Listen to an excerpt from Jessica George’s instant bestseller Maame—the debut of 2023!

Maame is out now from Jonathan Ball Publishers.

Maame is a blisteringly funny, heart-breaking novel about twenty-something British Ghanaian Maddie as she grapples with identity, love, loss, and becoming the woman she wants to be.

‘Utterly charming and deeply moving … Maddie’s journey will resonate with anyone who’s had to grow up—or who’s still trying to.’—Celeste Ng, New York Times bestselling author of Little Fires Everywhere

About the book

Maame (ma-meh) has many meanings in Twi, but in my case, it means woman.

Meet Maddie Wright.

All her life, she’s been told who she is. To her Ghanaian parents, she’s Maame: the one who takes care of the family. Her mum’s stand-in. The primary carer for her father, who suffers from Parkinson’s. The one who keeps the peace—and the secrets.

It’s time for her to speak up.

When she finally gets the chance to leave home, Maddie is determined to become the kind of woman she wants to be. One who wears a bright yellow suit, dates men who definitely aren’t on her mum’s list of prospective husbands, and stands up to her boss’s microaggressions. Someone who doesn’t have to google all her life choices.

But when tragedy strikes, Maddie is forced to face the risks—and rewards—of putting her heart on the line.

But will it take losing everything to find her voice?

About the author

Jessica George was born and raised in London to Ghanaian parents and studied English Literature at the University of Sheffield. After working at a literary agency and a theatre, she landed a job in the editorial department of a publishing house. She now lives in North London with an incontrovertible sweet tooth and the knowledge that she can consume half a cake by herself if left to her own devices.

Listen to an excerpt, read by Heather Agyepong: