Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for access to an advance reader copy and audiobook of Maame. In exchange for a fair, impartial review of the work.

Maame follows the story of Madeleine/Maddie who is a young British Ghanaian woman as she navigates a less than conventional family dynamic and grief. It is a coming of age story despite Maddie being in her mid-twenties. She is primary caregiver to her ailing father. Her mother divides her time between London and Ghana. Maame is a Twi term of endearment that her mother refers to her as. There are multiple meanings to the term, in the case of Maddie, means “woman.”

Mattie grapples with navigating through a life that is all but consumed with her father’s care. Her identity is virtually wrapped up in her roles to her immediate family members. The sudden passing of her father throws her life into a tailspin and into the murky waters of grief. On top of that, she is unsure of who she truly is without her father. The remainder of the book follows her journey of self discovery as she purposes to learn the answer.