George’s debut novel is a beautiful coming of age story about love and loss, grief and gratitude, and the pressures of being the perfect daughter to less than perfect parents. Maddie, the daughter of Ghanan immigrants, is the main caretaker for her father, who has Parkinson’s. When her mom returns from a year long trip to Ghana, Maddie jumps at the opportunity to move out and find out who she is. Tragedy strikes, and Maddie is forced to face her complex family and the consequences of always putting others before herself.

This poignant novel was both heartbreaking and laugh out loud funny. Maddie’s character is so relatable and I loved her. The story was heavy but balanced with some lighthearted humor and the writing was beautiful. 4.5 stars!