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My Parents' Marriage
Acclaimed children’s author Nana Brew-Hammond makes her highly anticipated return with this soaring and profound story about love and understanding told through three generations of one Ghanian family.
Determined to avoid the pain and instability of her parents’ turbulent, confusing marriage, Kokui marries a man far different from her loving, philandering, self-made father—and tries to be a different kind of wife from her mother.
But when Kokui and her husband leave Ghana to make a new life for themselves in America, she finds history repeating itself. Her marriage failing, she is called home to Ghana when her father dies. Back in her childhood home, which feels both familiar and discomforting, she comes to realize that to exorcize the ghost of her parents’ marriage she must confront them, not only to enable her own healing, but for the sake of her daughter who is considering a marriage proposal of her own.
Tender and illuminating, warm and bittersweet My Parents’ Marriage is a compelling story of family, community, class, and self-identity from an author with deep empathy and a generous heart.
Determined to avoid the pain and instability of her parents’ turbulent, confusing marriage, Kokui marries a man far different from her loving, philandering, self-made father—and tries to be a different kind of wife from her mother.
But when Kokui and her husband leave Ghana to make a new life for themselves in America, she finds history repeating itself. Her marriage failing, she is called home to Ghana when her father dies. Back in her childhood home, which feels both familiar and discomforting, she comes to realize that to exorcize the ghost of her parents’ marriage she must confront them, not only to enable her own healing, but for the sake of her daughter who is considering a marriage proposal of her own.
Tender and illuminating, warm and bittersweet My Parents’ Marriage is a compelling story of family, community, class, and self-identity from an author with deep empathy and a generous heart.
282 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 9, 2024
28 people are currently reading
990 people want to read
About the author
Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond
8 books74 followersNana Ekua Brew-Hammond's first book Powder Necklace (Washington Square Press 2010) is a YA tome loosely inspired by her experience attending a girls’ boarding school in the Central Region of Ghana, West Africa. Publishers Weekly called the book “a winning debut” while Library Journal recommended it "for readers who enjoyed Edwidge Danticat's Breath, Eyes, Memory or Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Purple Hibiscus".
In 2014, she was included among some of the most promising African authors under 39 in the Hay Festival-Rainbow Book Club Project Africa39: New Writing from Africa South of the Sahara (Bloomsbury). The Africa39 anthology was published in celebration of UNESCO's designation of Port Harcourt, Nigeria as 2014 World Book Capital. Most recently, she was shortlisted for the 2014 Miles Morland Writing Scholarship.
Also a style & culture writer, Brew-Hammond has been featured on MSNBC, NY1, SaharaTV, and ARISE TV, and been published in EBONY Magazine, Ethiopian Airlines' Selamata Magazine, EBONY.com, The Village Voice, on NBC's thegrio.com, and MadameNoire.com, among other outlets.
For more information, visit her website (nanabrewhammond.com), follow her blog (PeopleWhoWrite.wordpress.com). and connect with her on Facebook (facebook.com/PowderNecklace) and Twitter (Twitter.com/nanaekua).
In 2014, she was included among some of the most promising African authors under 39 in the Hay Festival-Rainbow Book Club Project Africa39: New Writing from Africa South of the Sahara (Bloomsbury). The Africa39 anthology was published in celebration of UNESCO's designation of Port Harcourt, Nigeria as 2014 World Book Capital. Most recently, she was shortlisted for the 2014 Miles Morland Writing Scholarship.
Also a style & culture writer, Brew-Hammond has been featured on MSNBC, NY1, SaharaTV, and ARISE TV, and been published in EBONY Magazine, Ethiopian Airlines' Selamata Magazine, EBONY.com, The Village Voice, on NBC's thegrio.com, and MadameNoire.com, among other outlets.
For more information, visit her website (nanabrewhammond.com), follow her blog (PeopleWhoWrite.wordpress.com). and connect with her on Facebook (facebook.com/PowderNecklace) and Twitter (Twitter.com/nanaekua).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
July 17, 2025
I really wanted to love this one but I feel like the plot didnt have time to cook.
February 13, 2025
I think I would've loved and appreciated this more, especially the cultural aspect of this if I wasn't Ghanaian.
I did mostly enjoy it though. I found the story well written and the dialogue authentically Ghanaian.
I did however, found none of the characters enduring, the love story felt a transactional and the classism in the story felt more Western.
Thanks to Amistad and NetGalley for the ARC!
I did mostly enjoy it though. I found the story well written and the dialogue authentically Ghanaian.
I did however, found none of the characters enduring, the love story felt a transactional and the classism in the story felt more Western.
Thanks to Amistad and NetGalley for the ARC!
July 8, 2024
Mostly, this was a very enjoyable read. I love books that teach me about unfamiliar countries and cultures and this book does just that. Kokui is a young woman growing up in Ghana. She lives with her father, a master of polygamy, and self made business mogul, who controls his wives and offspring with financial incentives. Her mother lives apart from her children and husband, in protest of his lifestyle but once a year, for a week only, they all travel to her home.
Kokui vows to herself that her life will be different. Although she loves her father she wants a devoted monogamous relationship for herself. When she meets a young man, seemingly so different from her father, she agrees to start a new and very promising life with him. Things, of course, do not turn out as planned and Kokui must come to terms with the reality of her life.
Ms Brew-Hammond is an author with a lot of talent. This is her first adult novel and it was enjoyable. I learned a lot about Ghanaian people and culture and came away with some questions ( eg the prevalence of polygamy in Ghanaian Christian families) and curiosity about that nation. My rating of three stars has more to do with what I felt was unevenness in my interest level while reading. Some parts were completely engaging while other and fewer parts, were quite slow for me. I recommend this book for readers who are interested in life in other countries as well as immigrant stories. I look forward to the author’s next book. Thank you NetGalley and Amistad publishing for an ARC of My Parents’ Marriage in exchange for my honest review. Publication date is tomorrow, July 9, 2024. Look for it.
January 1, 2025
It was giving a horror novel that can only be scary if ur west African. Men will humiliate you always even in death
October 7, 2024
3.5 overall solid story
The characters weren't really memorable. I wish they could have been developed a little more.
I really enjoyed hearing/learning about Ghananina culture.
The characters weren't really memorable. I wish they could have been developed a little more.
I really enjoyed hearing/learning about Ghananina culture.
January 8, 2026
Initial review:
Was expecting to love this story but it’s was an ok read:
The main learning or takeaway from this story is that “ It’s easy to say you willl take a different route/decision in life when you’re the person judging, the other person’s situation ”.
Book overview:
The story is set in 1970s , we follow Kokui one of the daughters of a well to do entrepreneur based in Accra Ghana. Being part of a polygamous family she vowed that her life will be different.
When she meets a young man Boris the totally opposite of her father , she agreed to start a new and very promising life with him.
They both move to USA to pursue education.
Things, of course, do not turn out as planned and Kokui must come to terms with the reality of her life.
Even though this is a fictional story, many people will be able to resonate with.
Was expecting to love this story but it’s was an ok read:
The main learning or takeaway from this story is that “ It’s easy to say you willl take a different route/decision in life when you’re the person judging, the other person’s situation ”.
Book overview:
The story is set in 1970s , we follow Kokui one of the daughters of a well to do entrepreneur based in Accra Ghana. Being part of a polygamous family she vowed that her life will be different.
When she meets a young man Boris the totally opposite of her father , she agreed to start a new and very promising life with him.
They both move to USA to pursue education.
Things, of course, do not turn out as planned and Kokui must come to terms with the reality of her life.
Even though this is a fictional story, many people will be able to resonate with.
January 6, 2025
I came across "My Parents’ Marriage" while participating in the StoryGraph Reads the World 2024 challenge, where I was required to read a book set in Ghana. This novel tells the story of a family, community, class, and self-identity. I found it to be an enjoyable and quick read.
The story revolves around Kokui and her complex family dynamics. Her father, a successful businessman, is also a terrible husband who practices polygamy without informing his new wives. He repeatedly marries new women, starts families with them, and then abandons them for another, leaving behind a trail of broken relationships. After his death, inheritance brings these hidden family problems to light.
As an adult, Kokui reflects on her parents' marriage as she enters into her relationship and marries Boris, a trustworthy and hardworking man from a lower social and economic class. Their biggest challenge is the financial strain of moving to America to start college. Throughout Kokui's journey, we see her grow less naive and more sympathetic toward her mother, whom she once criticized for staying with a cheating husband. The exploration of the setting in Ghana, along with the themes of polygamy, the rights of wives, and issues of love, trust, and fidelity, is interesting and compelling.
