Book Quotes: Maame by Jessica George

I finished this gem of a book and I decided to share some quotes I loved from the book. Some of the quotes are profound, some of the quotes are just poetic, and then some are laugh out loud funny. I hope this inspires you to read the book.

1. “I had a lot of friends at school, all through to college, even, but when they moved out of London for university and I stayed put to look after Dad, we drifted apart. I realized then that our friendships were not based on loyalty or love but convenience and proximity.”

2. “I can’t comprehend living to work, but then I’m afraid of working just to live.”

3. “However, I can’t say any of this because sometimes asking how someone is serves solely as a passing pleasantry and the only acceptable answer is some variation of “Fine, thanks. ”

4. “When people are ill to the point of no return to full health, to the person they used to be, some don’t have the stomach to stick around. We don’t appreciate being reminded of our own body’s weaknesses, our lack of control and inevitable mortality.”

5. “When someone doesn’t understand you, how you are, why you are, you will find yourself fighting losing battles every day. They will seem small at first, but you will spend your life watching them grow, in size and importance.”

6. “Growing up” catches me off guard because he’s thirty-four. He’s already grown up, but then I realize how naive that sounds. I don’t think you turn thirty and become immune to mistake-making or lesson-learning. You grow wiser (supposedly) but never omniscient. There’s always something you need to be taught, and so you keep learning and you keep growing up—until you’re dead.”

7. “Were you with him because he was rich?”
I lift my head from Nia’s shoulder. “Thank you for essentially calling me a gold-digger, Shu.”
She frowns. “I don’t know why you’re offended. Gold-diggers are our nation’s hardest workers; do you know how much effort goes into pretending to give a shit about some guy for his money? A lot. Hoes are Britain’s unsung heroes.”

8. “I’m sure there was a time when I was happy,” I say to the boiling pot of pasta. “But how do you measure that? How do you know if you’re genuinely happy or if you’re just mostly all right, with sprinkles of laughter and occasional shit storms of sadness? Maybe I’ve only ever been all right.”

9. “Comparison is no friend of mental health,” Alex says. He leans forward so I can spot the lighter specks in his eyes. “What you go through and how it affects you is just as valid as someone dealing with their own situation. ”

10. “Good. I ask if you think you’re well-loved because it’s easy to conflate being well-liked with being well-loved. There’s often a misconception that to be well-loved, the love has to come from multiple sources, when truthfully, one or two people can love you with the strength of ten. Do you have people in your life who love you with the strength of many?”

11. “But if you’re not that close, why do so much?”
I shrug. “I had amends to make, plus I like making an effort for other people. Turns out, I’m a bit of a people pleaser. It’s something I’m working on. But I just like the idea of people being happy because I know how great it is to feel happy, if that makes any sense.”

12. “Regardless of how you behave, a lot of things are going to be out of your control because this world was made to test you. Protect your peace in whatever and every way that you can.”

These are my favorite lines from the book. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.