The First Wife

The First Wife

After twenty years of marriage, Rami discovers that her husband has been living a double--or rather, a quintuple--life. Tony, a senior police officer in Maputo, has apparently been supporting four other families for many years. Rami remains calm in the face of her husband's duplicity and plots to make an honest man out of him. After Tony is forced to marry the four other women--as well as an additional lover--according to polygamist custom, the rival lovers join together to declare their voices and demand their rights. In this brilliantly funny and feverishly scathing critique, a major work from Mozambique's first published female novelist, Paulina Chiziane explores her country's traditional culture, its values and hypocrisy, and the subjection of women the world over.
Sign up to use

Reviews

Photo of Elena Kuran
Elena Kuran@elenakatherine
4 stars
Feb 7, 2024
Photo of Trevor Berrett
Trevor Berrett@mookse
5 stars
Nov 10, 2021
Photo of Noor
Noor@noor
4 stars
Oct 18, 2021