His Only Wife: A Reese's Book Club Pick - 'Bursting with warmth, humour, and richly drawn characters'

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I was never bored while reading this, but as soon as I finished I wondered how I was not constantly bored. Afi does eventually move into the house but the relationship goes through ups and downs. However, they eventually get into a routine—until she is face to face with the other woman. What are some of the key ways that Eli showed he was more committed to other woman? A fierce and funny first novel . . . [that] cleverly upends a Cinderella story into a tale of feminism.” Afi is in an impossible situation. Eli’s mother, Aunty, helped her family when they were struggling. And by her marrying Eli, it will help Afi’s mother financially. But she’s still forced to marry a man she hardly knows. What would you have done if you were Afi? The setting is fantastic. Especially now with everything going on in the pandemic, it’s nice to read a story that takes you to another place. The descriptions and customs of Ghana are quite vivid in this story. For book clubs

They do not once hold this grown man accountable for his actions; instead the blame was deflected on the woman. Even when she got pregnant with THEIR SON, things did not change. There were some happy moments in here, don’t get me wrong. But ugh ugh ugh MOMS STOP MAKING EXCUSES FOR YOUR SONS!!!! Although Eli and his other wife have a child together, Aki tells us: “And what could she possibly do to Eli if he took the girl away? No judge would side with her if she decided to take the matter to court. And even if one tried to, Eli would only have to slip him a wad of cash for a favourable ruling.” Dignity Afi moves into one of Eli’s many places and is now experiencing a life of luxury. But her focus is still on making Eli happy. What did you think about their first in-person interaction as husband and wife? One clever source of comedy comes from a greedy uncle, the kind of man who builds a private toilet for himself and then charges his family to use it. Aki also has lots of witty asides as she tries to get to grips with the changing, new money culture of young, university-educated Ghanaians. Seeing a women with a nose ring at a fancy party, she says, “If my mother had been there she would have whispered to me, ‘Why, is she a goat?’”Afi ends up marrying Eli, moving to Accra to live in a fancy new apartment, having a driver to take her around, starting her apprenticeship as a fashion designer-all while waiting to meet her husband Eli for the first time. Afi is well aware that Eli has another “woman” and a child who he lives with close by, but she is married to him and there are some expectations for a marriage. 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. I mention place because Peace Adzo Medie accomplishes a wonderful pull-and-push between the two main geographic settings in the story: the big city (Accra) and the country town (Ho) where many of the central characters are from. There are also many shadow places in this story: the childhood home of Afi (our narrator), which represents her immediate family’s former status when her father was living; the various offices and business locations of Afi’s husband, Eli; and the shadow homes that Eli shares with his mysterious partner, Muna. This “other relationship” is one of the central tensions of this story, and it is mostly described through a host of misinformation from Eli’s family, the Ganyos. I also was conflicted by how they, Afi & Eli, fell in "love" — what passes for love? I feel if Afi was even a stitch as logical as Evelyn, she would have been happier. 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.”

From scholar and advocate Peace Adzo Medie comes HIS ONLY WIFE, a vibrant and inspiring debut novel about a young bride married first and foremost to her independence, and second to an absent man.

Initially, Afi was curious about Evelyn but also suspicious of her. From Evelyn, she learned that the times when Eli stayed with her regularly were when the Muna was out of the country. They were still together. Evelyn also explained how Aunty tried to control her children. With spot-on characterizations of deeply involved extended families and realistic depictions of how money can change everything, Peace Adzo Medie conjures a Cinderella story just right for 2020.” Quotidian spaces and seemingly ordinary conversations lead to fraught disagreements and disconcerting realisations. Afi's flashy new abode is the setting of many tense scenes, with her husband, the Ganyos', her mother. The drama 'caused' by the 'Liberian woman' creates a lot of conflict between Afi and her husband (and the Ganyos in general). As Afi grows tired of her circumstances, of being told to be grateful and to sit tight, she begin to crave autonomy and power in her own marriage. When Afi did not qualify to attend a public university, her mother wanted to take a loan, so she could attend a private university. Afi would not hear of it. She apprenticed in a sewing shop and then got work as a local seamstress. Aunty gave her an electric sewing machine as a gift. Both Afi and her mother saw Aunty as a blessing and someone they owed a lot to. His Only Wife is a novel by Peace Adzo Medie. Afi is a young woman living in Ho, outside Accra. It’s been 10 years since her father died and she and her mother have been on their own. After Afi’s father’s death, they had to move out of their home, which was provided by her father’s employer. The oldest son, her father’s brother, was expected to provide for them after his father’s death. However, he was offended that her mother hadn’t allowed some of his children to stay in her home while his brother was alive. One of his wives allowed them to move in with her. Her daughter, Mawusi, was Afi’s best friend. Later, a rich woman in the community gave her mother a job and a place to stay.

Afi lives in Ho with her mom, and life has been really hard for them ever since Afi’s dad died. When she is presented with a proposal, her mom makes sure that Afi doesn’t mess this up. Afi is a bit hesitant, but she recognizes that this could potentially change their lives forever. However, Elikem, the man she is marrying, is with another woman whom the family doesn’t approve of. The family believes that Afi can essentially “change” his mind into leaving the other woman. Will Afi succeed in getting Elikem to commit to her alone? Afi wants to be the only wife to her new husband, Elikem. And should anything the contrary be an optio His Only Wifefollows the story of Afi Tekple, a young seamstress in Ho who is chosen by the wealthy Ganyo family to marry their son, Elikem, in a bid to get him out of the clutches of another woman. What ensues is an unconventional and unexpected love story, a collision of worlds, an awakening to new possibilities, the search for one’s identity, being true to oneself and creating your own destiny while navigating the demands of family and societal expectations. This novel is authentically Ghanaian and gave me vibes similar to Ama Ata Aidoo’s Changes,but set in contemporary Ghana. Combining heart and humor 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." After the wedding, a driver brought Afi to her new home. Richard, the groom’s younger brother, showed her around the new flat, a place grander than any she had been to before. Her mother had come with her to bring her to her new husband, and they were both in awe of the place. Building a New LifeAfi’s mother was worried about her work and home, but Afi had been sending her money and she had almost completed building her own house. This gave partial relief from Aunty’s coldness and the threat of her retaliation. To The Main House This book’s review meme is for my Love & Hip Hop fans. For those of y’all that are exceeding your reading goals instead of catching up on VH1, here’s a little context LOL. After eight days, Eli came to get Afi. They drove home in silence, Eli upset with her. He drove her to his home. After installing her into the master bedroom, he moved into the guesthouse that was the furthest from her. He left early for work and returned home late at night, often after she had gone to bed. The story matured along with the protagonists. The women in the community were so adamant and unique with their age. We could see the different set of minds—Afi's mother didn't bother to get her married to a man who was in love with other women. Eli's mother was so adamant and got him married to Afi. These choices made their life miserable.

It is quite common for certain cultures to have this tension between women since the men are presented as this golden prize. Usually can't stand other women being blamed for men not having their shit together, so first trigger. I think the problem is that I wish everyone believed that women were also human beings and not just wives or breeding machines. His Only Wifeis a witty, smart, and moving debut novel about a brave young woman traversing the minefield of modern life with its taboos and injustices, living in a world of men who want their wives to be beautiful, to be good cooks and mothers, to be women who respect their husbands and grant them forbearance. And in Afi, Peace Medie has created a delightfully spunky and relatable heroine who just may break all the rules. His Only Wife Book Club Questions Re-read this book for BookOfCinz Book Club and as I thought, I absolutely enjoyed it even more. I cannot wait for book club to talk about it all!Afi Tekpl is a 21-year-old seamstress living in a small town in Ghana with her mother. After the death of her father, everything up under her was ripped away. Until the Ganyo's arrange a marriage for her that changes her whole life. The one problem? The man she is to marry is with another woman that the Ganyo's believe is tearing their relationship with their son Eli apart. The Ganyo's tell Afi and her mother that the other woman is ugly, muscular, an alcoholic, and an unfit mom.