bookswithboo 's review for:

Maame by Jessica George
5.0
challenging emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
đź“– Maame
✏️ Jessica George
đź“ŤLondon
đź‘Ą Maddie/Maame. James. Nia. Shu. Sam. 
đź“Ž Contemporary Fiction

e-ARC from NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton
Publication Date: 14Feb23

“How do you know if you’re genuinely happy or if you’re just mostly all right, with sprinkles of laughter and occasional shit storms of sadness thrown in?”

Sometimes you read a new release and you immediately know it’s going to be one of the books of the year. Maame is one of those books and I fully anticipate seeing it on many lists and bookseller’s tables for the foreseeable. I will certainly be recommending it to anyone that will listen.

Meet Maddie, who carries the nickname Maame in her Ghanaian family. A term of endearment and love, but also of huge responsibility. Maddie carries so much at such a young age - physically, financially, emotionally. The book tells of her breaking free of some of these responsibilities - an action that is liberating but also carries guilt and a good degree of loss and confusion as she tries to figure out who she is on her own. It’s heartbreaking in places but utterly stunning to follow. Go buy.