Maame by Jessica George was a 5 star read for me. This debut novel was really good and I hope the author writes another. It’s about family, self discovery, betrayal and acceptance. I really can’t give this the praise it deserves. My words fail me to explain how good I thought it was.
The audiobook version was narrated by Heather Agyepong and she was perfect. I highly recommend this one.
Thanks St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley.

I love books that make you "feel" for a character and this one did that. This is a story about family dynamics and friendships and finding oneself in the world. I enjoyed how the author wrote it with us knowing what the main character - Maddie was thinking all the time. I liked how Maddie used Google - a lot! It touched on a lot of hard subjects and did so in a realistic way. I learned things and that is always a bonus.

This book tackled some heavy topics (e.g., racism, death, grief, mental illness), but did so in a sensitive, thoughtful way.

I loved the character of Maddie - she was socially awkward but she was written in such an endearing way.

It took me a bit to get into the story - it had a slow start, but I enjoyed it. It was moving and insightful and I’d recommend it!

Charming, stunning, funny, touching, all words that apply to this spectacular book. Maddie is one of the best characters I’ve had the pleasure of reading about. She is navigating the world, trying to find her place in it, while dealing with an ingrained sense of duty towards her family, Maddie’s mother has called her by a nickname, Maame, since she was a young girl. The word means woman. At the beginning of the book, Maddie is far from the woman she is meant to become. Watching her journey toward becoming that woman was a pleasure. I’m sure to read many more books in 2023, but it will be difficult to top this one.

Families can be complicated. Twenty-five-year-old Madeleine "Maddie" Wright’s family is no different and Maddie is struggling. Her life is far from ideal. The daughter of Ghanaian immigrants settled in London, Maddie, working a dead-end administrative job is responsible for the care of her father, whose Parkinson's Disease is now at an advanced stage. Her mother who alternates between Ghana and London is constantly critical of Maddie but this does not stop her from guilting Maddie into shouldering the greater part of all financial responsibilities – paying the bills and well as sending money to her in Ghana where she runs a hostel with her brother. Maddie’s brother who lives separately is self-absorbed and never seems to be around when Maddie asks for help.

When Maddie’s mother returns to London for a year, Maddie takes this opportunity to move out of her father’s house, take up residence in a flatshare with two young women, start a new job in a publishing house (after being unfairly fired from her previous job) and finally live her life. As the narrative progresses we follow Maddie as she navigates her way through professional ups and downs, old and new friendships and romantic relationships. Not all her experiences are pleasant ones. Naïve and inexperienced in the ways of the world, Maddie struggles to strike a balance between the different aspects of her life. When tragedy strikes, Maddie experiences an immense sense of guilt and loss that plunges her into a state of despair. As she tries to come to terms with her loss and move forward, Maddie begins to understand the importance of prioritizing oneself even if it means confronting those who have taken her for granted.

<b>Maame</b> by <b>Jessica George</b> is a moving and deeply insightful novel. The writing is excellent and the characterizations are superbly done. “Maame” is her mother’s nickname for Maddie – in their native Twi, it means woman; the responsible one. As Maddie reflects on her life she shares how she feels that this nickname has somehow defined her, determined how she is perceived by her family members and has influenced not only how she interacts with others but also how she treats herself.

“It made me grow up when I should have had more time. It made my dad overlook me when I was a child, my mum leave me behind, and my brother get away with doing the bare minimum. It made me lonely and it made me sad. It made me responsible and guilty. It made me someone, if given the choice, I wouldn’t want to be.”

Both inter and intra-role conflict are excellently depicted in Maddie’s story. The author gives us a picture of how culture influences roles and expectations within families and relationships. In Maddie, struggling to find a balance between the Ghanaian family values instilled in her since childhood and her life and aspirations as a Londoner, we have an endearing protagonist who is sweet, smart and lovable and is doing her level best to find her way in the world. Her struggles are real and relatable and her pain and grief are palpable. I found the author's writing on Maddie’s struggles with grief and the discussion on mental health particularly powerful and moving. Maddie’s first-person PoV reels you in and makes you feel like a confidante with whom she is sharing her experiences. I felt invested in her story, grieving with her, feeling her anger ,guilt and pain and celebrating her moments of triumph. Heartbreaking in parts, and hopeful in others, the author tells a beautiful story of love, family, friendships, personal growth and self-acceptance with wit, wisdom and emotional depth. It is hard to believe that this is the author’s debut novel. I look forward to reading more from this talented author in the future.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this beautifully-penned novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel is due to be released on January 31, 2023.

