Dear Reader,

His Only Wife is my debut novel and is about Afi, a young woman who finds herself in an arranged marriage. Set in Ghana, it follows Afi on the winding path to finding her voice in a relationship in which she is expected, by both her own family and her new in-laws, to keep her husband happy and be an obedient wife. It is a story about love, duty, and empowerment.

I wrote this book because of my interest in how social and economic forces shape women’s relationships. I also wanted to write a book that centered Black women and celebrated the richness of their lives. As a Ghanaian, I especially wanted to write about Ghana, and to set the story in places that are close to my heart, including Ho, where I grew up.

It took me about five years to write His Only Wife. I began thinking about the character of Afi when I was a pre-doctoral fellow at Boston College, spending long hours at my desk writing my dissertation, and frequently taking breaks to stare at the brick wall in front of me. While writing the novel, I began working as a research fellow at the University of Ghana, so I had to balance  fiction writing with my academic research and writing, as well as teaching. There were always multiple projects competing for my time, and I often woke up while it was still dark outside to work on the novel, shifting to other work at dawn.

Despite the early hours, I relished every moment of writing His Only Wife. I felt strongly connected to Afi and the other characters from the beginning and found great joy in telling their story. More than anything, I hope that you will enjoy reading Afi’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Thank you for reading,

Peace Adzo Medie