Maame

The title of the novel, Maame, is a testament to cultural identity and belonging. Maame is Maddie’s Ghanaian nickname, which means “woman” or “mother”—implying her role as a caregiver. Maddie’s relationship with Maame becomes tenuous due to external pressures, most of which have to do with her family. Ultimately, she learns to embrace both parts of her identity without sacrificing authenticity. She was raised by Ghanaian parents in England, so her identity is split between her Ghanaian culture and English lifestyle. Because Maddie has grown up in England, she feels out of touch with her Ghanaian identity. She no longer speaks Twi or visits Ghana, and she can’t remember most of her relatives and friends from Ghana. In Ghana, Maddie feels out of place, so she stops visiting, but in England, she also feels out of place. As a Black woman in a predominately white society, she constantly faces racism, tokenism, and fetishism that she wouldn’t face in Ghana. Her boss at Orange Tree Publishing (OTP), Penny, initially treats her like a waitress, and men like Ben treat her as a sexual conquest. Maddie keeps her immigrant parents’ dynamics a secret because she recognizes that her family is different from other British families.