Poured Over: Jessica George on Maame

“That was only three years ago, where I read a protagonist I could relate to on a deeper level, for the first time. Subconsciously, it gave me the idea of, oh, maybe you can write how you want to write … it was kind of that seed of — there is space for stories like this, I can use my own voice to tell a story.” 

Jessica George’s debut novel Maame—our February Discover pick—is a coming-of-age story that reminds us that where there is sadness and loss we can find laughter, growth and love. Readers will go on a journey of discovery alongside a main character that is warm, full of heart and surprisingly relatable. George joins us for a sentimental and laughter-filled conversation on how she found her character’s voice, processing grief, what she’s working on next and more with Poured Over’s host, Miwa Messer.  And we end this episode with TBR Topoff book recommendations from Marc and Jamie.

Featured Books (Episode) 
Maame by Jessica George 
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus 

Featured Books (TBR Topoff) 
Writers and Lovers by Lily King 
If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery 

This episode of Poured Over was produced and hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang.

New episodes of Poured Over land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and wherever you listen to podcasts.