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Maame cover art

Maame

Written by: Jessica George
Narrated by: Heather Agyepong
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Publisher's Summary

A Today Show #ReadWithJenna Book Club Pick

ALA Alex Awards winner (Adult for Young Adults), 2024

One of BookPage's Best Audiobooks of 2023

"The patchwork elements cooperate with one another both on the page and in the audiobook, thanks to Heather Agyepong’s elegant narration."—New York Times

"Maame is a deeply funny yet emotional novel that comes alive with narration. A great pick for the twenty-something trying to make their way in the world, this audiobook will have you laughing on your commute to work."—USA Today

"Sardonic, authentic, and a little bit sad, it moves along at a brisk pace. Compulsively listenable."—Vulture

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

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.

"Meeting Maame feels like falling in love for the first time: warm, awkward, joyous, a little bit heartbreaking and, most of all, unforgettable."—Xochitl Gonzalez, New York Times bestselling author of Olga Dies Dreaming

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.

©2023 Jessica George (P)2023 Macmillan Audio

What the critics say

A February Indie Next Pick

"George paints in bold, bright strokes [and] lets dark moments commingle with light ones…George shows the details and scope of life with such confidence and joie de vivre, it’s easy to forget she’s a first-time novelist. By the end of Maame, Maddie still has questions and she’s still curious, but she knows how to find what she needs in the real world. If that’s not a modern hero’s journey, I don’t know what is."The New York Times

"George has fashioned an appealing hero here: You can’t help but root for Maddie’s emancipation. Funny, awkward, and sometimes painful, her blossoming is a real delight to witness. A fresh, often funny, always poignant take on the coming-of-age novel."Kirkus (starred review)

"A pitch-perfect debut…The work’s ample magnetism resides in the savvy portrayal of Maddie as a complicated, sharp, and vulnerable person who is trying to figure out adulthood. Readers will revel in this."Publishers Weekly (starred review)

What listeners say about Maame

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Beautiful story

This was a beautiful book and I loved Maddy- I think we all see a little of ourselves in her.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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The relatablity

I absolutely loved this. It started out a bit slow but honestly Maddie is a bit slow so it was endearing. I love the way Jessica has tackles the first born daughter and the struggles of being a first gen immigrant with parents who moved deep in adulthood. Beautiful story, highly recommend

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Great story especially loved the narration!

Beautiful tale on family, culture & healing! Impressive - looking out for more text by the author.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Loved it

I loved the story and narrator who really did a great job helping the reader visualize it.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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  • ama
  • 2023-07-26

Beautifully relatable story!

Started frustrated with the main character. Ended proud of her. Exactly as was intended. Very good story!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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  • Mk
  • 2023-03-28

Honest and relatable coming of age story

It warmed my heart to learn that the author wrote this book loosely based on her own experience as her father suffered from Parkinson’s. The story is refreshingly honest and reflective while still tackling all the big stuff like sex, race and death. You can’t go wrong recommending this to a young Black woman.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Relatable

Maame was a relatable story for a daughter of immigrants as well. I cried with her, I got frustrated with her, I got frustrated at her. Her world swallowed me in

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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Heartwarming

This story tries very hard with interesting and complex main character navigating through a difficult time but I found the pacing was uneven and the some of the minor characters felt like they were undeveloped or instruments utilized to say the right/wrong thing to move the story along. Production including sound levels were uneven which distracted from a lovely narrator.

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Lovely listen

Captivating - heartfelt and real !! Thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book! Highly recommend and hats off to the author and narrator.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A lovely listen!

Sweet, compelling story with the bonus of learning more about chemistry, very clever. I’m definitely recommending it to friends.

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