-loud moments that helped lighten the mood. The themes around the Ghanaian culture, grief, family and mental health were presented in a tasteful way. It just didn't "click" for me and that's okay. I've seen many glowing reviews for this one, especially for the audiobook. I do think it's worth the read!

Awkward Black Girl meets Eleanor Oliphant meets Chewing Gum (Michaela Coel’s character) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ easily a 5 star read!

Amazingly written story of Madeleine who goes by Maddie but is known to her family as Maame (mah-meh).
I’ve highlighted so many quotes in this story and really felt like it came full circle.

Maddie was such a lovable character and I found myself laughing out loud, wallowing in sadness and googling random phrases and questions right along with her!

I’ll be recommending this book so much!

This story was a little hard to get into at first. But stick with it, after the first few chapters I was able to enjoy the story.

Maddie Wright is a 25 year old, Black, socially naive woman who has been taken advantage of by her Mom and brother, James, in all ways possible. Their father has Parkinson's disease and Maddie has been living at home in London taking care of him for years, she's never had a childhood. Her mother has a life in Ghana and James travels the world and can't be bothered to visit. When Maddie's at work there's a nurse to help out, but she has to put him to bed a few nights by herself.

Her mom only calls her for money, to criticize her life, and to make sure that she's reading her Bible daily. James is no better, he rarely picks up his phone and only when he needs money, he comes to her. I felt terrible for Maddie's home life. The only person who smiled in her presence was her dad. Maddie felt unloved by her own family, except her dad.

Maddie's mom comes home once every other year. This time she pushes Maddie to move out and be social, date, etc. Maddie's still a virgin, has 2 best friends that she can count on, but she's always been a wallflower. So she moves in with two flatmates and starts a new job. Hoping to find herself as well. Maddie meets a white guy who dates her in secrecy, so they won't be seen socially but she doesn't realize that's what he's doing. She relies on Google for answers about everything relating to things she doesn't know what to do. Like what she should talk about on a date, etc.

The night before her dad's birthday, she planned on staying in and making him a cake. But Jo, one of her roommates convinces her that it will be a short night. Maddie reluctantly goes and Jo gets her drunk and high on pot without Maddie's knowledge. The following morning, while hungover, her Mom calls her to tell her that her father just died. Full of so much guilt, she lashes out at Jo. Maddie never got to say goodbye to him.

In the end, she spirals into a horrible depression, which is where her two best friends from college step in to take care of her. Her family expects her to pay for the funeral, which is when she finally puts down her foot and lets out years of neglect and anger she's been holding onto to both her mom and brother. She finally tells off her mom for abandoning her at 14 years old to take care of her father, that was her mom's job.

But to everyone's shock, Maddie's dad secretly set aside a lot of money only meant for Maddie's future. Letting his wife and son see how much she was loved and appreciated by her own dad.

This was a good story once you were able to get into it. Then you become curious about how things turn out for Maddie.

Good read!

DNF in chapter 6. I really struggled with the narrative voice of our MC, and the formatting was a big hard to follow when phone conversations, texting, google searches, etc. were happening.

Maddie has dedicated her life to taking care of her family and now she's ready to go make her own way--or is she? I so enjoyed this story of Maddie/Maame as she comes into her own. The author writes in such an engaging way that I kept wanting to get back to my book so spend some more time with the characters. There are a lot of topical issues here that would make it a good book club choice and my biggest recommendation is that the author made me feel for Maddie even when I didn't agree with her choices. Highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really charming coming of age story for an immigrant daughter struggling with her parents' unconventional marriage, family responsibilities, and her own desire to become her own person.

Maddie, or Maame, as her family calls her, is in her twenties, but still living at home as the caregiver to her ill father, while her mother spends every other year away in Ghana. With much guilt Maddie decides to move out and find flatmates, and then loses her job, not that she liked it anyway. She decides she will become a new person, and makes a list. The new Maddie is ready to grow, experience new relationships and sex, and career options. But her family obligations pull her back.

This book approaches some big subjects in simple, yet relatable ways. It's sweet to watch Maddie google questions that maybe the rest of us would already have answers to, and take some solace or advice from the responses. Tragedy hits, and it turns Maddie's world upside down, and she confronts how she really wants to be in the world, and how she can live authentically.

Love that this is a debut book. Excited to read more from Jessica George.

This is a good book, definitely enjoyable.

This review will be posted on January 31, 2023 to: https://instagram.com/amandas.bookshelf

What. A. Story. This contemporary novel is a heartfelt tale of a young women coming into the person she was meant to be. Written in the first-person, her headspace was an insightful place to be. Her Google searches and worries were wildly familiar, capturing the struggle of being a post-college in the workforce. She's keenly aware of her struggles: a sick father, and absent but highly overbearing mother, a dead end job, and racist microaggressions. It's a horrid and untenable situation. Her journey has high and lows, but I never stopped rooting for Maddie. Her journey to her best life and using her voice is beautiful. #Maame Rating: 😊 / really liked it
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This book is scheduled for publication on January 31, 2023. Thank you @stmartinspress for providing me this digital ARC via @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The main character of this novel, Maddie, is a woman in her mid-20s living in London, the daughter of parents who came from Ghana. When the book starts, she’s kind of stuck in her life - she was forced to take a lot of responsibility at a young age since her mom spent a lot of time in Ghana, she never moved out of her house and has been taking care of her dad with Parkinson’s, and never had a real relationship. As the book unfolds, she finally starts to open up her life a little, emotionally, socially, and more - basically a coming of age novel but a little later than typical.

