Maame : A Today Show Read With Jenna Book Club Pick
(2023)

Fiction

eAudiobook

Provider: hoopla

Details

PUBLISHED
[United States] : Macmillan Audio, 2023
Made available through hoopla
EDITION
Unabridged
DESCRIPTION

1 online resource (1 audio file (10hr., 10 min.)) : digital

ISBN/ISSN
9781250880680 MWT16666782, 1250880688 16666782
LANGUAGE
English
NOTES

Read by Heather Agyepong

A Today Show #ReadWithJenna Book Club Pick One of BookPage's Best Audiobooks of 2023 "The patchwork elements cooperate with one another both on the page and in the audiobook, thanks to Heather Agyepong's elegant narration." -New York Times "Maame is a deeply funny yet emotional novel that comes alive with narration. A great pick for the twenty-something trying to make their way in the world, this audiobook will have you laughing on your commute to work." -USA Today "Sardonic, authentic, and a little bit sad, it moves along at a brisk pace. Compulsively listenable." -Vulture Maame (ma-meh) has many meanings in Twi but in my case, it means woman. It's fair to say that Maddie's life in London is far from rewarding. With a mother who spends most of her time in Ghana (yet still somehow manages to be overbearing), Maddie is the primary caretaker for her father, who suffers from advanced stage Parkinson's. At work, her boss is a nightmare and Maddie is tired of always being the only Black person in every meeting. When her mum returns from her latest trip to Ghana, Maddie leaps at the chance to get out of the family home and finally start living. A self-acknowledged late bloomer, she's ready to experience some important "firsts": She finds a flat share, says yes to after-work drinks, pushes for more recognition in her career, and throws herself into the bewildering world of internet dating. But it's not long before tragedy strikes, forcing Maddie to face the true nature of her unconventional family, and the perils-and rewards-of putting her life on the line. Smart, funny, and deeply affecting, Jessica George's Maame deals with the themes of our time with humor and poignancy: from familial duty and racism, to female pleasure, the complexity of love, and the life-saving power of friendship. Most important, it explores what it feels like to be torn between two homes and cultures―and it celebrates finally being able to find where you belong. "Meeting Maame feels like falling in love for the first time: warm, awkward, joyous, a little bit heartbreaking and, most of all, unforgettable." -Xochitl Gonzalez, New York Times bestselling author of Olga Dies Dreaming A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press. 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 Bloomsbury UK. Maame is her first novel. A Today Show #ReadWithJenna Book Club Pick A February Indie Next Pick "George paints in bold, bright strokes [and] lets dark moments commingle with light ones…George shows the details and scope of life with such confidence and joie de vivre, it's easy to forget she's a first-time novelist. By the end of Maame, Maddie still has questions and she's still curious, but she knows how to find what she needs in the real world. If that's not a modern hero's journey, I don't know what is." -The New York Times "George has fashioned an appealing hero here: You can't help but root for Maddie's emancipation. Funny, awkward, and sometimes painful, her blossoming is a real delight to witness. A fresh, often funny, always poignant take on the coming-of-age novel." -Kirkus (starred review) "A pitch-perfect debut…The work's ample magnetism resides in the savvy portrayal of Maddie as a complicated, sharp, and vulnerable person who is trying to figure out adulthood. Readers will revel in this." -Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Masterfully balancing comedy, tragedy and tenderness, Maame is a nuanced and powerful coming-of-age story. George candidly captures the false starts, heartbreak and awkwardness of early adulthood with empathy and a necessary dose of humor. Like Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones, Candice Carty-Williams' Queenie Jenkins and Gail Honeyman's Eleanor Oliphant befor

Mode of access: World Wide Web

Additional Credits