I felt that Kokui and Boris's relationship should have been more developed before they moved to America. It seemed like Kokui married him mainly because she didn't want to take over her father's business and believed Boris wouldn’t cheat on her. While these are valid reasons, I didn't feel that Kokui and Boris had much chemistry as a couple. As someone also engaged, I felt their relationship was unconvincing.
The Goodreads description of the book was somewhat misleading. It implies that the story revolves around three generations of women in the same family. Still, the main focus is on Kokui, the narrator, who reflects on her parents' marriage. We don’t see her as a mother or parent in this book.
The story revolves around Kokui and her complex family dynamics. Her father, a successful businessman, is also a terrible husband who practices polygamy without informing his new wives. He repeatedly marries new women, starts families with them, and then abandons them for another, leaving behind a trail of broken relationships. After his death, inheritance brings these hidden family problems to light.
As an adult, Kokui reflects on her parents' marriage as she enters into her relationship and marries Boris, a trustworthy and hardworking man from a lower social and economic class. Their biggest challenge is the financial strain of moving to America to start college. Throughout Kokui's journey, we see her grow less naive and more sympathetic toward her mother, whom she once criticized for staying with a cheating husband. The exploration of the setting in Ghana, along with the themes of polygamy, the rights of wives, and issues of love, trust, and fidelity, is interesting and compelling.
I felt that Kokui and Boris's relationship should have been more developed before they moved to America. It seemed like Kokui married him mainly because she didn't want to take over her father's business and believed Boris wouldn’t cheat on her. While these are valid reasons, I didn't feel that Kokui and Boris had much chemistry as a couple. As someone also engaged, I felt their relationship was unconvincing.
The Goodreads description of the book was somewhat misleading. It implies that the story revolves around three generations of women in the same family. Still, the main focus is on Kokui, the narrator, who reflects on her parents' marriage. We don’t see her as a mother or parent in this book.
January 26, 2026
A Charmingly Thoughtful Exploration of a Woman at the Crossroads
My Parents' Marriage is a delicately woven story of a young woman's struggle with identity and privilege in 1970s Ghana. Kokui and her sister Nami are two of Mawuli Nuga’s passel of offspring from a collection of wives and lovers. One of the last born to Mawuli and one of the few of her siblings raised by their father and cosseted, Kokui finds herself struggling with love for her parents, shame over Mawuli’s inability to be faithful to the women he collects and discards like random cedis notes, and shame over her beloved mother Micheline’s refusal to make a clean break with her husband. Kokui and Nami live with their father and his fourth legal wife in a grand compound, chauffeured around Achimota and surrounding Accra, and treated like modern day chieftains due to the wealth Mawuli has amassed with his paper mill. Kokui enjoys a life of comfort, but also chafes against it. She is determined to have a bigger, more independent life than that of a pampered daughter or an ornamental wife. After her mother discovered that she wasn’t Mawuli’s only wife when her girls were pre-teens, Micheline drops them off with their father and step-mother, returning to Togo to rebuild her life. Kokui and Nami only see their mother once a year, for a week during Christmas. Their father spends the week with them, playing happy family until he returns to his regular life. At 22, uncertain of her future, but knowing she doesn’t want to repeat what she sees as her mother’s major life mistake---marrying the wrong man---Kokui plots to flee Ghana for the United States. A beautiful, bright woman, but a poor student, she doesn’t know how she will achieve her goal until she is caught up in Boris Van der Puye’s spell and swept along with him as he plans his own life abroad. From this, point the story goes from an interesting look at an immature daughter’s perception of the adults who have influenced her the most in her young life, to an uncomfortable examination of the question, “When is it time to grow up and take responsibility for your own life, no matter who raised you?” Nana Brew-Hammond creates a well-balanced tension between Kokui’s genuine love for her new husband and her love for herself. Brew-Hammond has us tense and worried as we wonder if Kokui will collapse under the weight of adulthood and independence and take the easier path of traditional wife or continue to breathe life into her own dreams and follow the path she is designing for herself one step and misstep at a time. My Parents’ Marriage takes us down surprising roads and alleyways where the gold that glitters is tarnished, yet still valuable. We find ourselves aching for Kokui as she struggles with the beauty, ugliness, and fragility of family, of life, of being her own woman while still wanting to be loved. Her struggle rages from Ghana to Harlem to the Bronx, to upstate New York. It is a simple, yet beautifully told tale. One deeply familiar to every reader who has longed for more but feared the unknown.
