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Title details for His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie - Available

His Only Wife

by Peace Adzo Medie
Soneela Nankani
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
An Observer, Time Magazine & New York Times Book of the Year
A Reese Witherspoon's Book Club Pick
'Elikem married me in absentia; he did not come to our wedding.'
Afi Tekple is a young seamstress living in a small town in Ghana with her widowed mother. Afi's future doesn't seem to hold much excitement. Until, that is, she is offered a life-changing opportunity – a proposal of marriage from the wealthy family of Elikem Ganyo.
She barely knows Elikem, but that seems a small price to pay for a marriage that could offer her family financial security, as well as the key to the glitzy city lifestyle she's always wanted. But when Afi arrives in Accra, she realises that her fairy-tale ending might not be all that she'd hoped for. Now she must balance the often conflicting roles of wife, daughter, niece and sister-in-law, without losing sight of herself.
Bursting with warmth and humour, His Only Wife is a witty, smart and moving comedy-of-manners about the search for independence, and the rules that might have to be broken along the way.
"This fierce young woman's struggle for independence in a city that is way out of step with the time-honoured traditions of the rural village in which she grew up is vivid, witty and utterly absorbing." DAILY MAIL
"I love this book so much I turned the pages so fast... It's all about the search for independence and being true to yourself and who you really are." REESE WITHERSPOON
"Mesmerising... This is not a book to read with one eye on a beach volleyball tournament; it's a story to soak up in silence, on a long, cloudy afternoon when you have time to think.'" NEW YORK TIMES
"With characters making questionable decisions and a rather brilliant ending, this is a good old-fashion book club read that'll leave you arguing about character motivations and morals." STYLIST
"Bursting with warmth, humour and richly drawn characters you can't help but root for." COSMOPOLITAN
"A hilarious, page-turning, sharply realized portrait of modern womanhood in the most infuriating of circumstances. A gem of a debut." WAYETU MOORE, author of She Would Be King
"I couldn't put down His Only Wife, which made me nostalgic for the food, frills, and folly of Ghana. Peace Adzo Medie's sentences are packed with muscle, beauty, and hilarity. Even though I was rooting for Afi's happiness in her arranged marriage, I didn't see that beauty of a twist coming at the end." AYESHA HARRUNA ATTAH, author of The Deep Blue Between
"In her debut novel, Medie writes with a precise rhythm that builds the reader's anticipation. Themes like deception, ambition, love, and values drench the pages with conflict that evolves into an emotional rollercoaster." BOOKLIST
"This stirring tale sings when Afi learns to flex her limited power." PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    October 1, 2021

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781004055784
      • File size: 260591 KB
      • Duration: 09:02:53

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Soneela Nankani brings a light and airy approach to the narration of this hilarious story of the perfect arranged marriage. Afi, who is young, ambitious, and poor, recognizes her ticket out of poverty when a man from a wealthy family proposes. Nankani takes us on the wild ride from Afi's village to the big city of Accra, Ghana. Listeners are entertained from the opening scene, in which a wedding takes place without the presence of the groom. He has declined to attend, having sent a stand-in instead. Nankani plays up Afi's feisty spirit and the story's unusual circumstances. This fun, well-delivered performance brings together the best elements of international and women's fiction. M.R. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      July 13, 2020
      Medie’s busy debut turns on a family drama caused by polygamy in Ghana. Afi Tekple, a seamstress living with her widowed mother in Ho in 2014, is surprised when wealthy matriarch Aunty Faustina Ganyo engineers a proposal to Afi from Faustina’s son, Eli. Faustina hopes Afi can lure Eli away from Muna, Eli’s de facto Liberian wife, whom the Ganyos disapprove of. Eli, busy with business travel, marries Afi in absentia and the Ganyos move Afi into an apartment in Accra. Afi, recognizing her role as “the key to other people’s happiness,” pursues her own fulfillment by using the Ganyo family connections to enroll in a prestigious fashion design program. Even after Afi becomes pregnant, Eli refuses to move her into his house and evict Muna, and the pain of sharing her husband with Muna and her responsibilities to the Ganyos pushes Afi to her breaking point. Afi’s narration is driven by a series of episodes, from Afi insisting on learning to drive to selling her designs to the country’s first lady, and while the relentless pacing leaves little room for reflection on her emotional turmoil, Medie succeeds at channeling Afi’s desires and desperation. This stirring tale sings when Afi learns to flex her limited power. Agent: Kiele Raymond, Thompson Literary Agency

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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