A review by annreadsabook
Maame by Jessica George

challenging emotional funny reflective 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

4.25

I loved that this book examined the pressures of being a twenty-something that are compounded by the weighty and often unrealistic expectations of family, particularly when your family expects you do to all the heavy lifting with virtually zero support. Maddie (referred to as Maame, or “woman,” by her Ghanaian parents) juggles caring for her father and providing financial assistance to her family with the daily struggles of being a Black British woman in her mid-twenties.

One of the more stand-out aspects of the book was its exploration of how Black immigrant communities view mental health; I loved seeing Maddie becoming more aware of the ways in which she was taught to make herself smaller. Over the course of the book, we watch Maddie grow into a more self-assured woman who understands that she is more than her family’s limited definitions of who she is in the world.

My one gripe, however, is that Maddie’s naïveté about life steadily shifted from endearing to grating. While at first her frequent Googling was silly yet relatable (e.g., “jobs with the happiest employees,” “back pain in your mid-twenties”), as the book progressed some of her unawareness struck me as incredible. Maddie seemed unbelievably infantile in her engagement with the world even though she was effectively the sole family member charged with her father’s care and her family’s financial wellbeing. And, at one point, a confused Maddie is lectured by her friends about how someone can be racist even if they don’t appear to outwardly hate Black people…this struck me as bizarre.

With all that being said, though, I greatly enjoyed Maame and think this is a great book for folks in their early- and mid-twenties who are just breaking into themselves, especially Black women. Personally, I know I would’ve loved having this book after graduating from undergrad.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings