Maame is easily going to be a 2023 favourite of mine.

We follow 25-year-old Maddie Wright who is the primary caregiver for her father with Parkinson's; while her mother is in Ghana, and her brother is off spending his days with friends and avoiding responsibilities. When Maddie's mother returns from Ghana, Maddie moves out to begin living her life, experiencing things she's never had the chance to, and choosing which Maddie she wants the world to know when her father passes away.

There is so much that happens throughout the novel that you can't help but cheer Maddie on, wishing only the best for her. I wanted to jump in, hug her, comfort her, and tell her that I understand and that she is not alone. The way Jessica George portrayed loss and grief through Maddie was so realistic--showing how grief can consume us and the different stages of grief we experience. Maddie was complex, messy, real and flawed; and yet, you can't help but still love her character. There were many moments where I saw myself in Maddie--relating to her thoughts and emotions. I didn't expect to get emotional and cry while reading this but Jessica George did a splendid job of creating a connection between her readers and characters from start to finish.

I highly recommend checking out this beautiful and honest coming-of-age story.

Thanks to St. Martin Press for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4.75/5

Lovely debut novel with a fully realized main character. Includes difficult themes of depression, grief, parental absence, and racism with insight, strength and compassion. I really loved the ending! Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

This novel was a quick, easy read. I was so intrigued by the premise of Maame, and I look to reading more of George's work. It is apparent at times that this is a debut, and the author is still working on their voice. It'll get fleshed out with time, I'm sure. This coming-of-age story touches on many heavy topics, and Maddie's character touched me. It read more YA at times, which threw me off since the novel is being marketed as literary fiction - it definitely doesn't read literary, and that's okay.

Maame by Jessica George
Maddie is the twenty-five-year-old daughter of Ghanian descent who is the glue supporting her dysfunctional family. As her father slips away with Parkinson’s disease, her brother enjoys independence from all responsibility, since Maame (Maddie) takes care of everything, and even her mother leaves her in charge, to spend every other year in Ghana. So, Maddie stays home and is her father’s caretaker. Stuck in a job that doesn’t value her, with a few close friends from high school and no social life, Maddie bears the burdens of family without reprieve.
When her mother returns, Maddie takes the opportunity to find out how life can be and moves out. And it all falls apart.
The name Maame, what her mother has called her from childhood, means Woman, and implies that she carries the weight of the family on “heavy shoulders.” Despite the burden, this book is more a tale of discovery and growth than sorrow and shame. George’s voice is fresh and gives a peek inside Ghanian culture as an immigrant, but also the story of how family values mold and guide characters, even when they reject them.
Thank you to St Martins and NetGalley for this ARC. Maame goes on sale January 31,2023.

Maame is a debut novel about 25 year old Maddie, who is coming of age in London. Maddie has been burdened with being her chronically ill father's caregiver, and because of that has not had a chance to experience many things that other 25 year olds have (calling all eldest daughters, this one's for you!). Her absentee mother returns to care for her father and she is able to finally move out and begin experiencing life independently from her family. During this time of exploration Maddie experiences some traumatic events that cause her to reevaluate her identity and grapple with her mental health. Maame is compulsively readable, the author's writing feels like speaking to your best friend. She is at times charming and funny (she has an inner monologue represented by a Lizzie McGuire type cartoon), but also deeply emotional and poingnant. Maame touches on growing up, grief, racism, mental health, sex, friendship, and diaspora/Ghanaian culture.
I loved Maddie and her story so much, and really recommend this one! I have a feeling it'll be on a lot of must read lists this year!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.
ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Maame by Jessica George #debut #literaryfiction #newrelease

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

This book centers around Maddie. She is 25 living in London, working a job she hates, and spending all her free time taking care of her father, who is suffering from Parkinson's disease. When her mother comes back from a year long trip to Ghana, Maddie finds the opportunity to move out on her own and start living her life for the first time.

This is a very unique coming of age story. Maddie is dealing with the traditional roles she must fill but also wanting to find her own voice. I loved Maddie and her journey to really be able to go for what she wants. As the reader, we are able to really get into Maddie's head and feel her feelings. This is a very heartfelt and beautiful debut.

I alternated between print and audio on this. Either format is a win.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I am so happy this was my first book of the year! <I>Maame</I> is a contemporary fiction novel from the perspective of a young Ghanaian woman named Maddie. She is a caregiver for her father who has Parkinson's while her mother lives in Ghana and her brother assumes she's responsible for everything because WEAPONIZED INCOMPETENCE. Anyway, Maddie is fired from her horrible job and learns that her mom is coming home to the UK to take care of her husband and is encouraged to move out of her childhood home. She finds an apartment and a new job when tragedy strikes.

In its conversational tone, <I>Maame</I> begins a lot like <I>Luster</I> or <I>Queen</I>, moving its heroin through the tumultuous path of coming of age. And then it turns a corner about halfway, splintering off into it's own exploration of grief and family roles. We get a front row seat watching Maddie become an adult person with boundaries, self respect, and expectations for how she is treated. And it is satisfying as hell!

The book steadily plods along, yet it always engaging. I would have enjoyed more from the friendships. At times, I'd get confused about which best friend was which and it could have used a bit more characterization for the two of them.

If you enjoy meandering character studies or books about grief, this is a great one. I aggressively recommend this one!

Many thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my review copy! Pub date: Jan 31!

Told in first POV, this amazing debut book reads like a memoir, and is beautifully written. It is more of a character driven novel, and is filled with poignant, relevant and insightful tidbits of information, that will make you want to keep reading!

I listened to this book and I loved it! Maddie tells her story about growing up with a nickname that has shaped her own life, in more ways than she can imagine. This book has many layers to it, and underlying themes, that make it a “not to be missed” book, at least in my opinion.

This book touches on tough topics- such as racism in the workplace, growing up in different(racialized) cultures, mental health issues, the struggle to find happiness and love while also figuring out who you are. The pressures of your own family, and caring for (and dealing with) a sick family member- and feelings of guilt that come with this and trying to express your own freedom.

Maddie was my favourite character, as I think she was written that way. I loved seeing her character growth throughout the novel. While she has to deal with a lot, there are some lighter moments, that seem to balance it all out. I just wanted to see her succeed and be happy!

I highly recommend this book- I think many people find benefit from reading this one!

25 year-old Maddie, daughter of Ghanaian immigrants, hasn’t really lived life yet, because she’s been busy being the responsible one in her family, and being the primary caretaker of her ailing father.
Maame follows Maddie’s journey to discover herself and find her way in the world. There were parts of Maddie’s journey that I found enthralling, and parts that dragged for me. Overall, however, Maddie is a fresh voice and this book is definitely worth a read.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan for my complimentary review copy.

This is my favourite book of 2023. I have only read two other books since the new year but I know this one has set the bar high for the coming year.

This is Maddie's story. She was born in England to Ghanaian parents. She has been raised by their very strict standards. In essence, she has led a very sheltered life. Her parents lead a very unconventional life….the mother takes off to Ghana for a year at a time to attend to family business. Maddie stays home to care for her ailing father. When the mother returns to spend the year in England, Maddie spreads her wings and leaves home. She is determined that her life must catch up to that of others in their mid 20s.

The story is told in Maddie's voice. In many parts, it's as if she is talking directly to the reader. I couldn't help but fall in love with her. She is very self-deprecating and unsure of herself outside the umbrella of her home. But, she is a very sweet young lady and is excited to meet the world. She sets out a list of things she wants to accomplish. She is one of the most endearing characters I have met.

Throughout the book, Maddie copes with many situations. Devastating grief, very unconventional family structure, overbearing mother, always being the only black person in the room, losing a job. The reader rides the emotional roller coaster with Maddie. I actually laughed out loud a few times and shed a few tears with her and commiserated with her. One of Maddie’s coping mechanisms is to Google every issue that crosses her path. She takes the reader along on that journey. This book is truly a study of Maddie's complex character.

Maddie's mother is a piece of work! She is someone who needs to be throttled!!!

MAAME: the responsible one, the woman, the mother. Often before her time.
This is the name Maddie's mother calls her throughout the book. I think the reader is able to draw their own conclusion why the mother calls Maddie by this name by the time the book ends.

I liked the ending. But I still want more from Maddie. I loved watching her strength and her character evolve.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

Maddie. Maame. What a beautiful and complicated and flawed and raw protagonist. I am so grateful that I have read this book. A tale about grief and a journey of self discovery that felt so real and honest. I am actually having a bit of difficulty verbalizing how I feel about this book but I think what Jessica George did so beautifully is made Maddie a full person who felt real in the world. Maddie’s grief was palpable and felt like one of the most accurate ways to talk about the journey so many of us go through but yet all go through differently. While discovering herself, it wasn’t a clear and perfect path and that’s the reality of life. The complicated family dynamics, the realities of racism that are experienced by people of color every day and the road to working on one’s own mental health struggles really made me root for Maddie.

There is a line from this book that really stuck with me: “a person’s troubles are not measured by the size of those troubles, but by how much they weigh on the individual that is carrying them.”

Go buy this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital arc in exchange for my honest opinions.

I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed going to London to follow Maddie's experience as a first generation immigrant, with her family's strong ties to their native Ghana. It was a bit slower paced, but really related to some aspects of the book personally, so enjoyed going along for the ride.

Maame is a beautiful coming of age story - equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking.

Maame (Maddie) raised herself, took care of her ailing father, while her mother ran a business in their native country of Ghana and put her college and dating life on hold to be there for her family.  But, when her mother returned from Ghana, Maame moved out and her father passed away.  The story navigates Maame's grief and emotional development as she figures out who she wants to be in life as she now has the freedom to be on her own.

I did appreciate the love, loss, family, and culture aspects to Jessica's debut novel, but I did feel like it was a little slow.  Stories based on character development usually do tend to feel that way as there is usually not a big twist or shocking turn, but rather we coast through a journey of one's life.  Overall, I liked it.

Slow start and I really couldn't decide if I was enjoying it, and then it became entirely absorbing. I can't decide if it was the writing that took a while to find it's rhythm, or if it was purposeful as the main character had to sink into herself and find her voice more. Immigrant story in England covering some heavy topics with grief, guilt, first sexual experiences, and dysfunctional family dynamics. I was definitely rooting for Maddie and appreciated her arc. Impressive debut.

This book was decent, not as great as I was hoping for. Someone had compared it to Ghosts by Dolly Alderton, and it certainly has that vibe, but without the punch and fun of Ghosts. I found the main character to be a little too naive and unlikable. Culturally, however, there's a lot to learn from this book.

this was absolutely beautiful. stunning writing, loved watching maddie grow. i had a great time reading this, a really moving reading experience.

Maddie who is the main character is a 25-year-old living in London, working, and trying to have a normal life despite her troubled family life. Her life is not that of an average 20 something, Maddie’s life is depressing - she cares for a father with advanced Parkinson’s, her mother is in Ghana for a year at a time, but still is overbearing, and her boss is cruel and she really has no one she can lean on or talk to.

When her mother finally returns to London, Maddie decides to begin living her life. She finds a new job that allows work-life balance and a flat with some great roommates that encourage her to find herself. She experiences new friendships, her first love, and her first heartbreak, and learns that people aren’t always what they appear to be, which is a valuable lesson at any age.

But as she begins to live her new life so much of her old life and the experiences she's been through begin to take a toll on her mental health. We see this as she struggles to become whole, and define what being a maame (woman) truly is.

And its heart this book is about self-discovery, finding your voice, and cherishing relationships.

I found Maddie (also known at Maame) to be sweet, funny and admirable. Maddie wants to do the right thing but wants to be one of the crowd...something that has alluded her for years. Her mother rotates life overseas and home with Maddie and her ill father. There is a tragedy and Maddie was find where she truly belongs. A very good example of a young person and the ups and downs of becoming a true adult.

Maddie, 25, is the youngest child born to Ghanaian parents who emigrated the family to London, a family that's always been unconventional at best. Maddie is called Maame within her family, a name meaning "the responsible one". Despite her youth, Maddie is the one that is looked to to take care of things, to make things better. It is a heavy burden for a young person and she feels the weight of it on her soul.

After years of caring for her father who is debilitated by advanced Parkinson's Disease, Maddie's mother decides to come back from Ghana and stay for a year. Maddie finally gets the chance to be young, free, live the life she chooses, to date, to discover who she is and what she wants of life; it is exhilarating and terrifying at the same time.

This is a gentle but powerful, poignant, and astute read. It's a book about being part of two cultures; racism; accepting our families for what they have and have not, can and cannot, give us; how our past chapters work to prepare us for our future ones; and the power of friendship. Above all, it's about recognizing who we are, and who we are meant to be.

I think you'll fall in love with Maddie and cheer for her throughout the book just as I did! An excellent read!

My thanks to St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read an ARC of this book via NetGalley. The book is scheduled for publishing on 2/7/23. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are given freely.

Maame read more like contemporary fiction than literary fiction. I had expected a complex character juggling family, career, and romantic relationships, so I was surprised to find that the 25-year-old protagonist with back pain read quite juvenile. While the protagonist was faced with several heavy, “adult” challenges that were ambitious in breadth, her responses felt wanting in depth. The light tone and simplistic/impulsive attitude felt inadequate and aimless. Though I understood that she was lacking in life experience, I had hoped for more beneath the surface.

My alternate expectation was a playful, upbeat, adventurous story following the protagonist as she ticked a bunch of “firsts” off her list — something like a contemporary romance. I wasn’t expecting anything too wild and was prepared to take pleasure in the mundane joys of life, but I quickly tired of the protagonist’s naivety.

I think I was let down by misaligned expectations, and given the glowing early reviews, it’s on me. Perhaps this book would be more compelling for mature YA.