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His Only Wife cover art

His Only Wife

Written by: Peace Adzo Medie
Narrated by: Soneela Nankani
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Publisher's Summary

A REESE WITHERSPOON x HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB PICK

A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR

A Time Magazine Must-Read Book of 2020

One of BuzzFeed's "29 Books We Couldn’t Put Down This Year"

A Must-Read Novel: The New York Times Book Review * BuzzFeed * Marie Claire * Parade * Travel + Leisure * Ms. Magazine * Bustle * The Millions * Book Riot * Christian Science Monitor * HelloGiggles

“[A] mesmerizing debut novel.”—The New York Times Book Review

“A story that kept me tied to the page, told in masterful, seamless prose.”—BuzzFeed

“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

Afi Tekple is a young seamstress in Ghana. She is smart; she is pretty; and she has been convinced by her mother to marry a man she does not know. Afi knows who he is, of course—Elikem is a wealthy businessman whose mother has chosen Afi in the hopes that she will distract him from his relationship with a woman his family claims is inappropriate. But Afi is not prepared for the shift her life takes when she is moved from her small hometown of Ho to live in Accra, Ghana’s gleaming capital, a place of wealth and sophistication where she has days of nothing to do but cook meals for a man who may or may not show up to eat them. She has agreed to this marriage in order to give her mother the financial security she desperately needs, and so she must see it through. Or maybe not?

His Only Wife is 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.

©2020 Peace Adzo Medie (P)2022 Algonquin Books

What the critics say

A Library Journal Best Fiction Book of 2020

A SheReads Best of 2020: Women’s Fiction Best African Diaspora Book of 2020

“Peace Adzo Medie’s mesmerizing debut novel lives up to both the power of its first sentence and the promise of its author’s first name . . . At a time when adventure is scarce, Medie gives you a lot to look forward to, think about and be grateful for.”—The New York Times Book Review

“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

Featured Article: The Best Female Narrators You Can Listen To All Day


When considering a new audiobook, one of the biggest questions listeners have is whether they’ll enjoy the narration style. This is understandable as audiobooks span at least a few hours, and sticking with one person’s voice for that period can feel like a big commitment. Luckily, there are so many excellent voice actors performing audiobooks that you might just find yourself gravitating to certain audiobooks based solely on the narrator’s strength.

What listeners say about His Only Wife

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Wow, just wow

From the narration to the story, I was captivated throughout. I also loved the character’s resilience.

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I can't believe how good this was

It starts off painfully slow but somehows keeps you engaged until the end. Such growth for this Character and such a vivid picture of her life. Definitely worth reading.
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loved it. So intriguing. Perfect

it was such an intriguing book. the narrator was able to pronounce words well. great book!

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