His Only Wife
Ghana

His Only Wife

by Peace Adzo Medie

Identity & Belonging Contemporary Fiction 2020

Summary

Set in contemporary Ghana, His Only Wife follows Afi Tekple, a young seamstress from a small town whose life changes when she agrees to marry Elikem Ganyo, a wealthy businessman she barely knows. Encouraged by her mother and Elikem’s influential family, Afi accepts the marriage partly to secure financial stability for her family. However, she soon discovers that her husband is emotionally involved with another woman, and that she has been chosen in the hope that she will change his affections.

After moving to Accra, Ghana’s bustling capital, Afi begins to discover a world of new opportunities, fashion, and independence. As she navigates the expectations placed on her as a wife and daughter, she gradually questions the compromises she has made for others.

With warmth, humour, and social insight, Peace Adzo Medie explores marriage, class, family obligations, and the pressures placed on women. Afi’s journey becomes a story of self-discovery and the courage to define her own future.

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Country
Ghana
Africa
About the author
Peace Adzo Medie
Peace Adzo Medie

Peace Adzo Medie is a Ghanaian-Liberian novelist and political scientist whose work explores gender, women’s rights, and contemporary African society. Born in Liberia, she grew up in Ghana and pursued higher education in geography at the University of Ghana before earning a master’s degree in international studies from Ohio University and a PhD in public and international affairs from the University of Pittsburgh. Medie is a Professor of Politics and International Relations at the University of Bristol, where her research focuses on gender-based violence, security, and women’s experiences in Africa. Her academic work includes Global Norms and Local Action: The Campaigns to End Violence Against Women in Africa (2020). Her debut novel, His Only Wife (2020), received widespread recognition, becoming a New York Times Notable Book and a Reese’s Book Club selection. Her second novel, Nightbloom (2023), explores sisterhood, family relationships, and the lasting effects of childhood experiences. Through both her fiction and scholarship, Medie examines how gender, culture, and social expectations shape women’s lives.

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Details
Published
2020
Author
Peace Adzo Medie