The writing and Maddie’s character are both really sharp and fresh, funny but also very sad. Hard to believe it’s a debut novel. My ARC did not have an author’s note, but my guess from some clues at the end and seeing her bio is that it’s at least a little autobiographical. It’s already getting rave reviews and I’m sure you’ll be seeing even more of it once it is published. And I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a celebrity book club pick either - I know I’m looking forward to discussing with two different book groups I’m in.

Maame is a coming-of-age novel about Maddie, a 25 year old daughter of Ghanaian immigrants living in London. Maddie has spent her life as the responsible one and the primary caretaker for her father, who has Parkinson’s.

As the story begins, Maddie’s mom is about to return from a long period in Ghana, and Maddie is finally given the opportunity to take a break from her role as caretaker and try to catch up a little with her peers. She moves out, tries dating and drinking, and rethinks her career path.

I really enjoyed Maddie’s voice. She’s young and innocent in many ways and very mature in others. She wrestles with figuring out who she is just like any young adult, but she carries a weight of responsibility that not many young people have to contend with. I felt frustrated with her at times, that felt very real.

This book covers a lot of big topics, including mental health, grief, being an outsider, and family conflict alongside lighter moments, like online dating and drinking for the first time. It all felt very natural, as real life contains multitudes. Maame reminded me a lot of Dolly Alderton’s book Ghosts, which I also really enjoyed.

What an incredibly moving coming-of-age story about a young woman who discovers what she really wants out of life. Maddie has a steady job as a P.A at a theater company helps take care of her ailing father and lives a mundane life. When she learns her mom is returning home from Ghana after a year away tending to the inn she runs, Maddie decides it's time to move out and start living.

I don't want to say "Maddie grows up fast" since she's already an adult, however, since she hadn't many adult experiences until that point, it's probably safe to say she learns a lot in a very short amount of time. Maame tackles a lot of tough subjects too - grief, terminal illness, loss of a loved one, failed relationships, and rejection, with a beautifully written story.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading Maame. I definitely recommend reading this one.

Thank you, St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the eARC!

This was a coming of age story about a woman coming into her own as an adult.
Maddie is the daughter of Caribbean parents. She spends most of her time at home caring for her dad. Maddie finally moves out and works to create a new life for herself. After a tragedy, Maddie must made important decisions with her life.
This book is filled with so many complex topics. Many thanks to the author, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This was a lovely story about a woman coming into her own as an adult.

After spending most of her time at home caring for her dad, Maddie finally moves out and makes some new moves in her life. She dates, makes new friends, and finds a new job.

After a tragedy, Maddie must make come to terms with her family dynamics and the impact they have had in her life.

This book covered so many complex topics. They did so with a mix of heart and humor.

A lovely debut.

{cw - death of parent, racism}

Thx Libro for the ALC.

I adore this book, reading the journey of Maddie as she navigates her family, friends and mental health. The portrayal of the strong one and what people can damage is the person who can handle it all, Who is helping the strong one.

Maddie loves her father and is taking care of him during his Parkinson's disease. Her mother is gone for years at a time but doesn't forget to call and give unsolicited advice

Her brother is unapologetically not around to help her with the bills and cares for their father. She is all alone and she is supposed to be able to handle it.

when she gets the opportunity to leave home and finally explore herself and have a social life - things go array.

The reason why I loved this book so much - is because as a descendant of Caribbean parents, I understand the burden of being charged with a lot and the toll that can take. We do this to our children and have them take care of grown-up things early in life. The is damaging and dangerous but so commonplace

I enjoyed the journey of discovery to health for Maddie because mental health can be brushed aside in our community and I love the story that highlights this issue

Lastly, I would ultimately call this a romance with Maddie and herself and the inspected love interest.

I adore this book -Highly recommend it - chefs kiss*

MAAME by Jessica George is a stunning debut and a heartbreaking coming of age story. Maddie, born and raised in London to Ghanian parents, has lived a sheltered life. She has been taught by her family to keep family secrets to herself, especially when they can make the family look bad. That is why, at 25, she is a bit stilted and having a hard time asking for help when it comes to taking care of her Dad who has Parkinson's. Her brother is of no help, and her Mother lives most of the time in Ghana. The way Maddie has been abandoned by her family is often infuriating and, trigger warning/spoiler alert - this is not a book to read if you have recently lost a loved one.

Maddie's pain is bare and raw, and dealing with grief, dating (for the first time), living with roommate and micro (and macro) aggressions at work can be tough to read. As a reader, you will want to feel like crawling into the pages to help her. She often has to Google life advice for things that most twenty-somethings should already know, or have the support system to help with. The book is also an interesting look at Ghanian culture, and being a child of immigrant parents, feeling like you are stuck between two cultures. It's a wonderful book, full of heart and light. It's not perfect, but it will charm the pants off of you.