03 September 2020

His Only Wife - Book Review

His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie
Publication date: September 1, 2020
Pages: 288 pages
Genre: Womens' fiction
Rating: 3.5/5 stars ☆☆☆
Strengths: Sincere voice, intriguing story
Weaknesses: Not much urgency


Afi and her mother struggle a bit after the death of Afi's father. They rely on the kindness of several people in their community, including Afi's uncle, and the community's benevolent 'Aunty.' So when Aunty comes to Afi's mother to suggest an arranged marriage between her son and Afi, Afi's mother really can't refuse. As Afi understands it, she's been chosen by the rest of the family to be Eli's only wife. Eli is supposedly in love with another woman, but she is said to be ugly, rude, and a bad mother. Afi is sent in to woo Eli away from the evil seductress.

Overnight, Afi finds herself, a small-town country girl, trying to fit in with the sophisticated friends of her sister-in-law in Accra. At first she sees many of them as vulgar and larger than life, but soon she begins coming in to her own voice, and recognizing what she wants from her life. 

I loved Afi. Her emotions felt relatable to me, although I've never been anywhere close to Ghana or an arranged marriage. Her determination, her nervousness, her love, her rage, and her resolve were all so real and understandable. Overall, I give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. I'd recommend it to those who enjoy womens' fiction.


Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for sharing this book with me. Receiving the book for free did not influence my review. 

1 comment:

Liz Parker said...

Pretty cover! That caught my eye, and your review was pretty good as well.