My Parents' Marriage is a delicately woven story of a young woman's struggle with identity and privilege in 1970s Ghana. Kokui and her sister Nami are two of Mawuli Nuga’s passel of offspring from a collection of wives and lovers. One of the last born to Mawuli and one of the few of her siblings raised by their father and cosseted, Kokui finds herself struggling with love for her parents, shame over Mawuli’s inability to be faithful to the women he collects and discards like random cedis notes, and shame over her beloved mother Micheline’s refusal to make a clean break with her husband. Kokui and Nami live with their father and his fourth legal wife in a grand compound, chauffeured around Achimota and surrounding Accra, and treated like modern day chieftains due to the wealth Mawuli has amassed with his paper mill. Kokui enjoys a life of comfort, but also chafes against it. She is determined to have a bigger, more independent life than that of a pampered daughter or an ornamental wife. After her mother discovered that she wasn’t Mawuli’s only wife when her girls were pre-teens, Micheline drops them off with their father and step-mother, returning to Togo to rebuild her life. Kokui and Nami only see their mother once a year, for a week during Christmas. Their father spends the week with them, playing happy family until he returns to his regular life. At 22, uncertain of her future, but knowing she doesn’t want to repeat what she sees as her mother’s major life mistake---marrying the wrong man---Kokui plots to flee Ghana for the United States. A beautiful, bright woman, but a poor student, she doesn’t know how she will achieve her goal until she is caught up in Boris Van der Puye’s spell and swept along with him as he plans his own life abroad. From this, point the story goes from an interesting look at an immature daughter’s perception of the adults who have influenced her the most in her young life, to an uncomfortable examination of the question, “When is it time to grow up and take responsibility for your own life, no matter who raised you?” Nana Brew-Hammond creates a well-balanced tension between Kokui’s genuine love for her new husband and her love for herself. Brew-Hammond has us tense and worried as we wonder if Kokui will collapse under the weight of adulthood and independence and take the easier path of traditional wife or continue to breathe life into her own dreams and follow the path she is designing for herself one step and misstep at a time. My Parents’ Marriage takes us down surprising roads and alleyways where the gold that glitters is tarnished, yet still valuable. We find ourselves aching for Kokui as she struggles with the beauty, ugliness, and fragility of family, of life, of being her own woman while still wanting to be loved. Her struggle rages from Ghana to Harlem to the Bronx, to upstate New York. It is a simple, yet beautifully told tale. One deeply familiar to every reader who has longed for more but feared the unknown.
March 4, 2025
3.8 stars ⭐️
My Parents' Marriage
I enjoyed listening to this book. I enjoyed it so much that I was slightly annoyed when it ended. If you were angry at Elikem for marrying Afi in absentia in Peace Medie’s His Only Wife, then behold Mawuli Nuga, the real MVP.
This book was well-grounded. The author did her homework so well that not for one moment was I confused about my location in the story. The nuances of marriage, especially within Ewe culture, were aptly represented. Mawuli is the star of my show because what he did in the end? Wow. Wow. Wow. I was content. Very content.
The way Mawuli’s relationships with the women in his life were described reminded me of Tom from Makumbi’s The First Woman, the way the women worshipped him, the way they were in awe of him. And yet, when he died, he seemed so... ordinary. This book is rich with lessons on marriage. If you’ve ever been confused about the different types of marriages in Ghana and how they work, this book provides clarity. Also, marriage is not a walk in the park. It’s not a quick fix either.
Mawuli remains my star of the moment. He could do no wrong in my eyes. 😂 As for Kokui? The less said, the better. I wish her well with Boris. 😂 And her never-ending quest to not be her mother.
The language in this book is simple and accessible. We travel across three countries—Ghana, Togo, and the US and never once does the setting feel unclear. The book also reflects immigrant life in the US, how we all leave home with lofty dreams, only to meet a reality that is vastly different. And sometimes, we struggle with that reality.
I’m still not sure if polygamy is a good thing or not because with Mawuli Nuga, you just can’t tell. But one thing is certain: he never had “illegitimate” children. He always took responsibility for them.
Kokui’s mother is a character that demands unpacking. She isn’t unique; she represents many women, past and present, in Ghana, if not across Africa. You have children for a man, only to later find out (in the most cruel way) that he has other children elsewhere. Other wives who may or may not exist. And then, instead of leaving him, you leave him but not the marriage. You stay married to secure a future for your children. Only for the man to swerve you in the end. She might seem like an annoying character, but give her grace. Give her grace.
