A Today Show #ReadWithJenna Book Club Pick
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.
A Today Show #ReadWithJenna Book Club Pick
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.
Critiques-
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Starred review from November 14, 2022
In this pitch-perfect debut, George captures the uncertainty, freedom, and anxiety of a London woman’s mid-20s. Narrator Maddie Wright is a people pleaser who earns the nickname Maame (“the responsible one”) from her family. She has an unsatisfying theater admin job where she is often “the only Black person in the room,” and while her older brother, James, lives his life as he wants and her mother spends most of her time in her homeland of Ghana, Maddie steps up as the main caregiver for her Parkinson’s afflicted father. Between her mother hitting her up for money and her incommunicative father, Maddie searches on Google for career guidance and dating advice, as well as remedies for panic attacks and grief. As her social life further dwindles and she worries she’ll always be a virgin, Maddie begins the “slow descent into a dull existence.” Then her mother finally comes back to take care of Maddie’s father, and Maddie moves into a flat with two roommates who are determined to help her live a larger life, starting with a list of actions to turn her into “The New Maddie.” But just as she’s getting a taste of independence, tragedy strikes at home and at work, and she’s forced to confront the microaggressions she faces in daily life, as well as ask herself how she deserves to be treated. 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. Agent: Jemima Forrester, David Higham Assoc. -
Heather Agyepong portrays Maddie's dilemmas as a modern woman of two worlds: her current one, England, and the one her parents emigrated from, Ghana. Agyepong is a soft voiced, melodious narrator who brings across the intersectionality of identity that children of immigrants confront. She captures the turbulent experience of an adult child who is dealing with a parent's illness. Maddie's father's descent into Parkinson's triggers a self-reckoning that sends her down unexpected avenues of the past. Agyepong makes this self-exploration sympathetic and heartfelt. Her gently delivered, nuanced performance will make listeners feel as though they are listening to a friend describe her latest problems. M.R. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
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April 1, 2023
In George's captivating debut, narrator Heather Agyepong expresses the vulnerability and curiosity of Maddie, a young Ghanaian British woman seeking a life of her own. Maddie has always been Maame--the responsible one. Although she wants to quit her job and the constant microaggressions she experiences there, she doesn't, because she must live at home and care for her father who has Parkinson's. Her mother travels frequently and always needs money, and her older brother barely visits. When her mother finally returns to London, Maddie moves out. Within a short time, she has flatmates, a new job, and a love interest. Then, tragedy strikes. Agyepong gives Maddie a soft-spoken external voice, which deliciously contrasts with Subconscious Maddie, who becomes a fully fledged character with streetwise intonations. Maddie's inner thoughts flow from anxious to depressed to angry as she navigates being the only Black person in the workplace and the one her family relies on in a pinch. While Agyepong performs women characters with distinct voices, the men sound similar, with only slight variances. Even so, this doesn't distract from the story, as men are rarely in the same scenes together. VERDICT Recommended for library book clubs.--Anjelica Rufus-Barnes
Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
