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 heart on the line.
Smart, funny, and deeply affecting, 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.
Something about the cover and description of this made me think it was a literary book. (A trend lately, me thinking the wrong thing about books!) I went into it not sure what I'd think of it, but it reads like a rom com, albeit with some heavy parts - at least, it does until that section around about the middle, after which everything changes. Not in a bad way, but the tone in the second half is very different.
I liked Maddie, she seemed like a real person (you know what I mean! Some characters are a lot more 'real' than others.) I thought her googling things was cute and worked well for a contemporary novel. I love her friends and I want friends like that in my life, please.
I'm sorry I can't be more coherent about this book...it honestly deserves a much better review than I'm giving it. I can see why people are talking this one up so much - it's going to do great.
Maame publishes on the 7th of February, 2023, in the US (top image) and on the 16th of Feburary, 2023, in the UK (lower image). I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.
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