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My Name Is Maame
On sale
14th February 2023
Price: £21.99
THE debut of 2023. A blisteringly funny, heartbreaking novel about twenty-something British Ghanaian Maddie as she grapples with identity, love, loss, and becoming the woman she wants to be – for fans of Chewing Gum, Such a Fun Age and Queenie
***
Mum calls me Maame. It has many meanings in Twi, but in my case, it means woman.
Meet Maddie.
To her mostly-absent mum, she’s Maame, the woman of the family. To her dad, she’s his carer – even if he hardly recognises her. To her friends, she’s the one who still lives at home, who never puts herself first.
It’s time to become the woman she wants to be.
The kind who wears a bright yellow suit, says yes to after-work drinks and flirts with a thirty-something banker. Who doesn’t have to google all her life choices. Who demands a seat at the table.
But to put ourselves together, sometimes we have to fall apart…
Heartbreaking, sharply funny and achingly relatable, Maame is an irresistibly fresh coming-of-age story with a heroine you’ll never forget.
‘Honest, warm, heart-breaking and heart-healing. It felt truly modern, yet somehow timeless. I adored it’
Nikki May, author of WAHALA
‘A poignant coming-of-age tale about finding strength, hope and courage . . . Maame‘s quiet confidence is true to life and liberating’
Lizzie Damilola Blackburn, author of Yinka, Where is your Huzband?
(P)2023 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
***
Mum calls me Maame. It has many meanings in Twi, but in my case, it means woman.
Meet Maddie.
To her mostly-absent mum, she’s Maame, the woman of the family. To her dad, she’s his carer – even if he hardly recognises her. To her friends, she’s the one who still lives at home, who never puts herself first.
It’s time to become the woman she wants to be.
The kind who wears a bright yellow suit, says yes to after-work drinks and flirts with a thirty-something banker. Who doesn’t have to google all her life choices. Who demands a seat at the table.
But to put ourselves together, sometimes we have to fall apart…
Heartbreaking, sharply funny and achingly relatable, Maame is an irresistibly fresh coming-of-age story with a heroine you’ll never forget.
‘Honest, warm, heart-breaking and heart-healing. It felt truly modern, yet somehow timeless. I adored it’
Nikki May, author of WAHALA
‘A poignant coming-of-age tale about finding strength, hope and courage . . . Maame‘s quiet confidence is true to life and liberating’
Lizzie Damilola Blackburn, author of Yinka, Where is your Huzband?
(P)2023 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
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Reviews
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
George illustrates the complexities of navigating two cultures and rising from the pressure of other people's expectations beautifully. This is a clever and deeply moving debut
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.
'One of the must-reads of the year'
Tender and compelling from the word go, Maame is one of the year's most anticipated books . . . Very funny and utterly readable, this is one for your reading lists'
Jessica George's Maame has a warmer, frothier take on family matters. The book follows 20-something British Ghanaian Maddie, who has spent years as a carer for her father and the breadwinner for her family, as she breaks free of doing what's expected of her
A poignant and heart-warming coming of age story
A must-read for 2023
A funny coming-of-age novel. When Maddie Wright is presented with the opportunity to leave her traditional Ghanaian home to become the type of woman she has always dreamt of being, she leaps into her new life. However, tragedy then strikes, leaving Maddie forced to consider what she's sacrificing
Maame will have you laughing, crying, and rooting for the protagonist the whole way
George's novel is a deeply moving one, packed with heart and sparkling prose
Moving, funny, poignant and completely unforgettable, you'll love this beautiful coming of age tale about a young woman on a journey to discover the real her'
This sparkling and poignant coming-of-age novel is going to be huge
An exciting and emotionally charged debut... Every word is a gem. You will fall in love with Maddie's character as she sets out to find her way in the world via nightmare bosses, passive-aggressive flatmates, questionable men and online dating. A really heart-warming tale of redemption and self-discovery
It's impossible not to champion Maddie from the start of this fantastic debut... A truly remarkable debut. Powerful, poignant and downright heart-breaking in parts
Jessica George's first novel is a compassionate portrait of a young woman caught between cultures, and a moving look at how grief can undo you. Maddie is a charming mix of innocence and world-weariness; you end up rooting for her to find her place in the world
An accomplished debut from a talented writer
Warm and heartfelt, this tender coming-of-age novel will have you rooting for her through it all.
This coming-of-age story is witty, poignant and inspiring
Pick of the Week: We root for her through triumphs and tears in this funny tale
A moving, funny story about finally finding out where you truly belong
The hot debut
A resonant and engaging debut from Jessica George, we absolutely loved Maddie's mature voice as she deals with challenges at this potent time in her life
A coming of age tale with a perfectly imperfect protagonist, Maame holds a mirror up to the lives of Black British women anxiously treading the tightrope of our twenties, with little to lean on and much to learn
Irresistibly charming, this story of a later bloomer shows us that we all find our stride in life when we are meant to, even if it's not when the rest of the world expects us to. Maame left me with a huge smile and a full heart!
This book will make you laugh and cry but you'll be rooting for Maame all the way