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A review by ellabeas
Maame by Jessica George
5.0
Here it is, my favorite book of the year so far. I loved Maame. It is superb.
Maame is a first gen, late bloomer story. And while there are dozens of topics and themes that make this a solid book club choice, one of the more endearing ones is that the 25 year old protagonist is facing a lot of life’s “firsts” a decade later than her peers while simultaneously balancing family responsibilities that typically fall on women twice her age. What we aren’t emotionally equipped to handle, she handles. She finds her voice. I love her voice. And when I tell you I cackle laughed within the first three pages, I had to brace myself and find my composure.
Read this if you are a fan of Yaa Gyasi or Amber Ruffin. The easy readability, humor in imperfect situations, and conversational tone made it impossible not to cheer for Maddie.
Themes worth noting: coming of age, late bloomer, child of immigrants, grief, and depression. Beautifully handled in a way that invites the reader in without trauma dumping. Hard balance, but George nailed it.
Skip this if: You don’t like nice things. This book has standards.
Overall: enthusiastically recommend.
I read a print copy but think any version would be great.
Maame is a first gen, late bloomer story. And while there are dozens of topics and themes that make this a solid book club choice, one of the more endearing ones is that the 25 year old protagonist is facing a lot of life’s “firsts” a decade later than her peers while simultaneously balancing family responsibilities that typically fall on women twice her age. What we aren’t emotionally equipped to handle, she handles. She finds her voice. I love her voice. And when I tell you I cackle laughed within the first three pages, I had to brace myself and find my composure.
Read this if you are a fan of Yaa Gyasi or Amber Ruffin. The easy readability, humor in imperfect situations, and conversational tone made it impossible not to cheer for Maddie.
Themes worth noting: coming of age, late bloomer, child of immigrants, grief, and depression. Beautifully handled in a way that invites the reader in without trauma dumping. Hard balance, but George nailed it.
Skip this if: You don’t like nice things. This book has standards.
Overall: enthusiastically recommend.
I read a print copy but think any version would be great.