And then there’s Auntie Hemmaa. The wallflower who isn’t really a wallflower after all. Who folded all her resentment, buried all her hurt until it was time to unleash. And still, in the end, Mawuli dealt her a strong hand too.
You see why I said Mawuli is the real MVP? He wasn’t a great husband, but he was a good father. A reminder that a man can be a terrible partner but still show up for his children. The women in his life idolized him, but he only truly cared for his kids.
This is a book I’ll always recommend.
My Parents' Marriage
I enjoyed listening to this book. I enjoyed it so much that I was slightly annoyed when it ended. If you were angry at Elikem for marrying Afi in absentia in Peace Medie’s His Only Wife, then behold Mawuli Nuga, the real MVP.
This book was well-grounded. The author did her homework so well that not for one moment was I confused about my location in the story. The nuances of marriage, especially within Ewe culture, were aptly represented. Mawuli is the star of my show because what he did in the end? Wow. Wow. Wow. I was content. Very content.
The way Mawuli’s relationships with the women in his life were described reminded me of Tom from Makumbi’s The First Woman, the way the women worshipped him, the way they were in awe of him. And yet, when he died, he seemed so... ordinary. This book is rich with lessons on marriage. If you’ve ever been confused about the different types of marriages in Ghana and how they work, this book provides clarity. Also, marriage is not a walk in the park. It’s not a quick fix either.
Mawuli remains my star of the moment. He could do no wrong in my eyes. 😂 As for Kokui? The less said, the better. I wish her well with Boris. 😂 And her never-ending quest to not be her mother.
The language in this book is simple and accessible. We travel across three countries—Ghana, Togo, and the US and never once does the setting feel unclear. The book also reflects immigrant life in the US, how we all leave home with lofty dreams, only to meet a reality that is vastly different. And sometimes, we struggle with that reality.
I’m still not sure if polygamy is a good thing or not because with Mawuli Nuga, you just can’t tell. But one thing is certain: he never had “illegitimate” children. He always took responsibility for them.
Kokui’s mother is a character that demands unpacking. She isn’t unique; she represents many women, past and present, in Ghana, if not across Africa. You have children for a man, only to later find out (in the most cruel way) that he has other children elsewhere. Other wives who may or may not exist. And then, instead of leaving him, you leave him but not the marriage. You stay married to secure a future for your children. Only for the man to swerve you in the end. She might seem like an annoying character, but give her grace. Give her grace.
And then there’s Auntie Hemmaa. The wallflower who isn’t really a wallflower after all. Who folded all her resentment, buried all her hurt until it was time to unleash. And still, in the end, Mawuli dealt her a strong hand too.
You see why I said Mawuli is the real MVP? He wasn’t a great husband, but he was a good father. A reminder that a man can be a terrible partner but still show up for his children. The women in his life idolized him, but he only truly cared for his kids.
This is a book I’ll always recommend.
August 15, 2025
Prepare yourself for an emotional rollercoaster—one that occasionally derails just outside Accra, causing all assembled aunties to clutch their pearls and mutter about “the children of today.” My Parents' Marriage by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond is that kind of book: wildly evocative, darkly humorous, and occasionally so sharp you’ll need oven mitts just to turn the page.
Let’s talk characters! Kokui, our crown jewel, spends most of the book trying desperately to not become her mother, Micheline (who resembles one part tragic heroine, one part “Don’t test me!”), and really, who among us hasn’t done the same? Kokui’s father, Mawuli Nuga, is described as “rich, handsome, and magnetic. Men with that trinity of power could do whatever they wanted to whomever. It was up to the women to leave”. If ever a line screamed “villain origin story,” it’s that one.
The opening scene sets the tone with Kokui and her sister Nami sneaking out for a night at the Ambassador Hotel. “Life happens,” persists throughout the book, often meaning “expect a hilarious disaster.” Kokui’s chance meeting with Boris, the man whose “life plans propel Kokui to chase the freedom she has always yearned for,” is so fate-driven it would make any Hollywood rom-com jealous.
Family drama? Oh, Brew-Hammond delivers. The scene where Kokui discovers her father has fathered twelve children, some with women he never wed, triggers enough existential dread to make you delete your Tinder app and join a monastery. The real pièce de résistance? The mother-daughter “discussion” about marital harmony: “You think harmony happens just because two things have come together? No. The two parties have to do what they can to prevent a collision! You have to be alert. You have to keep your hands on the wheel and steer”. Micheline would absolutely dominate every relationship advice column on the planet.
