His Only Wife

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

© 2021 W. F. Howes Ltd (Audiobook): 9781004047079

Release date

Audiobook: 3 June 2021