I started reading Madame after scrolling through Amazon Kindle and noticing a book that kept showing up on my suggested reads list. I saw nothing but glowing reviews about it, so I read it. I read it lying in bed before sleeping on long train commutes.
I finished reading the book early one morning as I prepared for work. Against the quietness of the morning and the story’s ending, it filled me with a sense of accomplishment. I love a good story, and this book was just that: a beautiful and very relatable story about a British-Ghanaian young lady who has a lot to say.
The story is written in the first person, making it seem more personal. In some ways, it reads more like a diary entry, and I loved that.
What Is Maame about?
Maame is the only daughter in a Ghanaian household and the primary carer for her father, who suffers from advanced-stage Parkinson’s. She has little to no support in caring from her father, not even from her mother, who spends most of her time in Ghana yet still manages to be overbearing.
When tragedy strikes, Maddie is thrown into a web of depression. As you follow Maame on the journey through grief and self-discovery, you’ll also learn about the weight of responsibility that often plagues first/only daughters growing up in an African household.
This book is so relatable because the themes explored come from some truth. After reading the book’s forward, I was made aware that the author covered several themes she had experienced.
For example, in the acknowledgements, Jessica George writes;
To my mum who although more thoughtful and supportive than Maddie’s, is just as full of funny one-liners. To this day my favourite continues to be this Valentine’s day special.
Mummy Dearest: Darling, have you had valentine this year?
Me: No, mum
Mummy Dearest: Ok. Let Jesus be your valentine.
Themes covered in the book
- Some people have described this book as a late coming-of-age story. This is because Maame only started dating towards the middle of the book. For many girls who grew up in a Christian household, dating in their mid-twenties is not unusual.
- The realities of a Neurodegenerative disease such as Parkinson’s: Many people are living with degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and have family members caring for them. For the family members caring for them it can be very difficult to witness the many changes as the disease begins to cause a cognitive decline.
Dad’s sitting in his armchair by the window facing the TV. He always looks thinner in the mornings, his loose cheeks a little heavier (the medication ate a lot of his fat in the early stages).
- Exploring self and identity: Maame has been occupied with caring for her sick father, so she has little time to build up her self-worth and learn about herself.
- First/only-daughter syndrome: Although Maddie is the last born, she is the only daughter. In many households, where the girls are taught to be responsible, and the sons are left to do whatever they like, it is no surprise that Maddie becomes her father’s sole carer. Her brother, on the other hand, is barely home, staying at friends’ houses and leaving Maddie to take care of things.
My brother James pretty much left when Mum did. She was the iron fist of the household and Dad didn’t know what to do with us when she was gone, so he did very little.
I was raised to be independent, to wash my own clothes, to shop for food, and cook my own meals, to do my homework on time, to iron my uniform and assemble my school lunch. I didn’t need to be looked after. I was proud to be trusted- I didn’t know any better.
- Dysfunctional family dynamics—this is one that many people might be able to relate to. Every family has its issues. In Maddie’s case, she dealt with an overbearing mother who lived abroad and cared for her father singlehandedly.
..I was raised to keep family matters private. So if my dad has his own bedroom or my mum goes to Ghana for inexplicable lengths of time, its common knowledge within our household that we keep that business and others like to ourselves. ‘They just won’t understand you know, we are Ghanian, so we do things differently..’
Who should read this book?
Anyone who enjoys reading African literature would enjoy this book.
If you grew up in the 90’s, you’ll also enjoy reading this as a few of the references were quite reminiscent of that time.
How many stars will I give the book?
I enjoyed reading this novel, but I shed a few tears when reading the sad bits, so I will give it a 5-star rating.
Have you read this book? I would love to read your thoughts in the comment section below. You can also check out my other book reviews too.