October 1, 2020

Writing Afi in ‘His Only Wife’

Author Peace Adzo Medie on writing fiction that reflects her surroundings.

Story By: Peace Adzo Medie

Writing Afi in ‘His Only Wife’

Author Peace Adzo Medie on writing fiction that reflects her surroundings. Story By: Peace Adzo Medie

I began writing fiction in Ghana when I was about ten. I wrote because I ran out of books to read and, unwilling to wait for new books, decided to write them myself. I believed that to enjoy my stories, they had to be similar to the ones I was reading. And since the books available to me as a young reader were book series like Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, Famous Five, and Sweet Valley Twins, I thought my stories had to be set in Europe and the United States, even though I hadn’t been to these places. The characters skied, though I had not yet seen snow, and celebrated Halloween and Thanksgiving, despite these festivities being foreign to me. I wrote a book-length story in my early teens and gave it to friends and a few adults to read. While it received some praise, one of my readers wanted to know why I had chosen to write a book set in California where none of the characters looked or sounded like me. I didn’t have a good answer then. But now I know it’s because I was writing the kind of stories I read.

Since then, I’ve written fiction that reflects my surroundings. Fiction that conveys the sounds, colors, and smells of the world around me, and illustrates life’s beauty, ugliness, complexities, and contradictions. His Only Wife is a book written in this vein. In writing it, I wanted to illuminate how familial obligations and community expectations loom large and shape the decisions that girls and women make. I chose to explore this theme in a marriage because of the importance that is attached to women getting married and staying married in Ghana.

“Fiction that conveys the sounds, colors, and smells of the world around me, and illustrates life’s beauty, ugliness, complexities, and contradictions.”`

While Afi is very much a product of my imagination, her experiences and struggles are grounded in reality. She is young, beautiful, and wants a better life for herself and her mother. But there are barriers to this better life, the largest being Muna, the other woman in Afi’s marriage. I’ve heard too many stories of women “stealing” men, and women fighting to “keep” men, so I decided to humorously poke holes in this narrative. So, we see Afi playing the good wife, cooking and cleaning, in the belief that it will win her the man. In fact, cooking and food feature prominently in the book because they are closely tied to notions of womanhood and being a good wife in Ghana. I also explore Afi’s relationship with several people, including Eli; so, we get to see her fall in love. I’m a big fan of romance and think there are too few images of Black women falling in love and just being in love in books, movies, and other mediums, so I enjoyed writing about Afi and Eli’s relationship and its evolution. Ultimately, it is Afi’s struggle to maintain this relationship, and to be Eli’s only wife, that propels the story.

I began writing “His Only Wife” in 2012, combining it with my research and academic writing. But I did not want the novel to mirror my research. I had spent years thinking, talking, and writing about violence, which had begun to take an emotional toll on me, so it was very important that this novel offer a respite. Along the same lines, I did not want the book to be didactic. As much as I wanted it to be a book I could assign to the students in my gender and politics courses, it was important that the characters and their story not be upstaged by these sociological and economic themes, that the story not be overpowered by big ideas, that the reader not feel as though they were being lectured to. I was writing an academic book alongside “His Only Wife” and was therefore always on guard, careful not to slip into social science writing while switching between the two.

My influences and interests have led me to write a novel that delves into the complexity that characterizes the lives of girls and women in Ghana, and in many places in the world. It embraces the tensions within and circuitousness of change, and complicates notions of women’s empowerment and independence that imagine progress as always linear. It is a story about not only an individual but also a family and a community, and is filled with laughter and tears, and victories, big and small.

Meet Tanis Parenteau, proud member of the Métis Nation of Alberta, and one of the captivating voices behind the To the Moon and Back audiobook. Dedicated to uplifting Native voices, Tanis’ work centers on telling contemporary and futuristic Native stories, like To the Moon and Back, a novel that explores Indigenous identity, alienation & belonging, and the importance of community.

Immerse yourself in the captivating world of our September pick at our link in bio. 🎧
Stories are more than words on page — they’re memory, tradition, and love carried across generations. 

This Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re honoring the voices that keep culture alive. In A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey, a Cuban-American teen finds herself far from Miami, but never far from the heart of home:

“Our story, our people live on in these words. They grow between pages that are sized to fit between a reader’s hands. Small, yes, but somehow they hold us all.” 

Here’s to honoring the voices that remind us where we come from– and where we’re going.  Drop a 🇨🇺 if you've read A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow (or if it's on your TBR!)
Ali Kriegsman has a gift for making the art of reinvention feel accessible and empowering. ✨

On this week's episode of Bookmarked, the Reese's Book Club podcast, @AliKriegs chats with @DanielleRobay about her new psychological thriller 'The Raise', reinvention, and her bold, fun approach to self-publishing. 

Listen now at the @iHeartPodcast app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you love to listen. 🎧
Hoping your week is filled with coffee and good reads! 📖☕ 

Our August Pick Once Upon a Time in Dollywood by @AshleyJordanWrites is one of those rare books that can lift your spirits and set a positive tone for the week ahead.
✨ From the voice of @ElianaRamage herself, prepare to be swept into the cosmos. To the Moon and Back will leave you star-struck 🌙🔭 Tap the link in bio to grab a copy.
"If you are on the hunt for a book that has heart, ambition and authenticity dripping from its pages, add this one to your TBR immediately."

📷+💬= @thatbookladybythesea
These characters are taking us back! We're HUGE Judy Greer fans. ✨

This week on Bookmarked, the Reese's Book Club Podcast, we welcome the incredible @MissJudyGreer! @DanielleRobay and Judy chat her new Stephen King movie adaptation, @HelloSunshine's The Last Thing He Told Me, and of course, dream bookclubs.

Listen on the @iheartpodcast app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you love to listen, and discover which of Judy’s other iconic characters got the book club invite🎧
GIVEAWAY ✨ We're giving away 5 advance copies of the coveted Gone Before Goodbye by @ReeseWitherspoon and @HarlanCoben. Be the first to dive in!

To ENTER:
1. Like this post 💙
2. Follow @reesesbookclub
3. Tag a friend!

Giveaway ends 9/24/25 at 11:59 PT. (5) winners will be notified by DM from @reesesbookclub. No purchase necessary. U.S. only. See official rules in our link in bio.
To the Moon and Back by @ElianaRamage truly shows us that the stars are in reach! ⭐ Grab this exclusive version, including a letter to YOU, an extra chapter, discussion questions, book club insights, and even a conversation with the author at the link in our bio.
#ad The ultimate literary escape is calling ✨ 

We teamed up with World of @Hyatt and brought you an unforgettable bookish adventure with upscale accommodations, scenic views, campfire conversations, and more. Grab your book club and prepare for the dreamiest getaway. Head to our link in bio to book your trip now!