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

Afi thinks marriage is the key to the life she's always wanted. But when she meets Eli, she realises her fairy tale ending may not be quite so straightforward...

About the Author

Peace Adzo Medie's debut novel, His Only Wife, was a New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice, a New York Times Notable Book of 2020, and a Time Magazine Must-Read Book of 2020. It was also a Reese's Book Club pick. Her book, Global Norms and Local Action: The Campaigns to End Violence Against Women in Africa, was published by Oxford University Press in 2020. She has won numerous awards for her scholarship and has held several fellowships, including the Oxford-Princeton Global Leaders Fellowship. She holds a PhD in public and international affairs from the University of Pittsburgh and a BA in geography from the University of Ghana.

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)

Book Information
ISBN 9780861540693
Author Peace Adzo Medie
Format Hardback
Page Count 288
Imprint Oneworld Publications
Publisher Oneworld Publications
Dimensions(mm) 225mm * 146mm * 25mm