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?
As blisteringly funny and achingly relatable as its heroine, MAAME is an unforgettable coming-of-age story about finally becoming the heroine of your own life.
***
EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT MAAME: 'Maame is a really special novel, at once sweet and sad and funny and so full of life. The sort of book that people are going to cherish, and with good reason'
BOBBY PALMER, author of Isaac and the Egg
'This book is going to be EVERYWHERE next year. A truly spark
I was raised to be
Maame
now I want to be me
by Jessica George
Hachette Australia
RRP: $32.99
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