Incredible Moving Story about Maddie, a 25 year old who takes on so much responsibility at such a young age. It has got in the way of her developing her own life and having confidence in the person she is. Her father has Advanced Stage Parkinson’s Disease and Maddie really is the only one in their family to care for her dad. It takes from her, but shows her wonderful and beautiful heart.

When Maddie’s mother comes home from Ghana, she is finally able to start finding out who she really is about. She has deep religious, cultural, and family values instilled in her that often compete with her desires to be a young and care free Londoner. Maggie decides to try though and I routed for her the whole time. She’s new to work, living with flat mates, and dating. It is not always easy to find the balance she seeks and it costs her heavily at points that just hurt my heart, but there are also great rewards to be found in relationships both old and new.

Maddie is a sweet, intelligent, thoughtful woman who at times is really struggling. Yet, it is possible to be honest and speak about herself as she really is feeling and still find the love she needs. It is both refreshing and heartbreaking for sure, and she endures many ups and downs along the way, but ultimately it is the way for her to find out who the real Maggie is.

Fantastic debut novel by Jessica George. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this beautiful story. I am always happy to give my honest feelings about a book.

What an excellent book. I have been avoiding books about grief and loss due to my own grief but I stuck with this one and am so glad I did. It’s a beautiful story of love, loss and trying to figure out who you are in the face of unimaginable change.

I was considering DNF-ing this one around the 60% mark - it is not exactly a “light” read - but I’m so glad I didn’t. I was plugging along and all of a sudden I realize I’m crying, because Maddie is so ME in so many social and mental health aspects.

In discussing how “fine” she is, and not depressed, and some many people have it worse than she, Maddie’s therapist drops this pearl in:

“A person’s troubles are not measured by the size of those troubles, but by how much they weigh on the individual carrying them.”

Read this. All generations will identify with these characters. Even in the midst of wanting to throttle Maddie’s mother, I found myself putting myself in her shoes. Maddie’s inner dialogue/stream-of-consciousness was very witty and relatable.

Maame is a debut novel by Jessica George. It is a bildungsroman story of 25-year-old Maddie Wright, born and raised in London to Ghanaian parents and studied English Literature in college. After she is unfairly fired from a job at a theater, she lands a job in the editorial department of a small publishing company. It is interesting to note that the author, Jessica George, was born and raised in London to Ghanaian parents and studied English Literature. After working at a literary agency and a theatre, she landed a job in the editorial department of Bloomsbury UK. This makes me wonder how much of the story is autobiographical.

Maame has many meanings in Twi, the native language of Maddie's parents. But in Maddie's case, it means "woman." When her mother called her that as a young girl, Maddie was flattered. But at 25, after many years of parental neglect, Maddie hates how the name made her grow up when she was too young. When her mother regularly leaves London and goes to Ghana for a year or more at a time, Maddie is left to care for her sick father. She gives up her social life in order to be one of his caregivers. Her parents forbid her from talking about their odd family situation, so Maddie can never reveal her true self to her friends. She is lonely and depressed. All she wants is to be less sad. Her mother encourages her to move out of the family home upon her latest return from Ghana. But soon after Maddie leaves, the unimaginable happens to her father, and guilt and grief come bearing down.

She starts out as a very naive young woman, trying to navigate family, career, dating, and being allowed the freedom to be an adult. Maddie's pain is palatable and believable. She lacks confidence and tries very hard to be a people pleaser. She struggles with grief and panic attacks. She makes unwise dating decisions. Through the help of counseling and her own self-determination, Maddie learns to become the type of "maame" she is meant to be.

The first part of the novel was a little slow for me, but by the end, I was fully invested in Maddie's character. 4-plus stars.

Fantastic debut novel. Maame is a coming of age story about Maddie who has spent her life taking care of her father and who struggles with finding out who she is when she is finally able to move out on her own. Maddie has a unique voice and I enjoyed delving into the Ghanaian culture.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy of this novel. My review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

Thank you to St Martins Press for an advanced digital copy of this book.

And thank you to Jessica George for writing it! I truly loved this book. It made me feel SO many things! Happy, sad, upset. It broke my heart and put it back together again. So cute, very funny, and loved that this was based on a lot of Jessica's experiences.

This was a beautiful coming of age story and I'm very grateful to have had the opportunity to read it. Thank you!

I really loved this - the writing was wonderful, loved Maddie and watching her grow out of and also into herself. She was a real combo of strong and vulnerable and ugh I just loved the whole reading experience and put the book down feeling warm

Thanks to Jessica George for a great read, St Martins Press for an ARC paperback, and Netgalley for an advanced digital copy

Maame is the story of Maddie, a first-generation Londoner of Ghanaian descent, and her journey of self-discovery as she makes her way through her mid-twenties.

Maddie is the caregiver for her father, whose Alzheimer's means she feels like a stranger in her own home. Her mom is away in Ghana for years at a time, and her brother is useless, as older brothers sometimes are. Maddie has had to grow up before she's ready, but when she finally moves out and tries to stretch her wings, she encounters one obstacle after another.

I loved this honest, raw, and thoughtful portrait of grief, what it means to be an "adult," and life as a Black woman living in present-day London.

Thanks to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My mom died 11/8/22, so this book hit me it all the right places. It was raw, compelling, and emotional. Maddie’s emotions around her dads death and the processing of grief, guilt, managing arrangements and dealing with family & well-meaning friends… it was all very impactful to me.

That being said, there was so much more to this book. This feels like the kind of book that should be read as mandatory reading in high school or a lit class in college. It touches on massively important issues (death, relationships, racism, sex, depression) and it does so in a relatable way (again, I personally am dealing with stuff right now, but I would venture to guess that most people could relate, at least at some level, to what is written about here.

An absolutely exquisite journey of life and self-discovery.

Beautifully written. The authors understanding of grief was spectacular. The ending was everything I needed it to be.

Maddie's Dad has Parkinson's. She is his care taker and her mother is rarely present and Maddie is the only one who takes care of him. Her Mom lives in Ghana and she is running a hostel. Maddie is twenty five years old and lives in London. Her brother does not help her at all with the care of her father. Maddie's Mom visits her every other year and is always criticizing her.

I really loved this book. There are likable characters and unlikable characters. The characters are very well done. I also loved the writing style.

My favorite character is Maddie. She never cares about herself but always takes care of others. She loves pleasing people.
She goes to the University and is the only black woman in her classes.
Her mother calls her Maame which has many different meanings in Twi, mainly meaning Woman.
Maddie did not have a childhood.

I did not like her Mom at all. She was always criticizing Maddie. I also did not like her brother who always thought of himself.

This was an emotional read for me. It had all of the emotions. I love a book that makes me feel. It also is uplifting and I loved the great messages in this book

I want to thank Netgalley, and St. Martin's Press for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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Fresh perspective on coming of age that I really enjoyed.

Maddie is part of a Ghanian family, having grown up in England and now responsible for the care of her ailing father. Her mother lives and works in Ghana most of the time and her brother is conveniently absent.

Life is not great for Maddie right now. She hasn’t had time to be a young adult and she is still living with her Dad. We are with Maddie as more challenges come her way and feel them right along with her.
“I can’t carry on living believing human beings are as good as it gets” She looks at me. “We’re the worst.”

Maddie comes to terms with her life and it is a hopeful, lovely message. This is a light read, with serious topics.

Thank you to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for my advanced reader copy.

This is a book about a young woman navigating her life - caring for an ill parent, feeling heavy responsibility and trying to make better/more fulfilling choices. The voice of Maddie is authentic and relatable. I appreciated the race storylines which were subtle but realistic. The topics of heavy responsibility, family matters and grief are covered with realism. There are some great storylines and characters who I came to appreciate. I loved this novel!

Maame
by Jessica George
Pub Date: January 31, 2023
St. Martin's Press
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
Maame by Jessica George is a moving and deeply insightful novel. The writing is excellent, and the characters are superb. "Maame" is Mother's nickname for Maddie0 in their native Twi which means woman, the responsible one. It is hard to believe that THIS is the debut work of this author. I felt invested in her story grieving and celebrating with her in her moments of triumph. I look forward to reading more from this talented author in the future.

4 stars

Fantastic debut! This is an emotional coming of age story, vividly described, sometimes a little depressing. Maddie, otherwise called Maame, which means “woman” in Twi, is a 25 yr old woman with a lot on her young shoulders. She lives in London caring for her ailing father, and works full time while her mother continues to live in Ghana running a hostel. Her only sibling, a brother who also lives in England, is a reluctant helper. When her mother finally arrives to take over the heavy responsibilities, Maddie is free to move out and develop a social life and date for the first time. I thought this book was beautifully written and well thought out, and can we take a moment to admire that vibrant cover art?! Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be released on January 31, 2023