Kokui’s struggles with her own marriage to Boris—oh, the relatable irony! She sets such high expectations (“freedom, fidelity, and security. Everything that her parents’ marriage never was”) she practically sends Boris a personalized failure forecast with every anniversary card. Watching Kokui and Boris spar over finances and family obligations in America is like witnessing two legal teams present wildly creative proofs that neither of them is at fault. And when family tragedy drags Kokui back to Ghana, the drama ramps up faster than Mawuli’s wedding count.
Four stars! Because nothing says “I love you, Mom and Dad” like publicly rating the saga of their marital collapse one point below perfection.
Let’s talk characters! Kokui, our crown jewel, spends most of the book trying desperately to not become her mother, Micheline (who resembles one part tragic heroine, one part “Don’t test me!”), and really, who among us hasn’t done the same? Kokui’s father, Mawuli Nuga, is described as “rich, handsome, and magnetic. Men with that trinity of power could do whatever they wanted to whomever. It was up to the women to leave”. If ever a line screamed “villain origin story,” it’s that one.
The opening scene sets the tone with Kokui and her sister Nami sneaking out for a night at the Ambassador Hotel. “Life happens,” persists throughout the book, often meaning “expect a hilarious disaster.” Kokui’s chance meeting with Boris, the man whose “life plans propel Kokui to chase the freedom she has always yearned for,” is so fate-driven it would make any Hollywood rom-com jealous.
Family drama? Oh, Brew-Hammond delivers. The scene where Kokui discovers her father has fathered twelve children, some with women he never wed, triggers enough existential dread to make you delete your Tinder app and join a monastery. The real pièce de résistance? The mother-daughter “discussion” about marital harmony: “You think harmony happens just because two things have come together? No. The two parties have to do what they can to prevent a collision! You have to be alert. You have to keep your hands on the wheel and steer”. Micheline would absolutely dominate every relationship advice column on the planet.
Kokui’s struggles with her own marriage to Boris—oh, the relatable irony! She sets such high expectations (“freedom, fidelity, and security. Everything that her parents’ marriage never was”) she practically sends Boris a personalized failure forecast with every anniversary card. Watching Kokui and Boris spar over finances and family obligations in America is like witnessing two legal teams present wildly creative proofs that neither of them is at fault. And when family tragedy drags Kokui back to Ghana, the drama ramps up faster than Mawuli’s wedding count.
Four stars! Because nothing says “I love you, Mom and Dad” like publicly rating the saga of their marital collapse one point below perfection.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins and Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of My Parents' Marriage.
This is an interesting story about a multi-generational Ghanian family whose powerful patriarch controls his multiple wives and children. Basically, he is a narcissist who uses money and power to control his family. The multiple wives and excessive number of children struggle through life due to this man's dominance.
I do not have a lot of background knowledge about life in Ghana so I don't know if polygamy is a common cultural occurrence. The characters are rather flat except for Kokui who I could identify with as her wants and desires become known throughout the story. The plotline did not keep me invested. I needed more background knowledge, more depth to the characters and more action to the story. I just wanted MORE!
This is an interesting story about a multi-generational Ghanian family whose powerful patriarch controls his multiple wives and children. Basically, he is a narcissist who uses money and power to control his family. The multiple wives and excessive number of children struggle through life due to this man's dominance.
I do not have a lot of background knowledge about life in Ghana so I don't know if polygamy is a common cultural occurrence. The characters are rather flat except for Kokui who I could identify with as her wants and desires become known throughout the story. The plotline did not keep me invested. I needed more background knowledge, more depth to the characters and more action to the story. I just wanted MORE!
February 24, 2025
A hard hitting story that marriage takes a lot of effort from both sides, and you can break from toxic cycles.
Kokui’s father is rich and has many wives and kids, who are not aware of each other. Her mum lives separately and she sees her from time to time. Kokui vows to not repeat her parent’s unhappy uncommittal marriage. She meets a man who comes from a hard working labour family. They both move to USA to pursue education.
Once removed from their parents’ ties, Kokui tries to break apart from her family’s influence and expectations. But realises she also has to her husband’s influence and expectations to meet!
Every red flag about marriage in this book, I realise was discussed at my own pre marital counselling. So I realise that while it’s a fictional story, it could well be your truth if you’re not prepared for it.
