Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was a compelling and powerful read. It was relatable and though provoking. I love the Google searches. It was very well written. It covered a lot of heavy topics all while being so raw and honest. I will say it was a little predicable at times but I still found it very interesting. I loved the therapy/ metal health re.I would recommend this book if you enjoy: coming of age books, emotional yet funny reads, complicated family dynamics, unique storylines. This story is about so much more than grief, its about finding yourself, friendships/relationships and learning how to move on.

I honestly just could not get into this one. I’m sorry :-(. I tried a few different times. I try to challenge myself to expand my horizons and interests but this one just never caught on for me .

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

This would be an impressive novel from a seasoned author, but knowing this is a debut novel is astounding.

This story pulled me in from the first pages. The way that it is shared feels as though a friend you thought you knew begins to reveal themselves for the first time, releasing all those heartbreaking moments, the ones they felt they had to keep inside.

‘Maame’ is the nickname her mother has called her since she was a child, a word in Twi language meaning many things, but the most common meaning is woman, which applies since her mother leaves her in charge of most of the adult duties of caring for the house and her father, and is taught to keep their family issues private.

Her real name is Madeline, or Maddie. She grew up resenting her nickname because she feels as though she never had a chance to live her life as the young girl that she was, but has always been expected to behave as a woman. Taking on the housework, and now caring for her father who has Parkinson’s Disease, as this story begins. Her mother is back in Ghana, which is where she spends the majority of her time, managing the hostel that she inherited from her father. As for her brother, well… he shows up now and then, but isn’t exactly reliable. There is a man who comes in to help, but Maddie is a young woman living a life that has been burdened with so many responsibilities, and yet never even been on a date or had a real relationship.

When her mother returns, she takes advantage of her return, and moves out of her family home and into a flat shares with other young women around her age.

As this story begins to share other aspects of her life - her job, her friends as well as the new friends she makes, it shows how the years have left her without any real belief in herself, and her lack of experience in the world outside the family walls. She’s vulnerable, and at times others take advantage of that vulnerability. Lessons she is determined not to repeat.

This is sweetly humorous at times, poignant at times, and explores so many facets of life. Death, friendship, racism, familial love as well as romantic love, and the pitfalls that can come with dating are part of this story, but at its heart it is a story of family, finding yourself, and love in all its many forms. There’s an element of quirkiness in Maddie as this begins that was a tiny bit reminiscent of Eleanor Oliphant, to me. Maddie’s someone who doesn’t seem to quite fit in anywhere, at first, but seems to find confidence as she navigates her new world, the one outside of her family, and sees that she is not the only one who is happy to be different, to be herself, and embrace that.

To quote Glinda, ”You had the power all along, my dear"


Pub Date: 31 Jan 2023

Many thanks for the ARC provided by St. Martin’s Press!

“Maame” is a debut novel by Jessica George. The parts of this book between Maddie and her father I found incredibly sweet - from the magic word “okay” to Maddie’s interaction with her father’s carer and Ms. George’s caring description of Parkinson’s Disease. The sections dealing with grief I also found thoughtful, but that’s possibly because of my own current “dealing.” I also liked how Ms. George showed Maddie’s work life maturity - it can be difficult to speak up and I applauded Maddie for doing so. In some places in this book I found myself remembering what it was like to be 25 and feeling like I didn’t fit in with my peers (though luckily when I was 25 we didn’t have social media!) and all the awkwardness that entails. I also liked some of the questions Maddie posed to Google - and how maddening at times looking things up on Google can be. Where the book felt a bit flat for me was the love life sections. Maddie can be awkward, but part of awkward doesn’t mean lying a lot (and she did that not only to potential dates, but also to friends, which bugged me). I realize this is a “coming of age” book, a topic I really don’t like, but if the coming of age/love life scenes had had the same thoughtfulness (and depth?) as the family sections I would’ve found it overall a lot more stronger and enjoyable. I also found it odd in one part where Maddie seems to refer to a reader; breaking the fourth wall confused me a bit. Overall, this book was a 3.25 star rating for me, but I nearly always bump debut novels up - so a four star rating. I do think that I would read another book written by Ms. George and I hope she considers it. I did like reading the Twi and learning a bit about Ghana.

I received this book as an ARC and this is my review. I loved this book! The characters are colorful and flawed and the story deals with racism and mental health and job discrimination and family-related issues in a most interesting way. I totally recommend this book to readers who enjoy quirky stories and situations.

This is a really tough book to review. It’s gritty, honest, and important. There are so many important topics covered, and Jessica George does a brilliant job weaving them together into the story of Maddie, AKA Maame.

This is also the type of book that would benefit from a really thorough editor. It felt a bit like I was reading an early draft, not because there were grammar or spelling errors, but there’s a couple things that just don’t work for me. Mainly, the constant googling Maddie does. I skimmed all the sections and don’t think they add anything to the story.

Still, I’d recommend this book. It’s more a coming of age or New Adult novel, but it’s one that stands out for sure. I loved Maddie, in the end I really felt like I started to understand her family, and I adored her friends Shu and Nia.

3.5/5 stars

Maame by Jessica George is an emotional, raw, and compelling coming of age story. I won’t summarize, because I feel like the book description is spot on.

It was easy to feel for Maddie as she navigates extreme family responsibilities while trying to become her own woman. Sometimes sad and frustrating, other times joyful and hopeful, this book was a journey. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves an early twenties, female, coming of age story focused on the struggles between family responsibilities and independence. Maddie’s story will stick with me for a long while.

Special thanks to St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC via NetGalley.

