This was such a beautiful novel. I was there cheering on the sidelines for Maddie – an inherently kind and quietly ambitious woman who was used to looking after everyone else before herself. Only a few pages in, I wanted to befriend her. It was saddening to see Maddie stalling in life and not getting a chance to discover what she really wanted out of it. Once her mum returned and she almost immediately moved out of her childhood home, I was really excited to see her finally take control. However, this book was grounded in reality and there were no quick fixes to help get Maddie to where she wanted to go.

OVERALL: Due to having a heroine I instantly wanted to befriend, this novel could be tough to read. I experienced her highs and many lows right alongside her, but luckily the story ended on an empowering and hopeful note.

Would I recommend?… Yes, but be warned… you won’t get through it without shedding a few tears along the way

I started writing that I really enjoyed this book but then went back to change to I absolutely loved this book.

I had recently just read another book also from NetGalley with a female black main character working in publishing and was worried they would be too similar. I was wrong. They were completely different.

We meet Maddie (Maame) who is living in Croydon with her Ghanaian family. Her Dad is ill and her mum spends lots of time back in Ghana so with her brother moved out it has been left to her to care for her Dad.

I really liked Maddie as a narrator the way her thought process works is similar to mine at times and I saw a lot of her in me. I thought the book was funny, current and relevant whilst covering deeps topic such as grief, regret as well as sadness and depression. When Maddie asks 'will she ever be happy or just momentarily distracted' that really hit home.

I also liked the line ' a persons troubles are not measured by the size of these troubles but by how much they weigh on the individual carrying them.' I felt like I was almost having a mini counselling session along with Maddie at times. We were also similar in the fact she doesn't like asking for help and carries on as if everything is ok and was cheering for her to reach out and take the help she has around her.

We navigate loss, career dead ends, friendship and love with Maddie and I was rooting for her the whole way.

I will be recommending this book to others and looking out for more from Jessica.

Maddie, who lives in London, is the main carer for her dad who has Parkinson's. Her mum is absent and very critical of Maddie. An emotional read covering grief, the things we regret and guilt. A well written story. I grew very fond of Maddie with her caring selfless nature.

Maame by Jessica George is a really beautiful, approachable yet uniquely complex exploration of parentification and generational trauma. Maddie is in her mid-20s and is the primary caregiver for her ailing father while her mother spends most of her time back in Ghana and her brother is off gallivanting. From a young age, Maddie has been treated like an adult - the quiet, studious, respectful, reliable one (any of this sounding familiar?!) - and the weight of responsibility has held her back from living. When her mother, absent yet overbearing, returns from Ghana, Maddie moves out and begins to live a life of firsts: boyfriends, drinks, career, sex, before a catastrophic loss sends Maddie spiralling and forces her to confront the unconventional nature of her upbringing. I adored this and read it in one day - the way the author explores heavy themes like familial duty, depression and loss with amazing warmth and wit makes Maddie feel universal. It reminded me a lot of both Queenie and Snowflake with a sprinkle of the power of female friendships seen in Honey & Spice thrown in for good measure.

Such a good book!!! Absolutely loved reading this! So well written it was very hard for me to put down so I read it in 2 sittings. Very heart funny but subtly so it would catch me off guard. I was rooting for Maddie all the way through, I immediately fell for her. Please read this book!!

Maddie Wright is an introverted young black woman in her mid-20s living at home as the primary carer for her father, who has Parkinson's disease.

Maddie's brother James barely bothers to visit, even though he also lives in London, and her mother spends a lot of time in Ghana. Consequently, Maddie is called 'Maame', a Ghanaian name that suggests a little mother. She is basically taken for granted, even though she has to work as well.

When Maddie is unfairly fired from her admin job, she decides to change her life. This coincides with her mother returning to the UK. Maddie gets a room in a house with two other women and throws herself into her new life. She gets a new job with a small publishing house and starts dating.

Then, just as things are looking up, Maddie's world falls apart. What follows is Maddie trying to make sense of her grief and feelings of sadness generally, and finding a way forward in both her personal situation and work life.

Jessica George portrays Maddie as being desperate to fit in but thinking that to do so she needs to invent a better version of herself. This doesn't usually end well and Maddie finally understands that the best version of herself is the one that is truthful and invites others in.

Maddie also comes across as gullible and naive at times but finally learns how to articulate what she wants, whether it is a better relationship with her mother or recognition for her creative ideas at work.

The book references how depression can be misunderstood as feeling sad, which is done sympathetically. I also admire how the author talks about painful intimacy. Both these subjects are part of Maddie's story and both end positively, which feels important.

Also, the book is about friendship and self-worth. Maddie has two loyal friends, Nia and Shu, who are there for her throughout her journey. Family is not just those who are related to you.

This was an enjoyable read and I would be happy to read more from Jessica George.

I received a digital ARC of this book from Hodder & Stoughton, in return for an honest appraisal.

Maddie is overwhelmed by her life. Her job is unrewarding, her boss is horrible, she is the only Black person around and, on top of that, her family left her alone to care for her father, who has Parkinson’s disease. When her mother arrives from Ghana, after a long absence, Maddie decides to move out from her parent’s flat and try to live for herself a little. She changes jobs, tries to build a career, starts dating and experiences many different ‘firsts’...

Maame is a beautiful piece of fiction. Funny, intelligent and heart-warming, it is a story of a young woman who decides to break free from the constrain of tradition and obligations. She strives to find her own path and identity and almost loses sight of the essential thing in the process — family. Because even when they drive her mad, they are crucial in her life.

We watch Maddie try to get independent from her mother’s influence while succumbing to the pressure from her new friends and boyfriend. I loved seeing her become more aware of her opinions and values and finally stand up for herself. Many young women, even those from entirely different cultural backgrounds, can identify with the main character.

I loved reading Maames story!

The book tackles various issues such as family, friendship, love, grief and finding your path in life.

You will grow to love Maame as you read and despite her ‘flaws’ she kind, caring, funny and likeable. We follow Maame as she navigates dating and navigating through her work life in the publishing industry.

An excellent debut novel from this author!

What was the last character you got attached to or wish you could meet in real life? For me, it was Maame, the daughter of Ghanaian immigrants, living in London. Jessica George portrayed her with her flaws - naivete; trying to people please; overreliance on Google for the big questions - and qualities: caring, kind, smart, funny, patient.

I think this book managed to do what The Other Black Girl didn't. It is an honest account of a young Black woman navigating white spaces in London, especially the publishing industry.

Reading about her dating life was also heartbreaking and funny at once. I appreciated the inclusion of queer characters, even though it could have been explored a bit more… But after all, this is Maame's story, which I suspect is autobiographical in some aspects.

This book made me smile, laugh, cry in public, and think. It tackled various themes such as family, friendship, love, discrimination, grief, mental health, and finding your path at work. I think this will firmly be in my top 5 books of 2023. I can't believe this is a debut novel!

Thank you NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review. At time of writing I can see that the average rating of this book on NetGalley is 5 stars. This is rare.

TL; DR: Go read it! Then come back to discuss it with me 😊

This was a wonderful read, so hard to believe it's from a debut author. Review to follow. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I really enjoyed 'Maame' by Jessica George. I was lucky enough to get approved for the ebook and audiobook versions which were perfect for me. 'Maame' was a heart breaking read but, I had such empathy for Maddy. Madeline is in her 20's, has never had the opportunity to leave home because she cares for her father who has Parkinson's disease. Maddy works in a job she hates as a PA to someone who completely takes advantage of Maddy. The blessing really is when Maddy gets fired for a mistake her boss made which enables Maddy to live her life to the fullest. I related hard to 'Maame', stuck in a dead end job, juggling your family life and what you want out of life alongside depression and grief. Often a difficult read but I appreciated the rawness of this book. Maddy is a black British woman with Ghanian heritage. She is affectionately referred to as Maame by her mother, but, what is really in a name? A wonderful insight into the secret life of a family and the image we choose to present to others.

Maame review

A definite 5 star read for me, absolutely loved this book. A fabulous debut novel.

Maame is about a girl named Maddie (Madeleine) who was born and raised in London by Ghanaian parents. Her mother called her Maame from a young age, Maame has many meanings in Twi but to Maddie it means Woman.
Maddie is a wonderful person who is looking after her father who has Parkinson’s. Her mother is always away in Ghana and her brother hardly visits, even though he lives near. This book shares many aspects of Maddie’s life and it’s wonderful to see her bloom and come out of her shell.

This book explores death, racism, relationships, depression but at the heart is a story about family relationships, finding yourself and the many forms of love.
I absolutely adored Maddie and was routing for her from the start. I became fully immersed in her life and really felt the ups and downs she went through. This is a sad read but also inspiring as you see someone pull themselves out of depression and really stick up for themselves.

You definitely go on a journey with this book and I am so glad I got to read this. Such a lovely book which I would recommend to anyone!

A heartfelt and deeply moving book on the joy and guilt of finding your own way in life. Jessica George writes from the heart. The tone of writing felt conversational, every character was sketched out so beautifully; some problematic and more complicated than others and yet necessary to the narrative to make you aware of the very real issues Maddie deals with on the daily. For a child singlehandedly caring for an ailing parent (her mother and brother shun their responsibility), then working and/or having a partner where there is passive microaggressions when it comes to her race, lack or assumption of consent, toxicity, so many themes in this book and there is a sensitivity and nuance with which George makes clear that none of this is OK. Maddie's best friends are the light in her life. A true support system who have her back and let her know she is loved. I enjoyed watching Maddie learn and grow in this book. She is a beautifully flawed human being. I could read Maame over and over again. An easy 5 star for me. Thank you Netgalley and @HodderBooks and @HodderPublicity for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5*

I rarely read adult coming of age books because I have often found them disengaging. However, I was intrigued by the blurb for Maame and this book pleasantly surprised me.

Maddie’s voice was palpable on the page and I was instantly drawn in by her voice and the pressures of being the sole carer of her father. She felt real, relatable (especially the lies we tell ourselves that we were raised to be independent so we are fine) and engaging. Grief, depression and the weight of caring for a parent without familial support were deeply conveyed. Maddie was a protagonist I was rooting for through her journey and new experiences. However, I also disliked many of Maddie’s actions, such as the lying and blaming others. I also couldn’t always believe her naivety. The romance (a HFN) at the end felt rushed and lacked depth to have any attachment to it.

There are many relevant topics discussed, some I felt were done well and others not quite because they sometimes felt diminished.

When Maddie finally stepped up and advocated for herself and opened up about her pressures was a satisfying moment.

Maame is a solid and engaging, at times heartbreaking, debut. Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and properly binged it in a couple of days.. I think there are likeable and very unlikeable characters and it was a real struggle listening to some of the unlikeable ones. I did find this quite an emotional read and would definitely recommend it.

Maame by Jessica George GoodReads Review


I got Maame by Jessica George GoodReads Review for free from NetGalley for a fair and honst review.


Mamme tells the story of Maddie a 25 year old Ghanaian woman who lives in London, stuck living at home looking after her father is living with with Parkinson's, while her mother is of ruuning a business in Ghana and her brother is living life.

To me as a reader Maame is a novel that allows me to enter the world of another culture in this case the Ghanaian’s who have made their home in London. Yes I know that one book can never cover the whole culture no matter how well it is written, just as one persons story is not the whole culture.

However with Stories like this one by Jessica George who at least get a glimpse through the door. But what this novel really did well is both show the similarities of the issues we all face as humans along with how individual backgrounds can have an affect on them.

In Simple terms Maame is the Story of of Maddie is able to come out of her shell at 25 and start to live but like most peoples stories Maddie is affected by her background, from being the only no white person at work or not being able to live her life while her mum was in Ghana.

Yes there are times when Maddie is having difficulty navigating life but this is all because of her lack of socialising when she was younger. This and her lack of ability to have the confidence to talk to people which does leave some semi-awkward / funny scens where she uses the internet to navigate life's challenges.

All in all this makes Maame by Jessica George a story well worth reading.

I absolutely loved this book and didn't want it to end, it was extremely relatable (spoiler) considering my Dad has recently died and I have guilt about it too. This is why we need more Black authors being published and more books about the Black experience!

It’s fair to say that Maddie’s life in London is far from rewarding:

Maddie is the primary caretaker for her father, who suffers from advanced stage Parkinson’s and at work, her boss is a nightmare and Maddie is tired of always being the only Black person in every meeting - so she decides to make some changes to her life.

So, I think it's fair to say that Maame is about relationships and how hard they can be: relationships to our family, to the people we date, our friends and flatmates...

I absolutely loved this book. I laughed, I cried - any more questions???

Especially considering this is a debut novel, it's SO good!

Maame is an absolutely gorgeous debut novel and has firmly placed Jessica George on my authors to watch list.

Maame follows Maddie Wright who is the sole carer of her father, she keeps the peace for her family and is struggling to find a career that she loves. Maddie longs to be someone who lives their life and doesn't just count the days that go by and when she gets the chance to leave home and start afresh she takes it with both hands. What unfolds is a young woman's journey to discovering herself, her family and her future.

I would not be surprised if we see Maame on a number of award short lists in 2023.

I really enjoyed both the premise and plot of this book. I felt very much in love with the main character.