Kokui’s father is rich and has many wives and kids, who are not aware of each other. Her mum lives separately and she sees her from time to time. Kokui vows to not repeat her parent’s unhappy uncommittal marriage. She meets a man who comes from a hard working labour family. They both move to USA to pursue education.
Once removed from their parents’ ties, Kokui tries to break apart from her family’s influence and expectations. But realises she also has to her husband’s influence and expectations to meet!
Every red flag about marriage in this book, I realise was discussed at my own pre marital counselling. So I realise that while it’s a fictional story, it could well be your truth if you’re not prepared for it.
January 22, 2026
This was an okay read for me. Yes, I enjoyed the story, Mawuli Nuga was really such a character! I loved the vivid descriptions of the foreign and local environments where the plot took place. I love the themes that were explored in this book, although, l wasn't quite satisfied with how the conflicts in the book were resolved. In my opinion, the conflict (themes) of polygamy, childhood trauma experienced especially by Kokui, the inadequacies of the marriage laws and systems in Ghana (both traditional and legal), and the issue of the consequences of actions saw no resolution. I enjoyed the story, but it also felt like I was reading for reading's sake. I will give it up to the author though for her brilliance in properly representing the local languages and the Ghanaian way of life in the book.
January 23, 2026
My Parents’ Marriage felt like a promising idea that never fully developed. I was interested in the concept of Kokui rejecting her parents’ marriage and hoped the novel would explore how unhealthy patterns repeat across generations, with Kokui actively confronting or breaking away from them. Instead, the story remained narrowly focused on Kokui’s day-to-day life, without digging deeply into those broader themes.
While the touches on politics and government corruption were engaging and hinted at a richer social context, they were not explored enough to feel meaningful. The novel also missed an opportunity to examine marriage culture in Ghana in greater depth, which could have added complexity and substance to Kokui’s personal struggles. Overall, the book felt flat, offering isolated moments rather than a fully developed exploration of its central ideas.
While the touches on politics and government corruption were engaging and hinted at a richer social context, they were not explored enough to feel meaningful. The novel also missed an opportunity to examine marriage culture in Ghana in greater depth, which could have added complexity and substance to Kokui’s personal struggles. Overall, the book felt flat, offering isolated moments rather than a fully developed exploration of its central ideas.
July 5, 2024
Thank you Netgalley & Amistad Publishing for an eARC ♥️
I found My Parents' Marriage to be a thought-provoking and engaging read. Nana Brew-Hammond skillfully explores the complexities of family dynamics, cultural identity, and personal relationships through Kokui's story.
The writing is evocative and immersive, effectively conveying the sights, sounds, and emotions of Ghana and the diaspora experience. The characters are well-developed and relatable, with nuanced motivations and conflicts.
While I didn't always connect with Kokui's choices, I appreciated her journey and the insights she gained along the way. The themes of love, forgiveness, and self-discovery are well-woven throughout the narrative.♥️
I found My Parents' Marriage to be a thought-provoking and engaging read. Nana Brew-Hammond skillfully explores the complexities of family dynamics, cultural identity, and personal relationships through Kokui's story.
The writing is evocative and immersive, effectively conveying the sights, sounds, and emotions of Ghana and the diaspora experience. The characters are well-developed and relatable, with nuanced motivations and conflicts.
While I didn't always connect with Kokui's choices, I appreciated her journey and the insights she gained along the way. The themes of love, forgiveness, and self-discovery are well-woven throughout the narrative.♥️
December 19, 2024
I heard Nana read aloud a passage from My Parents' Marriage in a writing group I belong to, and my first thoughts were “The writing is so beautiful” and “I have to read this novel.” When the novel was published, I read it quickly because the plot was engrossing and the writing lyrical.
One theme in the novel is plural marriage. Because I know several women who have had their lives affected by plural marriage, I wanted to find out how Nana handled it in her book. She explored the pain and reverberating effects of plural marriages on the wives and their children with deftness and compassion. In the end, I enjoyed this novel and I came away from it a changed person.
Five-Star Book!
One theme in the novel is plural marriage. Because I know several women who have had their lives affected by plural marriage, I wanted to find out how Nana handled it in her book. She explored the pain and reverberating effects of plural marriages on the wives and their children with deftness and compassion. In the end, I enjoyed this novel and I came away from it a changed person.
Five-Star Book!
January 27, 2026
Slow start but really enjoyed the pace once I stuck to it and got through initial slow start.
