An absolutely stunning novel! Already on my best of 2022 lists and one I will recommend to all my reader friends.
Funny, smart and touching...family duty, racism, becoming a woman, love, the trials of working and making your way through life. A fabulous read that you'll keep thinking about and want to talk about. I loved every page.

Maame is the story of Maddie (nicknamed Maame by her family in the Ghanaian tradition), 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. I don't know that I've ever read such a perfect portrait of what it feels like to have a panic attack. George's depiction of depression and anxiety is spot-on, and she has created such a wonderful character in Maddie. Maame hits shelves on January 31. I highly recommend the excellent narration by Heather Agyepong on audio as well!

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

I’d fit this book somewhere in between YA fiction and women’s fiction. It’s more of a coming of age story of a Ghanaian woman in her mid-twenties who’s trying to navigate the unforeseen circumstances of life. The tone felt a little too YA for my tastes but I appreciated the author handling the inclusion of Parkinson’s with care. I was hoping for more from this one but it was still a good read.

4.5 stars rounded up

Twenty five year old Maddie is the primary caretaker for her father with Parkinsons while her mother spends most of her time in Ghana, and her brother is unreliable at best.

In this role, Maddie's life was mostly put on hold. So when her mother comes back to London, Maddie finally gets the opportunity to branch out and do things 25 year olds do. She attends University, has a social life, and experiences many firsts.

I loved Maddie. She was a bit naive, but it fit given her upbringing. The writing was incredible, for a book that had heavy themes, it didn't FEEL heavy with the humor sprinkled throughout. I was on this journey with Maddie, and was rooting for her the whole way.

Maame is a dive into a young 20 something’s struggle with identity, loss, depression, sense of purpose and self confidence. It is richly layered and not your average coming of age story. It is balanced as to not be too heavy and has moments of laugh out loud humor. I will be hand selling this one!

First off, the cover of this book is stunning and fun! That, combined with the book synopsis, and I knew I wanted a chance to read and review it.

Maame is a character driven, coming of age story about Maddie—a twenty something Ghanaian woman living in London. Her mother owns and runs a hostel in Ghana while Maddie is the sole caretaker of her father, who is battling advanced stage Parkinson’s. When Maddie’s mother suddenly announces she’s moving back to London, Maddie decides it’s time for her to move out and experience being your “typical” twenty-something.

This story is heartfelt, emotional, witty, and clever! It made me both laugh and cry! I am very different from Maddie, but still found ways in which I could connect with her.

I’m so glad I ended 2022 with this book and I’m excited to see all of the praise it receives throughout 2023 ❤️

Maddie Wright is a first generation born and bred Londoner. She was born to Ghanaian immigrant parents and at 25 is, like a lot of us, just trying to figure out who she is and where she fits in. Maame is a beautiful story of family and finding yourself.

Maddie is a people pleaser to the nth degree, so much so her mental health is suffering. She’s the responsible one in her family. I felt so bad for Maddie, and all I wanted was for her to standup to her absentee, selfish, judgmental, hypocritical mother, a brother who’s never around, a crappy job with an even crappier boss and she doesn’t have that great taste in men either. She’s also has no life (self-imposed, she is the responsible one after all) outside of being the primary caregiver for her beloved father, who is suffering from advanced-stage Parkinson’s disease. She holds all of her feelings in, to the point as you are reading you’re also yelling at her to tell everyone to GTH and eff off! However, you know what’s coming. Yup, she finally blows her lid.

Maddie has to come to terms with her resentment and guilt about her family and her behavior. And it’s not easy, because she has always been “maame” or woman. A term of endearment she used to love, but now hates. Will she come to love it again or will it forever be erased?

Maame is really well written, in parts it almost reads like a self help book for depressed people-pleasers. It’s almost painful to read at times, because Maddie is so naive and has no backbone. It’s the book version of “Meet the Parents” for me. I have a really hard time watching good people with even better intentions be knocked down over and over again. That’s not to say the book isn’t good. It is. There are even funny moments.

Maame focuses a lot on happiness. What does it take to make you happy, truly happy? Or in this case, what does it take to make Maddie happy, but I found myself pondering the question as well. Like really thinking about happiness.

Maame is an excellent debut novel and I’m looking forward to see what next for Jessica George. I recommend Maame if you like character driven books that highlight the growth of the main character. Bonus, I learned a little bit about Ghanaian culture.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Maame is available on January 31st. My review will be posted to www.instagram.com/racy.reads

I’ve got a soft spot for the all single ladies (*cue Beyonce*) just trying to find their place in the world. I spent the bulk of my twenties as a single gal hashing out my beliefs, my career, and investing in friendships. Life was messy, formative, and uninhibited. At times my heart was heavy, but mostly I laughed until my face hurt.

MAAME is a unique coming-of-age debut by #ownvoices author Jessica George. The story follows Maddie in her 20s as she navigates a family tragedy, romantic relationships, and what she truly wants out of life. Living in London as the primary caretaker for her father, she must navigate her Ghanaian roots and carve out her own identity.

Maddie is every young woman fighting for a seat at the table. I rooted for her as found her footing, faced racism, and learned hard truths about love. This was a completely charming read and I’m excited to see what lies ahead for Jessica George.

RATING: 4/5
PUB DATE: January 31, 2022

Many thanks to Netgalley and Saint Martin's Press for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review. Review will be posted to www.insagram.com/kellyhook.readsbooks in advance of publication date

Young-adult life is hard for Maddie; she is confused about life, settling for google to give her answers because of the lack of care she received from her parents, especially her mother. Her mother calls her Maame as a term of endearment, but she resents the title by her mother. Maame means woman. She takes on full-time responsibility for her ailing father and makes ends meet for the family when he passes away. Many of her choices are embarrassing, and she's stumbling through life. Ultimately, Maame needed to figure out how to overcome grief and regret. Jessica George put forth a reasonable effort but the delivery and connection of the story lack depth. The constant google references were excessive, which made it difficult to get through.

First five-star read of the year! This book was heartbreaking and heartwarming, full of hope and a true story of growth. The story follows 20-something Maddie in London as she grapples with the guilt of moving out of her family home, where she is the primary caregiver to her father, and the excitement of striking out on her own for the first time.

The family dynamics really made this book for me. Maddie's mother and brother seem to bequeath their familial responsibilities to Maddie, and are quick to cast doubt and blame on her. Maddie's transformation as a character really shows as she navigates the gaslighting and guilt bestowed upon her.

We also get a glimpse into Maddie's life as she gets new roommates, starts dating, and navigates grief and love. This was such a well-written story with a unique style. Should definitely be on must-read lists for 2023.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

From page one, I liked Maddie. She had a strong voice even being an adult character who’s feeling lost, which are the ones I usually identify with. Plus it has family drama, some humor, mixed cultures, etc. I knew I’d like it.
Of course it isn’t perfect, but entertaining enough and exactly what I was looking for. Easy to follow along and I didn’t even realized how fast I was reading it. It helped that I cared about Maddie and was so worried especially as she went from one “man mistake” to the other. I was a bit surprised at how fast she just brushed it all that off though.
Her mother and brother were infuriating, but I did like that they didn’t change completely because people are complicated, especially family. Also I thought very realistic that therapy didn’t fix Maddie completely, but she kept going.
The end was satisfactory to me and I would definitely try another book by this author.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book to be released January 31, 2023

St. Martin’s Press.

Format: ARC read with permission from Netgalley.

Genre: Women’s Contemporary Fiction

Starred review: 5/5 stars

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

It’s fair to say that Maddie’s life in London is far from rewarding. With a mother who spends most of her time in Ghana (yet still somehow manages to be overbearing), Maddie is the primary caretaker for her father, who suffers from advanced stage Parkinson’s. At work, her boss is a nightmare and Maddie is tired of always being the only Black person in every meeting.

When her mum returns from her latest trip to Ghana, Maddie leaps at the chance to get out of the family home and finally start living. A self-acknowledged late bloomer, she’s ready to experience some important “firsts”: She finds a flat share, says yes to after-work drinks, pushes for more recognition in her career, and throws herself into the bewildering world of internet dating. But it’s not long before tragedy strikes, forcing Maddie to face the true nature of her unconventional family, and the perils––and rewards––of putting her heart on the line.

Smart, funny, and deeply affecting, Jessica George’s Maame deals with the themes of our time with humor and poignancy: from familial duty and racism to female pleasure, the complexity of love, and the life-saving power of friendship. Most important, it explores what it feels like to be torn between two homes and cultures—and it celebrates finally being able to find where you belong.

Review: Madeleine Wright still lives at home because she cares for her father who suffers from Parkinson’s Disease. She keeps her personal life private as her Ghanaian mother prefers, and does not share her struggles with others, but we are privy to her inner thoughts as she navigates being a caretaker for her father, working as an executive assistant, trying to make friends and fall in love for the first time. Maddie (Maame) is one of the most engaging main characters I have met in a long time as a reader. I love her voice – she expresses the fears and anxieties of all young women who are experiencing first careers, first loves and first losses. I feel as though I felt Maddie’s pain and celebrated her victories as one of her closest confidantes. This book is charming, funny, poignant and heartwarming. Please pick it up on January 31st. You will not be disappointed.

𝐌𝐚𝐚𝐦𝐞
𝐁𝐲 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: 𝐒𝐭. 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧’𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝟏.𝟑𝟏.𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝒞𝑜𝓂𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒮𝑜𝑜𝓃!


Maame is a good-humored character-driven story about a young woman finding her own way - but with the help of Google.

At twenty-five, Maddie is living at home with her father who is sick with Parkinson’s while her mother is working in Ghana. Maddie works at a publishing house in London, but she is frustrated with being the only Black person in meetings.

Then a string of events occurs that change the trajectory of her life. After Maddie’s mother returns from Ghana, Maddie loses her job and Maddie decides to move out on her own. Soon she experiences a devastating loss. All of this forces Maddie to be propelled into adulthood.

Although there are heavy topics - terminal illness, loss, grief, family duty, and racism, the author is gentle and uses humor, and Maddie’s love of asking google’s opinion lightens the mood.
It was a fresh take on a coming-of-age. The audiobook is done very well, and I highly recommend it.

Thank you @stmartinspress for this gifted copy and @macmillan.audio for the complimentary audiobook.

Can I just reach through this book and give Maddie a real life hug?? Bless her heart.

Putting trigger warning that is spoiler-y at the very end of the review.

First thing's first - that cover is actual eye candy and I gravitated to it straight away.

Maddie has been her family's main caretaker for as long as she can remember. Her mother is away in Ghana most of the time, her father is battling Parkinson's, and her brother skirts responsibility as he spends all his money trying to become famous. Maddie is in her twenties, but has sacrificed her own life to only look after her family. After her mom comes back from Ghana, Maddie finds herself with a golden opportunity to move out and get her first apartment, go on her first date, and make LOADS of first mistakes.

I won't lie, the first half of this book is sometimes be hard to read. I just wanted to holler at Maddie and tell her to stop being a doormat while simultaneously kicking all of her other family members in gear so they can start being more helpful. It's pretty heavy handed on the sadness. The second half is where this book really shines. I rooted for Maddie so hard.

Our author Jessica George really does capture so many different important topics in this book - racism in the workplace, straddling two different cultures, grief, learning to stand up for yourself, picking yourself up after failure, and so much more. This is a solid debut novel.

*Trigger - Parent death

Maame/Maddy’s true self got lost while helping her family. When she gets a chance to go out on her own, she struggles to find her way with guilt and insecurities blocking her path. Grief, race, love and mental health are among the many important themes tackled throughout this interesting debut novel.

Maame- a word in Twi language that bears a lot of meaning. For Maddie, who is now 25, being called Maame at an early age was both an honor and a curse. For her, Maame, is a woman, capable of doing things, independent in living and responsible. She love the nickname at first but now hates it. She felt like being vested with the nickname make her grow up fast, missing her childhood completely. To me, Maame is a coming of age story for someone who is a late bloomer. Someone bearing the obligation of taking care of a sick dad who has Parkinson’s Disease while her older brother was living his life and her mother was far away. Maame was the girl who feels alone, unhappy, and is missing out on life!

I like how raw and innocent this book can get. I also like how realistic Maddie’s thoughts are! I feel for her dealing with her unhappiness in life, her uncertainty in her daily ways, her struggle working with a boss she did not like, her guilt with her father’s passing, her doubts and confusion with regards to daily conversations and most of all her hunger and longing for connection and experience!

I love the character development for Maddie, it was delicate and detailed and carefully crafted that it was impossible not to love Maddie and cheer her on! The entire book was written beautifully! Special thanks to @MacMillanAudio via @LibroFM for the complimentary audiobook, @St.Martin’sPress for the ARC and @Netgalley for the ecopy for review.

Wow I absolutely LOVED this book. 4.5 stars. It’s rare to read a book that has you rooting for a character the whole way through, but Maddie’s heartbreaking story of abandonment (and her parentification as a child), her guilt over her father’s death, her anxiety, to then seeing her growing confidence had my heart aching and then singing. I just wanted to shout “GOOD FOR YOU, Maddie”! What an incredible debut novel. I wish the author so much success when this title releases in late January.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Maame by Jessica George is a sad but hopeful coming of age story about a young girl caring for her father as he battles Parkinson’s. She is forced to grow up too soon as her mother flits back to Ghana for years at a time, often not sending her enough money. Seventeen is a hard year by many measures, add being a caretaker to your ailing father and that compounds everything.

Maame is a Ghanian nickname given to Maddie by her mother, meaning woman, which often feels like it was a foreshadow for her life. She’s had no time to live as she bore adult responsibilities and grew up way too fast. For me, Maddie sometimes felt ridiculously mature for her age, but at others, she borders between naïve and immature. I found the continuous googling to explain things a bit over the top, but the answers from google made me laugh.

This book deals with self-discovery, depression, race, learning to adult, romance, workplace dynamics and Ghanian lifestyle. I look forward to what’s next from this debut author. And, congrats to the artist who designed the cover art. This book is gorgeous!

I fell in love with these characters by the end of the third chapter. Jessica George’s writing is funny and witty and all of the things you want in a novel about the tricky time of young adulthood. She manages to cover so many topics within one book - race, family, disability/illness, friendships, the tough road to adulthood. Just a brilliant read.

Maddie is tired of being the responsible one. Nicknamed Maame (meaning "woman" in Twi) by her family since she was young, Maddie is the primary (and seemingly the only) caretaker or her father with Parkin's disease; she's holding the fort at their family's house in London while her mum spends most of her time in Ghana and her brother is out, living his own life. Maddie has put her life on hold to meet all the obligations and expectations her family has for her. After feeling stuck for so long, Maddie encounters both exciting and challenging life changes in a matter of months that push her to grow and find herself.

Maame is a beautiful coming of age story of a late bloomer. Maddie is such a likable protagonist--she's relatable, authentic, and a little bit awkward. Following Maddie's journey and seeing her overcome the challenges she faces throughout the book was an enjoyable experience. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced electronic reader copy!