His Only Wife gripped me from it's first lines.  Afi Tekple is a bride on her wedding day, marrying her husband who is not there. Married in absentia, apparently not uncommon in Ghana. What an unheard of concept in my world, I was immediately drawn into empathy for Afi and curiosity for where this marriage would take her. 

Afi longs to meet her husband and then she longs for him to live with her. While this isn't a mystery or a thriller, I do think the reader benefits from not reading a deep synopsis before diving in. I loved being surprised at every turn that  Afi's relationship took. Through this challenging marriage and her thirst for love, Afi also realizes her own skills and learns to be a seamstress and then fashion designer. 

This is a story of a woman realizing her worth and yearning for so much more than she gets. It has some romance, a wonderful side cast of characters, and so much subtle wisdom. This short contemporary fiction really packs a punch.