Maame: A Today Show Read With Jenna Book Club Pick

I forget where I heard about Maame by Jessica George but I grabbed it from the library when I saw it. Briefly, Maame is about a young woman who cares for her dad who has Parkinson’s Disease before going out into the world to finally get to live her life.

My dad died from Parkinson’s about 13 years ago and, funny enough, that’s still not long enough ago to make me NOT cry throughout this book. Maddie is a Ghanaian Londoner who is 25 but left to car...read more

This book is more of a romance coming of age and independence story than a deeply, moving and insightful creative fictional piece. I think the editor's over sold this one and in the wrong direction which is too bad because it probably is a hit with the demographic that enjoys the introvert/held back growing into their own.

This story of losing and finding one’s self is very compelling. There is so much to unpack here. As a first generation Canadian of Jamaica heritage on my mother’s side, it was VERY relatable in terms of family dynamics, duty/ guilt, attitude toward religion and mental heath, among sooooooo many other things.

Content warning for death, medical descriptions, racism, and related topics. I liked this novel. It focused on identity, self-growth, and trusting yourself. This book was more character-based than plot-based, which worked for me in this case. I liked the inclusion of Twi, but I would have liked to know what was being said. I liked the portrayal of grief as nonlinear, I thought that was really well done. I liked the secondary characters too, espec...read more

My Thoughts: I was hooked after three pages. Maame, written by Jessica George, is a captivating novel that offers insights into the beliefs and behaviors of Ghanaian people, as well as the struggles of second-generation immigrants. The author masterfully weaves together several themes, including death, grief, professional conflicts, mental health issues, familial troubles, racism, sexual identity, and romantic problems. The book is both moving an...read more