Get our latest book recommendations, author news, and competitions right to your inbox.
His Only Wife
A Reese's Book Club Pick - 'Bursting with warmth, humour, and richly drawn characters'
Published by Oneworld Publications
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
Table of Contents
About The Book
FROM THE WOMEN'S PRIZE LONGLISTED AUTHOR OF NIGHTBLOOM
A FEELGOOD DEBUT SET IN MODERN-DAY GHANA, ABOUT FASHION AND FINDING YOUR VOICE
'Vivid, witty and utterly absorbing.' Daily Mail
In one of the most talked about and hilarious debuts of the year, Afi Tekple, a bright young seamstress from a small town in Ghana, is convinced by her family to marry a man she has never met.
Elikem Ganyo is a wealthy businessman whose family has chosen Afi in the hope that she will distract him from a relationship with another woman they think is inappropriate.
The fact that she doesn't know Elikem seems a small price to pay for a marriage that offers her family financial security and provides the key to a lifestyle she has always wanted. But when Afi arrives in Accra, Ghana's gleaming capital, she realises her fairy-tale ending might not be all she had hoped for...
His Only Wife is a life-affirming, must-read novel about a young woman's search for independence in a man's world, and the rules she just might have to break along the way.
AN OBSERVER, TIME MAGAZINE & NEW YORK TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR, 2020
A REESE WITHERSPOON'S BOOK CLUB PICK * LONGLISTED FOR THE DIVERSE BOOK AWARDS
A FEELGOOD DEBUT SET IN MODERN-DAY GHANA, ABOUT FASHION AND FINDING YOUR VOICE
'Vivid, witty and utterly absorbing.' Daily Mail
In one of the most talked about and hilarious debuts of the year, Afi Tekple, a bright young seamstress from a small town in Ghana, is convinced by her family to marry a man she has never met.
Elikem Ganyo is a wealthy businessman whose family has chosen Afi in the hope that she will distract him from a relationship with another woman they think is inappropriate.
The fact that she doesn't know Elikem seems a small price to pay for a marriage that offers her family financial security and provides the key to a lifestyle she has always wanted. But when Afi arrives in Accra, Ghana's gleaming capital, she realises her fairy-tale ending might not be all she had hoped for...
His Only Wife is a life-affirming, must-read novel about a young woman's search for independence in a man's world, and the rules she just might have to break along the way.
AN OBSERVER, TIME MAGAZINE & NEW YORK TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR, 2020
A REESE WITHERSPOON'S BOOK CLUB PICK * LONGLISTED FOR THE DIVERSE BOOK AWARDS
Product Details
- Publisher: Oneworld Publications (September 1, 2020)
- Length: 288 pages
- ISBN13: 9780861540709
Raves and Reviews
'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 story that kept me tied to the page, told in masterful, seamless prose... Medie depicts a vivid and dazzling Accra, and it's impossible not to root for Afi as she finds her footing within it.' BuzzFeed
'A unique and unapologetic marriage story that shines with honesty, humanity, power and grace: once you pick this book up, you won't be able to put it down. Medie's urgent, intimate voice is exactly what the world needs right now.' Mathangi Subramanian, author of A People's History of Heaven
'This rich, rewarding debut novel follows a Ghanaian seamstress — forced into an arranged marriage with a wealthy man she has never met — on her journey of self-discovery.' New York Times, Notable Books of 2020
'A refreshingly modern Ghanaian love story.' Marie Claire
'[A] witty riff on the Cinderella fairytale.' Sainsbury's Magazine
'A young Ghanaian woman embarks on a questionable marriage in this entertaining comedy of manners.' i, '30 great books for Easter'
'Engaging, provocative... A memorable debut from a writer whose frustrations with certain aspects of the culture of her homeland come brilliantly to life.' Irish Times
'If you are looking to escape to another country, take a trip to Ghana with His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie... Best of all it's all underpinned by a warm coming-of-age-tale mixed in with a subtle takedown of the patriarchy.' The Sunday Times (South Africa)
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): His Only Wife eBook 9780861540709
