Book Review: Maame by Jessica George

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

Maame is the nickname given to Maddie by her mother. A name she resents because it comes with a lot of responsibility in her everyday life. See, Maddie lives in London with her dad who is ill from Parkinson’s. Her mother has decided to spend most of her time in Ghana and her brother spends his time being part of his friend’s entourage.

Her mother decides to come back to London and encourages her to start living. Maddie finds a place to rent, starts dating and tries to keep her work struggles at bay. When something major happens within the family, it rocks Maddie’s world and she has to rediscover herself and determine the life that she wants.

“We grow up fast. Not by force, but because we are needed.’ ‘I think sometimes we’re needed for the wrong reasons.”

I didn’t relate to Maddie but I could see many people in Maddie because she was a people pleaser. She is a familiar character in many African cultures and because of that I felt so triggered by it. I wanted to shake Maddie and I wanted to shake Maddie’s mom. Maddie so clearly was depressed and noone was looking out for her but she was expected to still figure things out and make things happen. George wrote Maddie as a character so well that you just wanted to protect her. Her early twenties confusion and naivete would be relatable to many.

“Everyone talks about the importance of standing out but never the benefits of fitting in.”

The best thing about this book is the writing. It’s never easy to weave in so many topics without making it complicated but George is able to make all the things that happen blend in seamlessy in Maddie’s life – grief, mental health, career dissatisfaction, race, culture, family and so much more – having this front row seat, gives us a better understanding of Maddie’s headspace. I really enjoyed Maddie’s life when she decides to take a chance and start living. The juxtaposition of the friction between her roommates and the security her friends provided was interesting.

“A person’s troubles are not measured by the size of those troubles, but by how much they weigh on the individual carrying them.”

This was a great representation of what it’s like to be influenced by culture and family and trying to find your voice when all you have heard your whole life has been one thing. It was the little things like her mom telling her to keep secrets and never confide in anyone or pushing her to get married even though she had never dated. Any book that can make me so angry where I had to take a step away from the book to cool down has done its job in writing a great narrative that makes me feel that deeply. I fully recommend this one.

Taynement