I could NOT put this book down!! This is an incredibly impressive debut novel by Jessica George, and I can’t wait for it to be released so that I can purchase a physical copy and tell everyone to do the same.

Almost everyone in Madeleine Wright’s life calls her “Maddie”, but to her parents, she’s “Maame”. The name, meaning “woman” in Twi, made Maddie feel older, wiser and more responsible as a child. However, as she became a young adult, the name started to represent the familial expectation of how a daughter is supposed to care for everyone in her family. This novel depicts Madeleine’s journey to finding her own identity and the tension between being “Maddie” and being “Maame”.

Maddie is intelligent, hardworking, and puts family-especially her ill father- before everything and everyone else. As a result, she’s struggled to find her own identity. Jessica takes care in illustrating what it’s like to be a WOC to parents who are set in traditional and religious belief systems, while warning their children to not speak of what happens inside the household. The resulting feelings of isolation was something I could strongly relate to. Just like Maddie, I too believe that everything in life can be solved through a Google search, because trusting people enough to confide in them does not come easily when you are taught to not speak about your home life.

When Maddie’s mother returns from one of her many trips to Ghana, Maddie is presented with the opportunity to move out and experience a life outside of her family’s shadow. Experiencing Maddie’s journey is delightful and, at times, heartbreaking. The story touches on topics of micro-aggressions in the workplace, unconscious racism that seeps into dating experiences and general anxiety disorder (and how people often can’t define what they’re experiencing because they are told to not talk about these feelings).

I love this style of writing and narration mostly because you find yourself in the protagonist’s head. In the case of Maame, I feel like I am getting to know a new friend. This novel delivers on well-written characters (especially the main character), a gripping storyline that has you hanging on until the last sentence, and perfect pacing. I can’t wait to read more of Jessica’s work!

This was such a stunning debut novel. We get to follow Maddie’s journey of finding herself and her voice at 25 years old and I found it so gripping, raw, and real. The characters were intriguing and Maddie’s relationship with her dad was so touching.I can highly recommend it!

Wow this book was so powerful! I laughed and cried and felt so many emotions reading this book. Best read of 2022! I’ll definitely be picking up a physical book to go on my bookshelf.

Huge thank you to the publisher for the chance to review this ARC via NetGalley. Maame was a wonderfully emotional book, with a huge heart.

Important, thought-provoking read.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this title in exchange for my feedback.

An incredible debut from Jessica George with an all too authentic central protagonist in the irresistible twenty something Maddie Wright that you will not be able to stop yourself rooting for. This is vibrant and witty storytelling, of the complexities of families, race, culture, being a woman, growing up, self development with all its joys and pain, and becoming secure in your identity. Maame is what her so often absent mother called her from when she was little, it has numerous meanings in Twi but commonly it means woman. In practice, this has meant Maddie has been over burdened by family responsibilities when she should have been experiencing a chilhood, resulting in her missing out on so much in life, and in everything that others of her age take for granted, whilst employment for her is far from a happy affair.

Maddie's overbearing mother spends a lot of time in Ghana managing a hostel, and her brother has been of little help, as she takes her care of her father, suffering from advanced stage Parkinson's. Upon the return of her mother, Maddie takes the opportunity to leave home and finally begin to start living life, moving into a flat share, keen to experience all that she can, both at work and in her personal life. A naive and lacking in self esteem Maddie finds herself going through life's natural ups and downs, including betrayal, until she is hit by a tragedy that immerses her into a world of guilt as she hits rock bottom. The narrative has Maddie examining how being 'Maame' has shaped expectations of her, of being a 'woman' before her time, of how her family see her and her relationships, and perhaps more importantly how she has let it mould her own sense of identity. It is time for things to change and for Maddie to be who and what she wants to be.

This is a wonderfully captivating, moving, at times heartbreaking, humorous and an emotional read, of all that life can be, the struggles and the joy, of life, love, loss and grief, race, of family, cultural and gender expectations, a late coming of age story, and learning to find and be true to yourself in a world that does not always make this an easy process. The highlight for me throughout is the character of Maddie, she shines as she faces the challenges that life throws at her, on her journey to acknowledging, accepting and becomin confident in who she is, in all her glorious differences. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

This book pulled me in from the start for a variety of reasons. I could relate to the main character Maddie. She is a young, twenty five year old woman growing up in London with the influence of her Ghanaian heritage and culture. Her questioning of her identity and sense of belonging mirrors many of my own thoughts and feelings.
This book takes the readers on such a journey. It’s tender, sad, sweet and at some points moved me to tears especially when detailing the relationship between Maddie and her father and the grief of loosing him. Her journey to discovering who she is socially and professionally is overwhelmingly honest and witty in a way that is very real to readers. I can’t wait to preorder this book and have it arrive on my doorstep.
Thank you so much Net Galley for this amazing read.

Maame is a classic debut novel: a coming of age story with a likeable Londoner protagonist who doesn't seem too far removed form the author herself. There are echoes of contemporary YA and a charming simplicity to the story - it's a compelling read almost because you already know exactly what's coming next.

There are some touching moments exploring grief, friendship and difficult families, but all in all it feels a bit too colour-by-numbers to really hit home. Maame is not entirely satisfying, but I'd be interested to read what George writes next.

Meet Maddie, 25 and single and living at home with her sick father in London whilst working at a job that endures.
She knows that there’s more to life than this but being her father’s career whilst her brother lives his life and her mother is back in Ghana means that she is yet to discover just what else is out there…..
Once Maddie makes the momentous decision to rent a room of her own and move in with strangers, her life starts to change until it spirals out of control. Who is this Maddie now? And how can she find her way to the Maddie she wishes to be?

A book for anyone who is part of a family. For anyone who has worried about being single and/or not working at their dream job or career. This book can be enjoyed by anyone who loves a good start.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review.

I really enjoyed reading Maame and getting to know Maddie and all of the characters (well, some of them!). This is a really contemporary novel - I loved the google responses to some of those life questions and it served as a poignant way to remind us of Maddie's loneliness. We also saw very clearly the way one woman's life can be so affected by the racist and patriarchal systems and structures in which she lives and the complexities that come for her as a result. The questions and the uncertainty of it all...

I loved watching Maddie grow in confidence throughout the novel (although thankfully, not in a straight line as life isn't quite like that) and thought Jessica George did a brilliant job of translating the pain and struggles of losing a father.

Maame has several meanings in Twi but when applied to Maddie it means woman and oh boy, does she have to grow up quickly. She becomes the primary carer for her father who suffers from Parkinson’s Disease while her mother spends most of her time working in Ghana. Even from a distance her mother rules the roost and is an expert in the art of manipulation and less tour and more force. When her mother returns home for a while Maddie takes the opportunity to move out and start living the more normal life of someone in their 20s. When tragedy strikes it forces Maddie to reassess a multitude of issues.

What a beautiful read this is, Maddie captivates me from the start and I become fully immersed and engaged in her life as she faces all her ups and downs. It’s sad at times and at others it’s poignant, sweet, tender and very moving especially the relationship between Maddie and her father which is written with such empathy and love. You want to yell at her mother and brother whose selfish use of Maddie makes you so angry. Maddie is such an endearing character, she’s bright, somewhat of an innocent and a bit naive but she’s very caring while keeps her emotions in check until she doesn’t. Then I’m cheering her on from the sidelines loving her telling certain characters exactly how it is! She makes me laugh too, I love her Google questions and who doesn’t have conversations with themselves? I love both the old and the new Maddie.

This is a book that takes you on a journey, that of an an an awakening and a voyage of self discovery. It sounds includes some difficult topics but does so really well and with sensitivity. I love the ending, in fact, scrap that, I love the whole book. It’s feels fresh, different and is a wonderfully written debut novel. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Hodder and Stoughton for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

I don’t think I’m the correct audience for this book, revolving as it does, around a very young 25 year old black woman. I expected a light hearted read from the blurb. However, it is a very intense story of Maame’s many challenges as she emerges into the real, harsh wider world.
I found the writing style to be simplistic, and it contained some strange sentence construction at times. I felt that the author was writing the way she would speak, or perhaps as she imagined Maame herself would speak. It didn’t flow well for me, as a result.
I’m sure many readers will enjoy it, but it was not for me unfortunately.
I applaud the author’s effort with this book, as I appreciate how much work goes into getting a book to publication, I wish her well.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

Maddie is one of those daughters who needed to grow up too fast. Jessica George's story deals with the subjects of parentification, complicated family dynamics rooted in one's heritage, grief and navigating romantic and sexual relationships amid it all.

"Maame" is a compelling story of self-discovery and early adulthood in which the main character feels stuck and maybe falling a bit behind, comparing to the stories of her friends or colleagues. It also captures cultural loyalties well, that the life of a first generation British Ghanaian young woman is not free from. "Maame" showcases very realistically, how these loyalties can shape a person and inform their decisions.

Because of her family environment, Maddie seems very mature in some of her life roles, such as the role of the carer, and quite clueless in other areas, like dating or toxic workplace dynamics, racism and experiencing microagression. Even though her emotional reactions are there, and indicate something isn't right, Maddie seems not to have words or a point of reference to describe her experience.

That being said, "Maame" is also a hope-inspiring novel, showing that change is possible, given a right support.

Maame written by Jessica George 5 ⭐️ rhis book is available on 7th February 2023 🎉

Firstly, how gorgeous is this book cover? It was the first thing that caught my attention. Second was the name it self, I didn't know what "Maame" meant so my curiosity took over.
Maame is extremely powerful novel. It is about family, self growth, grief and regrets, fresh start.
I found that strings of my heart were pulled in so many ways.

The main character is Maddie Wright who had to grow up fast because well..that's what Maame does or is expected of her. Putting her family needs at front, not opening up to anyone because that is "the right thing" to do.
Obviously very soon all changes.

Without giving too many spoilers ahead if the time I want to say that I absolutely loved it.

What can I say, Jessica George is amazing! and big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC opportunity!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5

A compelling debut from Jessica George.

Maame follows Maddie, a young woman navigating a complex family dynamic while trying to find her career path, first adult relationship and first flat.

While there were pockets of humour (the very relatable and cringeworthy google searches LOL), this novel was largely an emotional journey following Maddie’s self discovery. I found George’s rendering of Maddie empathetic and kind. It would be a great book club book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for access to a digital proof of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I cried. I laughed. I even felt guilty that I didn't have to go through what she did. Wonderfully written and what a debut novel from Jessica George! Sad to have finished reading it and look forward to her next novel.

I really enjoyed this book.
I loved the way it addressed mental health, and how it can be perceived. I also thought the family relationships in the book were raw and I loved the way they developed.
I 100% recommended this.

Even though Maddie is in her mid twenties and has a lot more responsibility and pressure than is normal for her age , She is in someways naive and trusting, do this is a coming of age for her and it’s cleverly written and gripping. It’s hard to believe that this is a debut book and I’m looking forward to reading the author’s next book. It’s gripping, sweet and funny in places.

A phenomenal debut by Jessica George, detailing the life of Maddie, a British-born Ghanaian woman left to care for her father, who has Parkinson's, while her mother is running a business in Ghana, and her older brother has more important things to do.
At the age of 25, Maddie is saddled with more responsibility than she should have, and her family nickname, Maame, becomes more of a stone around her neck than a bit of affection.
Maame means Mother, and she has become that far too early in her life.
Maddie also has to deal with microaggression at work, being the only black person in her company and finding that she is either overlooked or not understood.
This story shows the coming of Maddie, or at least the coming out of Maddie from Maame's shadow.
She's been so busy caring for her father and just allowing life to pass her by, that when the opportunity arises for her to move out, thanks to her mother moving back home, she grabs the opportunity by the horns, complete with a list of things she needs to achieve to feel that she has finally graduated to a real adult.
Only life isn't always that simple.
There is a clash of two cultures, the value of real friendship, being touted as the token POC in work, and within the dating community, too. And death and depression, too.
I know, first-hand, how mental health can be swept under the carpet in many cultural backgrounds, and this has been brilliantly explored by the author in this book, too. I truly enjoyed this.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Maddie feels stuck in life - a job that doesn't fulfil her, and at home looking after her declining father, feeling guilty for even considering moving out, but also fed up of watching everyone else around her living their lives.
I really felt for Maddie, feeling angry at some of her family and friends actions throughout. Her mother constantly ENRAGED me, as well as her brother and how they just knew that Maddie would always take responsibility and pick up after everyone.
Everyone needs friends like Nia and Shu, hilarious but also genuine true friends who were there for Maddie at her lowest.
There was so much insight into how much casual racism is ingrained in society, from the workplace to relationships, and it *should* be making everyone so angry.

This was an absolutely stunning debut, it deserves so much praise upon its release.