His Only Wife

His Only Wife
Peace Adzo Medie
RRP:
NZ$ 42.99
Our Price:
NZ$ 34.39
Hardback
h225 x 146mm - 288pg
31 Mar 2021 UK
International import eta 7-19 days
9780861540693
Out Of Stock
Currently no stock in-store, stock is sourced to your order

Click to view other formats:
9780861540723 UK Trade Paperback $26.39

AN OBSERVER, TIME MAGAZINE&NEW YORK TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR, 2020 A REESE WITHERSPOON' S BOOK CLUB PICK ' Vivid, witty and utterly absorbing. ' Daily Mail' 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 ' A Cinderella story set in Ghana. . . A Crazy Rich Asians for West Africa, with a healthy splash of feminism. ' * Kirkus (starred review) * ' 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 * ' Afi' s charm makes her an empowering example of modern womanhood. . . Its message bold and its viewpoint appealing, His Only Wife is an inspiring novel. ' * Foreword Reviews * ' Medie gives Afi a voice that winningly combines insecurity, wisdom and dignity. . . The dramas of Afi' s marriage and various family conflicts offer an entertaining plot rich with humour, but it is the story of the strong woman in a challenging and changing world that will capture readers' hearts. His Only Wife is a memorable novel of personal growth and choosing one' s own destiny. . . [A] winning debut. ' * Shelf Awareness * ' A fierce and funny debut novel. . . A deeply engrossing chronicle of contemporary Ghanaian womanhood. ' -- Minneapolis Star Tribune ' A fierce and funny first novel. . . [that] cleverly upends a Cinderella story into a tale of feminism. ' -- People ' 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 ' In her sparkling debut novel, Ghanaian writer and academic Peace Adzo Medie uses humour, candour and feminism to examine womanhood, marriage and agency in modern Ghana. ' -- Ms. Magazine ' A witty Cinderella portrait of modern life and love. ' -- Parade ' 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 ' Combining heart and humour with a hearty dose of feminism, Peace Adzo Medie' s debut is an illuminating and empowering read with a heroine you will remember for a long time. ' -- Book Reporter ' A fierce and funny study of modern womanhood within Ghanaian culture. ' -- Cosmopolitan: Best Books of Autumn, 2020 ' Medie belongs to a long line of talented women writers who show [Ghana' s] rich culture and history to be bountiful sources of inspiration. ' -- Book Browse ' 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 ' Engaging, provocative. . . There is an easy, fluid style to the writing, quick intimacy with character and a kind of innocent humour. . . Throughout the book there are bright daubs of Ghanaian life. . . It all flows remarkably well in a memorable debut from a writer whose frustrations with certain aspects of the culture of her homeland come brilliantly to life. ' -- Irish Times
Peace Adzo Medie is a Ghanaian writer and Senior Lecturer in Gender and International Politics at the University of Bristol. The author of Global Norms and Local Action: The Campaigns to End Violence Against Women in Africa (Oxford University Press, 2020), she holds a PhD in Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh and a BA in Geography from the University of Ghana. She was born in Liberia.
Status: Active
ISBN-13: 9780861540693
Published: 31 Mar 2021
Published In: United Kingdom
Imprint: Oneworld Publications
Publisher: Oneworld Publications
Format: Hardback
Height: 225mm
Width: 146mm
Spine: 25mm
Pages: 288

In stock - for items in stock we aim to dispatch the next business day. For delivery in NZ allow 2-5 business days, with rural taking a wee bit longer.

Locally sourced in NZ - stock comes from a NZ supplier with an approximate delivery of 7-15 business days.

International Imports - stock is imported into NZ, depending on air or sea shipping option from the international supplier stock can take 10-30 working days to arrive into NZ. 

Pre-order Titles - delivery will vary depending on where the title is published, if local stock is available in NZ then 5-7 business days, for international imports it can be 10-30 business days. In all cases we will access the quickest supply option.

Delivery Packaging - we ship all items in cardboard sleeves or by box with either packing paper or corn starch chips. (We avoid using plastics bubble bags)

Tracking - Orders are delivered by track and trace courier and are fully insured, tracking information will be sent by email once dispatched.

View our full Order & Delivery information