This was really good, a quick read, easy to fall into and be consumed by , like talking with a good friend, very well written and enjoyable

It is a story about “coming to age” but not like most because this is a very sheltered 25 year old - and while she has been sheltered she was also made to grow up quickly talking care of her father who had Parkinson’s while her mother was off working in Africa leaving her for months / years to carry the family and the responsibility of caring for her ailing father. (Honestly made me so mad! I wanted to cuss her momma out!)

It brought up discussion on parenting and the reasons people have kids and how for many they have kids to have someone to take care of them when they are older or to hep with house / home responsibilities or have more kids because now they have kids old enough to watch the new kids etc. All of which frustrates me you bring someone into this life on your plan and for your needs - that is a person / an individual but I digress ….

There is so much in this story it is hard to narrow it down to talk in a review - it is a story about loss , change and growth , a story about dating and intimacy, friendship and making friends , work/life balance, finding happiness, finding your self, losing your virginity, family dynamics and so much more !

It is truly a great read - I would highly recommend you give it a go - it is likely a very different life and perspective from your own yet also relatable in many ways

Maame was one of my favorite reads of the year. It is a complex coming-of-age story with an older protagonist. Maddie is 25, living at home, treated poorly at work, and is the primary caregiver in her family, including her father, who suffers from Parkinson's disease. Maame explores complex family dynamics, depression, grief, dating, work, and racism as Maddie gains independence and discovers who she is and how she wants to live. This book is wholehearted and heartwarming. I was laughing and crying with Maddie as she Googled her way through some of life's most challenging questions.

It is a book I would recommend for any woman in their 20s who feel they are not who they want to be or to readers who love to read about complex family dynamics, grief, toxic family members, and complicated relationships.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the Advanced Review Copy provided for review.

This book is absolutely stunning. Aside from being incredibly well written and beautifully thought out it's also engrossing, heartfelt, humorous and full of courage. Jessica George perfectly captures the struggle of dealing with family obligations while trying to also live a life of one's own.

It's impossible not to root for Maddie and want the world to open up for her. Witnessing her journey reminds us as readers that we all have the potential to learn from our experiences in life and rise above them to create a healthy and fulfilling life.

I recommend this book with my whole heart!

I was unsure at first whether I would like Maame as it is not my typical ready, but I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The characters were relatable, and the story drew me in as Maddie navigated difficult family situations. Thanks the NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Maame was an absolute pleasure to read. It was fresh, genuine, and emotional. Although many of the topics covered were heavy, there was an underlying lightness and unexpected humor throughout this book that I really appreciated. The author did an excellent job of capturing the journey of a mid-twenties woman navigating countless challenges such as racism and sexism, grief, difficult family relationships, and more. I loved the author's style of writing and especially how Maddie speaks directly to us, the readers. It felt both nostalgic and brand new - nostalgic in that it read like a young adult story at times but new since the style was applied to a story that is very much adult. I'm so glad I found this special book and look forward to re-reading over and over!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to review this eARC.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Maddie is a young woman struggling to take care of her family and find her place in the world. She is vulnerable and brave.

This debut has a clear, strong voice. But, I found the story incredibly depressing and (as a caregiver), too triggering to finish.

This is an interesting look at figuring out who you are when you think you should already know. We are all learning and growing and I think that is a big theme in this book. I liked the diversity also within this book.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC

this reminded me of a combination of a lot of books I've read recently: Wahala, Midnight Library, Eleanor Oliphant, and a few others. Our main character struggles with being her father's caretaker due to Parkinson's, while trying to also enjoy the independence and freedom of being 25. We then really dive deep into topics of depression, grief, sexuality, cultural identity, and others which I found genuine. Overall, I found this to be a very heavy book, and the ending wrapped up in a way I found to be inauthentic. I do think there is a lot to unpack and discuss here, which would make this a great book club book!

I adored Maddie's narration, hilarious and heartfelt, albeit improbably naive. Its slow pacing and one-dimensional supporting characters made the second half much weaker for me. Still, I will definitely be watching out for George's future work. 3.5 stars.

Thank you for the advanced copy, St. Martin's Press!

This was such a beautiful coming-of-age story of a young woman, Maddie, and her life in London. The portrayal of loyalty, family strife, grief, dating, and love was so beautifully written and depicted that there were many times I felt overwhelming grief and sadness for Maddie's story. Even though her background, culture, and experiences were completely different from mine, Maddie is still incredibly relatable. I really enjoyed this book and Maddie's charachter - would love to read more about Maddie as her life unfolds!

Thank you NetGalley for the arc. This review is wholly my own.

What a powerful & moving story about the struggles, joys, failures, guilt and growth in starting over in life. You will fall in love with Maddie and her journey in finding herself and seeing herself & her family in new and different ways.

Unputdownable! Very well written and inspiring. You will laugh & cry repeatedly throughout the book, but by the end you will be smiling and glad you gave this story a go.

I will be honest, I sat on this arc for quite a while because it didn't sound like "my kind of book," but I am so glad I finally read it. There are few books that I give 5 stars to these days, but this was one of them I would highly recommend you get yourself a copy by whatever method you desire and start reading it NOW!

I'm a sucker for a good coming-of-age story, and this was absolutely phenomenal. I plowed through the first 50% in one sitting, after intending to only read a couple of chapters. Fast-forward to the following day, when I neglected all of my household chores in order to read the second half. I loved this book so much. Maddie is endearing and such a well-written character. The entire book, from start to finish, is worth your time. So many life lessons and messages involved, and since I don't want to spoil anything, I will just say that I'm sad for you that it doesn't come out until February 2023 because you all need to read this right now so that we can talk about it.
I plan on recommending this to everyone!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC!