A funny, affirming, honest and heartbreaking coming of age that accurately portrays many aspects of being a Black (Ghanaian) British woman in the 21st century as well as the many universal experiences we all share.

It doesn't shy away from the realities and real lows of growing up and manoeuvring through life! Nor does it create an entirely perfect and knowledgeable main character - all the better.

I loved it even more than I expected to and am glad contemporary fiction like this exists!

A fantastic debut. I was really gripped to this audio. I was certenly connected to non experience woman and how she she had to find her self in this world. Her father diagnosted with Parkinsons desease and her absent mother she has the opportunity to go live alone when her mother returns from Gana. She is many times the woman in the mans world. She is a black woman in the white world. She is not experience woman in a sex world. She is so honest and so inocent that everyone get advatage. But she is determinated and never give up.

I am wondering how many more Maames are out there, without anyone noticing them...

The author's bio shows obvious similarities with the book - this explains why Jessica George's writing reads like real life. This is an emotional, delicate yet funny coming-of-age story, which I enjoyed immensely. The narrator was an excellent choice: Heather Agyepong adds so much to the experience. She goes right to the list of my favourite voice-over artists!

Being the sole carer of a parent with Parkinson's is already a mental load, and our main character has a lot more on her plate. Finding her place in the world in terms of career and human relationships is a long journey, with several obstacles and a genuine sense of humour.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton Audio for an Advance Review Copy.

This was such an amazing debut!

Maame is an incredible exploration of identity, grief and family through the experience of a Black-British woman. Maddie, a young woman of Ghanaian descent, finds herself acting as a caretaker in her 20s not only to her father, who suffers from Parkinson's but also in a way to her mother and brother, who leave all the responsibility up to her, even though she is the youngest.

She struggles between her identity as Maddie, a young woman in her 20s still figuring out life, and as Maame, as her mother calls her, which acts to her as a token of the constant need to be on top of everything and always be the responsible one. This book is Maddie's journey trying to unravel her situation as a member of this family and as her own person.

I was incredibly fortunate to get an audiobook ARC of this book and was really amazed by it. The writing style was amazing, the narration was superb and I can't wait to see what Jessica George writes next. She is definitely on my radar now.

We all know a maame, Maame is growing up quickly and dealing with life issues as well as the culture and family traditions which are expected of her, what is a normal childhood anyway? It’s the journey and interactions that make us the people we are meant to be. Tackling difficult subjects of abandonment and death, the writing is sensitive and well described. Intertwined throughout the book is the story of a young girl finding her way through friendships, work life, boyfriends and connection with her mother. Will definitely read more from this author. Thank you #NetGalley for the audiobook to review.

This is the *definition* of a coming-of-age story, a young woman going wading her way through her early twenties and tackling some extremely difficult situations. Maddie is a fantastic lead character and she was written so realistically, that you felt like you were on her journey right along side her. This book made me laugh and it made me well up- 100% recommend it!

i think that this will definitely appeal to a lot of readers but i find the tone slightly too forced, in a movie kind of way, with the narrator showing some awareness of our presence: "I do have Avi (you'll meet her later on...prepare yourself)". The side characters are fairly one-dimensional, we even have the 'mean' lesbian friend. On that note, not to keen on the simplistic way sexuality, in particular lesbianism and bisexuality were discussed...
I wish the author hadn't gone so above and beyond into trying to make the main character sympathetic (ie: she the one who is wronged: by her mom, her brother, her workplace, even her friends...give her some flaws pls!).
If this is on your radar I recommend you give it a shot as I am notoriously a contrarian when it comes to romance-adjacent books.

Let me introduce you to one of the most loveable new narrators of 2023 - Maame, or Maddie as she prefers to be called. She might’ve been quiet and let herself be pushed over until now, but she’s about to really start living!

Maddie has spent years caring for her father whilst her mother swans off to Ghana and her brother still hits her up for money even though he’s earning more and doesn’t help out with their father. She hates her job, she’s still a virgin, having no time for dating, and she’s wondering when it’s her turn to get out there. So when her mother comes back to take care of her father for a while, she finally lets loose, experiencing painful firsts, the madness of roommates and a new job that she feels passionately about - it all seems great until tragedy hits and suddenly Maddie has time to work out what she really needs.

Honestly I just loved this book - whilst it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what it’s about, it’s just one of those great character driven stories that hooks you in leaves you sad when you turn that final page. There are plenty of things to relate to as a young woman in here, and of course to me, a whole different perspective on growing up with two cultures and how hard it can be finding your place there.

I found the storyline with Maddie’s dad especially moving, having been through the care process with my grandad, and definitely teared up more than a few times at Maddie’s experience of it and the heartache of watching someone you love deteriorate in front of you. This novel definitely packs an emotional punch and really gets to the heart of things.

But it’s also a joyful story in many ways, especially with the close friendships in Maddie’s life and the way they step up when she needs them. And of course there’s some pretty cute romance thrown in there too as Maddie discovers the joy rather than discomfort of sex eventually! There’s so much to love about this gorgeous debut and it’s one to text quotes from to your gal pals for sure! Loved it 🙌

Maame by Jessica George is an amazingly impressive debut novel. It follows the protagonist Maddie Wright (known as Maame) as she navigates her way through life. It is an inspiring and authentic story about struggling to find your place while dealing with the responsibilities and obligations of family. Maddie simply doesn’t yet know who she is outside her familial duties. A relatable portrayal of grief and mental health struggles highlighting the complexities of balancing expectations with reality. A truly contemporary ‘coming of age’ story about seeking and securing identity.
Thanks to Hodder and Stoughton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this heartwarming and empowering book.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Heather Agyepong expertly narrate the wonderful writing of Jessica George.

Maddie is one of those protagonists you warm to immediately. At least, that's how it was for me. I loved how authentic she was, her innocent naiveties, subtle humour, as well as her (often hidden) inner strength.

This book is very much character led and the complexity of the relationships in Maddie's life are definitely a prime focus. I enjoyed watching her navigate her way through her family, work and social life, but also struggled to witness the preferential treatment that went against her on numerous occasions.

It was interesting to see the struggles that someone might face when attempting to step out and live an independent life. I loved how often Maddie would turn to google to find the answer to anything and everything. It is definitely something I think a lot of us can relate to.

I found it eye opening and important to see the amount of unconscious bias explored within the everyday life of both Maddie and some of her friends and family. I felt myself cringing at some of the behaviours portrayed by certain characters in this regard, and the author does a good job of highlighting how these things can occur.

I believe this book will be a big hit when it's officially released early next year. I'm looking forward to seeing it get the credit it deserves.

Overall, a heartwarming narrative about self discovery in a bias world.

Wow, ok this book absolutely blew me away.

I’ve seen a lot of hype for this book and was a bit cautious going in, but I can say with confidence that the hype is well deserved!

Maame follows 25 year old Maddie as she navigates life. There’s a lot going against her, her father has advanced Parkinson’s, her overbearing mother spends most of her time in Ghana and she’s taking on a lot the families financial responsibilities while stuck in a less than rewarding job. When the opportunity presents itself, Maddie finally moves out of the family home and makes some changes in her life but, in a way that accurately reflects how cruel life can be, it’s certainly not plain sailing from there.

Maame is incredibly well written for a debut and I was so invested in Maddie’s story. Maddie is written with a brilliant depth of character and I found her incredibly relatable, to the point where I honestly had tears in my eyes whilst reading.

This book tackles some very important themes including grief, mental health, modern dating, race, culture and family. That might seem like a lot to pack in but it’s all woven beautifully into Maddie’s story, never feeling heavy handed but instead accurately reflecting the complexity of real life.

There are plenty of lighter moments as well, at its core this book is about hope and finding yourself. Reading Maddie’s story I felt less alone and, while I think everyone should read it, I would definitely recommend this book to any 20-something women who might feel they’ve lost control of their life in one way or another.

I think listening to the audiobook really enhanced my experience of this book. The narrator was fantastic, she has the perfect voice for Maddie and adds even more dimension to the character.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Net Galley and Hodder & Stoughton for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed listening to this book: the narrators were just right for the role of Maddie and perfectly portrayed her emotions.

Adding on to this, the emotion that was built into the entire novel was incredible - it felt like Maddie was speaking to you the whole time. It felt so genuine and that the author had taken time to create this 3D character that could have been sitting right in front of you.

The book explores leaving home and how a person has to deal with all these new feelings, with the aim of becoming their own unique person. Maame is breathtakingly beautiful and I would recommend this to everyone as it is relatable. I do suggest reading the content warnings before reading, as grief and sexual assault are both mentioned multiple times.

“Smart, funny, and deeply affecting, 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.”

This book covers A LOT. Leaving home, racism, dating, friendship, self-doubt, sex, duty, illness, family, career, and and and.

It somehow manages, however, to not feel too heavy. Mainly, I think this is due to the main character’s weird mixture of maturity in some things (taking care of her ailing father) and immaturity in others (stunted, socially). One second, she’s talking about feeding her father, the next, she’s Googling about how to lose her virginity at 25.

I’m not sure if YA was the vibe I was looking for, but it toned down what could have been a tragic slog of a book.

This book has a lot going for it.

The stunning cover.
The growth Maddie undergoes as she explores herself.
The personalities of her friends and family.
Did I mention the constant GAD Googling?

I read this one with both my eyeballs and my earholes, and the narrator was A GIFT.

The plot was slow going, but I think it allowed the characters to cook a bit more than they normally might.

8/10

Thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, Hodder and Stoughton Audio, and St. Martin’s Press for this steeped ARC.

"ᴍᴀɴʏ ᴀꜱꜱᴜᴍᴇ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ɪꜱ ꜱᴛʀᴀɪɢʜᴛꜰᴏʀᴡᴀʀᴅ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ɪᴛ ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏꜱᴛ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟɪᴄᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜɪɴɢꜱ. ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪꜱ ᴀ ʀɪɢʜᴛ ᴡᴀʏ, ᴀ ᴘʀᴇꜰᴇʀʀᴇᴅ ᴡᴀʏ, ꜰᴏʀ ᴇᴀᴄʜ ɪɴᴅɪᴠɪᴅᴜᴀʟ, ᴛᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴇ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ʙʏ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ—ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪꜱɴ’ᴛ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴏɴᴇ ᴡᴀʏ. ɪ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅɪꜰꜰɪᴄᴜʟᴛʏ ᴏꜰ ʟɪꜰᴇ ʜᴀꜱ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀꜱᴛᴀɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇɴ ɴᴀᴠɪɢᴀᴛɪɴɢ ʜᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ʙᴏᴛʜ ᴇxᴘʀᴇꜱꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴇᴄᴇɪᴠᴇ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍꜱᴇʟᴠᴇꜱ. ɪᴛ ᴄᴀɴɴᴏᴛ ʙᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʀᴇꜱᴘᴏɴꜱɪʙɪʟɪᴛʏ, ʏᴏᴜʀ ʙᴜʀᴅᴇɴ, ᴛᴏ ʀᴇꜱʜᴀᴘᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ɪɴᴛᴏ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ ʏᴏᴜ’ᴅ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ. ᴜʟᴛɪᴍᴀᴛᴇʟʏ, ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴜꜱᴛ ᴇɪᴛʜᴇʀ ᴀᴄᴄᴇᴘᴛ ᴀ ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴ ꜰᴏʀ ᴡʜᴏ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀʀᴇ, ʜᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇʏ ʙᴇʜᴀᴠᴇ, ʜᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴇxᴘʀᴇꜱꜱ ᴛʜᴇᴍꜱᴇʟᴠᴇꜱ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟʟʏ, ᴀɴᴅ ꜰɪɴᴅ ᴀ ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜʏ ᴡᴀʏ ᴛᴏ ʟɪᴠᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇᴍ, ᴏʀ ʟᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ɢᴏ ᴇɴᴛɪʀᴇʟʏ. ᴇɪᴛʜᴇʀ ᴡᴀʏ, ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴜꜱᴛ ʀᴇʟᴇᴀꜱᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀꜱᴇʟꜰ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʀᴇꜱᴘᴏɴꜱɪʙɪʟɪᴛʏ"

What a charrrrming book this was!
I devoured it!

I know you guys saw me posting funny bits to my stories over the weekend but this book is so much more than that! It carries moments of absolute heartbreak at the sheer unravelling of life and beautifully encapsulates what it is to be in mourning for a life you felt you deserved, for relationships and job opportunities you have missed out on and for a softer approach than people have been willing to grant you. 

Maddie Wright, our MC is so freaking loveable and the first person narrative sucked me in immediately. She has a way of telling her story so truthfully and completely, that you have no choice but to learn life lessons through her experiences and also forgive the things that you allowed in the past. I celebrated her wins and felt angry on her behalf (multiple times)...I also laughed a lot.

This story is witty and complex without dragging or rushing and I adored how tender it was!
That being said- there is a deeper message that runs through it- a quiet reminder to take care of yourself too. To do for yourself what you have always done for others.

It was so refreshing to read a true coming of age story where the MC is in her mid twenties, rather than still a teen and the raw honesty was a delight to experience.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton Audio and the author, for the ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows the story of 25 year old Maddie, who is the sole caretaker of her Dad who is suffering from Parkinsons, while her mother is away in Ghana and her brother has moved out. She is pretty sure that she suffers from depression, but her mother always shuts her down telling her all she needs is God and that anything such is private matter and it should never be spoken out loud to strangers. Oweing to her conservative religious upbringing and her somehow always being responsible for her family's mental and physical well being, Maddie has never really had a childhood or an adolescence. She yearns to move out and live her life on her own terms and find her own identity. When all this finally comes together, with her mother coming back to London to take care of her father allowing her to move out, make friends and try dating, life happens, and one after the other everthing starts falling apart.

Maame (a common ghanain petname for daughters that means woman) is heartrending story of a second generation immigrant woman of colour getting through the world she is yet to understand. This is not a story with an amazing plot twist or villains or any such. This is a simple story that does not in anyway shy away from the struggles of a painful childhood, of breaking out of the mould setout for you by your parents, immigrant life, losing touch with your roots, claiming your place, standing up for yourselves against your family, drawing boundaries, microaggressions, understanding and loving your body, dealing with loss, grief and emotional abuse and manipulation. In summary this is the story of a woman of colour trying to find her place in the complicated world. I loved how Maddie's relationship with being referred to as Maame by her mother was discussed in depth, I was scared at some points in the book that this conversation won't really lead anywhere. But it did and the book provides you with a WIP HEA conclusion that will warm your heart.

The narrator was brilliant, potraying the strife Maddie is going through, emoting every part of it, moving you through her life. This book will be perfect for fans of Queenie and Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine.

TW: Death, Loss, Grief. Deprresion, Anxiety, Panic attacks, Racism, Micro/Macro agressions, Infidelity, emotional Manipulation

It’s rare I give 5 stars for books, they have to really stand out in some way to earn that from me. And I strongly feel this book deserves them. As a daughter who also takes on the majority of helping parents (in my case because geographical location prevents my brother doing more), I could empathise with Maddie’s feeling of duty and responsibility - though with a very different mother, it never feels like work for me, more two best friends teaming up together. Anyway, this story shows Maddie begin to live her own life, with the ups and downs along the way, and learning to look after herself. So much of what she queries about herself and relationships, rang true for me - even down to Googling her questions about life and situations (which I’ve not done, but it’s crossed my mind sometimes).

I read this as an audio book, as I was fortunate enough to get an ARC copy via NetGalley and the publishers, in return for an unbiased review. I’ve not always enjoyed audio books as much as written versions, as a lot rides on the narrator bringing the characters to life. But Heather Agyepong does a marvellous job here, I really felt like I knew Jessica George’s characters personally, by the end of the book. And with the accent, it made the character voices so much more vivid.

This is released in February 2023 and I strongly recommend reading it - and especially as an audio book for added depth.

A coming-of-age story for late bloomers, Maddie is still living at home, her life consumed by caring for her ill father and working a job she hates. She doesn’t really know who she is for herself, only who she is in relation to her father, mother, brother. She is Maame - a caretaker, a daughter to rely on, a woman who must be strong by suppressing her own needs. But when she is fired from her job (unfairly) she realises it’s time to make a change. She can’t predict how quickly that change could spiral out of control.

I was deeply impressed with this book - a debut! This would be an accomplishment for an established author, let alone a debut. A vast array of difficult topics, from race and class to death and loss of a parent to struggling to navigate sex and relationships, were all poignantly and insightfully handled. And even though the subject matter is often heavy, humour was sprinkled along the way. Maddie is deeply relatable, with her flailing internal monologue and need to google all the little things that everyone else seems to know how to do. The combination of ‘grew up too quickly’ and ‘missing ordinary developmental stages’ was refreshingly dealt with, as we understand Maddie’s world through her mix of naivety and profound wisdom.

I listened to the audiobook - Heather Agyepong’s narration is really great, although there often wasn’t a clear difference between Maddie’s spoken voice and her internal monologue, so I sometimes got confused about when she was speaking/thinking. But hearing the story with the combination of British and Ghanaian accents made the emotions even more visceral.

A funny, moving and insightful story about family, grief and obligation, and learning to be your own person. Maddie is a young Londoner, the heart of her Ghanaian family, her mother who spends most of her time working back in Ghana, her brother James who works in music and rarely pulls his weight, her father whose advanced Parkinson's means that Maddie has stayed at home to be his carer. Maddie is old beyond her years, the rock that her family leans on without thinking about what this costs her. "Maame" is what they call her, it means many things in Twi, including "woman" and Maddie and learning what it means to them and to her, is a key theme.

Maddie always puts everyone else first, her family, her employers. She has never been to university, never lived away from home, never been in a real relationship and she feels lost, weary and ready to discover herself with a flatshare and a determination to find herself and find an occasion to wear a yellow suit that symbolises her new confidence and her new approach to life. But Maddie has had to grow up very quickly and as she seeks the adult experiences she's missed out on she also has to come to terms with the sacrifices she has had to make. She works through grief, resentment and depression and confronts racism in her work and her private life. It's a beautiful portrait of a perfectly realised young woman whose growth is a joy to share. Jessics George makes Maddie a compelling character who is close to my heart. Her inner monologue (and her constant googling) are by turn hilarious and heartbreaking and she is brilliantly relatable. Heather Agyepong brings her vividly to life, a natural effortless narrator who can easily bring you to laughter or tears from the ways her voice emotes.

I devoured this book in one sitting! Jessica George totally submerged me in Maddie/Maame’s mind from the first moment. I felt her frustrations and sorrow being left alone to care for her ailing father while trying to take care of herself. From such a young age, her emotions and needs were pushed to the bottom, from without and within. When we meet her, she doesn’t know who she is and who she wants to be. That journey was so real and so raw, in almost equal parts naive and profound. I was rooting for her as she connected to her feelings, found her voice to express herself, and ultimately learned to love herself and her life.
Kudos to Heather Ageypong— listening to this story with the British and Ghanaian accents greatly increased the emotional connection! 🎧
Thank you, Jessica George. Your work is a masterpiece and in my top 10 books of 2022! 🏆
*Thanks to Hodder & Stouton and NetGalley for the advance audiobook for review.

What a beautiful debut from Jessica George! I was lucky enough to receive a free copy of the audiobook in exchange for a review, thank's to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton.

Maame is a coming of age story although our main character may be a bit of a late bloomer. At 25 she feels very behind, having never had a serious relationship, nor a job she really likes. She is tied down by her family obligations, caring for her sick father, making up for the absence of her mother and brother at home.

There is much to relate about in this book, every twenty something will experience loss of some kind as well as feeling overwhelmed from life expectations that start to crumble in front of you. We all feel inadequate, "not enough" at times and Maddie is going THROUGH IT!
Our main character isn't only relatable but good natured and the kind of friend anyone would be lucky to have. I really enjoyed spending time with her and her family even when her grief touched my soul.

The cultural elements and age of the MC made this a refreshing story and the writer effortlessly touches on so many modern topics. Not to mention that we love to see a diverse cast of characters!
I hope this book will receive the acclaim it deserves!

I also recommend the audio format for this one, it can't be anything but a joy to listen to audiobooks when the narration is this impeccable!