Book Review: Maame by Jessica George

 

About:

Shortlisted for the TikTok Book Awards in the Book of the Year, 2023 and the Goodreads Debut and Fiction Book of the Year, 2023.

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 life 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.

My Thoughts:

In Maame we follow Madeline Wright (Maame) a 25 year old woman, of Ghanaian heritage who is a late bloomer. Maddie is this way , mainly because she, although being the last child in her family had the responsibility to take care of her ailing father. But as she navigates her life and struggles, she began craving independence, the kind that comes with young adulthood i.e. living with flatmates, having a boyfriend and other fun things. In the book we get to see Maddie come to her own.

What I liked about this book is that it touched on the issue of dealing with grief and depression. I liked how the author unpacked Maddie's grief by taking us through the stages. Maddie's grief emphasized the reality which is that everyone grieves differently. I have always been a believer of that. Apart from that Madeline's relationships (friends, family, coworkers, flatmates) were interesting especially her relationship with her mother, who by far was the most interesting character in the story. I began really disliking her but after reading on a bit I saw that she had a story to tell.

Overall this was a good story, very well written.