A review by aladon66
His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie

lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Book Review His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie 

 

Afi is a young woman living in a small town in Ghana with her mother.  Following the death of her father, wealthy “Auntie” Ganyo has provided support assisting her mother with a house and job.  Auntie proposes Afi marry her youngest son Eli, a man she doesn’t know.  She is aware that he is in a relationship with another woman and has a child.  The family doesn’t like the other woman and hope that the marriage will bring Eli back to the family.  Afi falls in love with Eli and struggles with him continuing his relationship with the other woman. 

 

I have mixed feelings about this book.  I was interested in learning some of the cultural traditions of Ghana such as a traditional wedding and a legal wedding, as well as the intricacies of the family dynamics and how ones actions can bring shame and repercussions to the whole family and community was an interesting plot point. 

 

However, I didn’t feel any connection to the characters which made the story feel flat to me.  I also found Afi’s character to be inconsistent.  She is passive, docile, and obedient and is willing to follow what is expected of her.  Then she becomes assertive without the character development to make this feel like natural growth. 

 

I thought this story had potential but something was missing for me. I am not a big romance reader so I still think romance readers would appreciate the story more.