In “Maame”, a dependable daughter sheds familial expectations.
This stunning debut by Jessica George is set in London, where we meet Maddie, her chronically-ill father, her absent and domineering mother, and an unreliable brother. It’s a full cast of characters that sets the stage for our story. Maddie is a first-generation Londoner born to Ghanaian immigrant parents. In the opening pages of this book, she is caught between adulthood and fulfilling responsibility.
While her agemates are building careers, finding romantic love, and living independently, Maddie is the primary caretaker for her father, who has Parkinson’s. This is full-on, backbreaking work- she plans his meals, worries over his ailments, gives him medication, and relays news of his worsening condition to her mother and brother. Alongside, Maddie works in an unfulfilling administrative job where she peforms dreary tasks for an unsatisfied boss and dreams of a better career.
The setting of Maddie’s life is aptly explained by her nickname “Maame”. In her own words,
“‘Maame’ has many meanings in Twi, but in my case it means ‘woman.’ I’ve been called Maame ever since I can remember and I loved being referred to as a woman when I was still a girl.”
Jessica George from “Maame”
Names carry meaning, and for Maddie, “Maame” refers to her shouldering responsibility too heavy for her age, and basically raising herself. However, this is an interpretation I struggled with because the name “Maame” in Ghana, in recent times, is titular. It is a title used to prefix traditional names and it doesn’t carry the responsibility of ‘mother’ or ‘woman’ anymore. Ghanaian readers living in Ghana may struggle with the use of “Maame” because it is no longer used in that context.
In the second part of this book, her mother returns from Ghana to care for her father, and Maddie takes this opportunity to move out and attempt dating. Shortly after, she is fired from her job and this sets the stage for self-discovery. She has been sequestered for so long, that this book is littered with numerous Google searches on what should be basic Adulting 101 knowledge. Things like ‘should you knock on the door of a new flatmate’ and ‘does a third date mean sex?’
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Her guilt after moving out turns into grief after she is hit by a deep loss, and even in this moments, Maddie is alone and unable to rely on her family.
“Maame” is filled with humor and all the intensity of growing up in an African household. Maddie’s journey in this novel is one of self-actualization and a search for connection. At the end, Maddie realizes that to become who she desires, she must shed external expectations and nurture herself, not others.
Following Maddie’s journey is the singular point of this book, and there is significant character development. Her voice is vulnerable and sincere, and it makes for a stunning debut.