Hmmmmm, the last chapter could have been done without. After the reading of the will, if it had ended there - I would have preferred that
In many ways, Coke-wee had a lot of growing to do and some she did do. Boris, Boris, Boris - can one really have it all? Every relationship has its own challenges - what are you willing to submit to and take on I guess?
I liked where she mused that ‘no woman stays with a man unless she wants to’ regardless of the reason (positive or otherwise; healthy or otherwise) not focusing on what’s pulling them to stay but the act of staying - interesting!
Hmmmmm, the last chapter could have been done without. After the reading of the will, if it had ended there - I would have preferred that
In many ways, Coke-wee had a lot of growing to do and some she did do. Boris, Boris, Boris - can one really have it all? Every relationship has its own challenges - what are you willing to submit to and take on I guess?
I liked where she mused that ‘no woman stays with a man unless she wants to’ regardless of the reason (positive or otherwise; healthy or otherwise) not focusing on what’s pulling them to stay but the act of staying - interesting!
November 24, 2024
3.75⭐️ Overall interesting read, especially Kokui and Boris’s struggles in America. After the build up of their marriage struggles and Kokui’s family dispute, the ending felt a bit flat for me. I liked this passage by Kokui’s mom on a new marriage: “You think harmony happens just because two things have come together? No, the two parties have to do what they can to prevent a collision. You have to be alert. You have to keep your hands on the wheel and steer… you have to teach each other how things have to be. You have to correct him and give him a chance to make the correction.”
February 19, 2025
As a lawyer, the legality of Mawuli Nuga’s many marriages fascinated me. It felt like those story problems we were given in school. After a wild narration, the question on marriage and inheritance comes. I enjoyed the book, and related with Kokui’s desire to have a man who would be exclusively hers. Someone to whole age would be Madam Nugaga. Some parts of the story didn’t make too much sense to me especially after Nuga died but enjoying fiction means suspending belief/disbelief sometimes right?
A solid 4/5. I’ll be replaying the story in my head for a long time to come
A solid 4/5. I’ll be replaying the story in my head for a long time to come
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2024
Simply wow. Absolutely beautiful. Follows a Ghanian woman who struggles to navigate her own skewed view of love and trust in relationships after growing up surrounded by her father's constant infidelity. Reminded me of Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing, but more understated - left more unsaid than said, and the restraint was executed flawlessly. I can't wait to see what Brew-Hammond does next.
Thank you to Amistad for providing me an advance copy ahead of publication, in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Amistad for providing me an advance copy ahead of publication, in exchange for an honest review.
August 27, 2024
Did not finish
I got about 65% of the way through this book before realizing I honestly just didn't care. The plot was either predictable or uninteresting, and I felt like the author was whacking me over the head with the main internal conflict the main character faced. An interesting premise, but the story and characters came off as one note, which also felt like the characters put themselves into suffering situations without growing.
I got about 65% of the way through this book before realizing I honestly just didn't care. The plot was either predictable or uninteresting, and I felt like the author was whacking me over the head with the main internal conflict the main character faced. An interesting premise, but the story and characters came off as one note, which also felt like the characters put themselves into suffering situations without growing.
August 28, 2024
Beautifully written book! I enjoyed the characters & their complexities. This novel does a wonderful job making you feel like you are in Ghana. Every character is rich & full of personality & complex traits. I love books that center on family dynamics & that’s exactly this novel. But it has twists, love, humor & the age old question can we escape the fear of repeating our parents mistakes? Highly recommend!
April 3, 2025
I got lost in the story and i admit didn’t pay much attention to the writing.
Overall, I Loved the way the author told this story, I Loved how she went in on Ghana’s culture but i throughly enjoyed the story.
I have a more detailed review on my Book Podcast
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4Buw...
Apple Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/ng/podcast...
Overall, I Loved the way the author told this story, I Loved how she went in on Ghana’s culture but i throughly enjoyed the story.
I have a more detailed review on my Book Podcast
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4Buw...
Apple Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/ng/podcast...
April 22, 2025
The book was an excellent read, the start was a slow burn but from the middle it turned into a very gripping book. Kokui was an intriguing protagonist- I feel she lacked a little bit of depth as a person but I really enjoyed following her around. I would’ve loved more of a backstory for the other characters especially the other children in the father’s life. Nana did a great job with this book I quite enjoyed her writing!
June 20, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
In the search for something different. Kokui's vision of her future is to have a different marriage from what her parents had.
I love the warmth between herself and Nami*. So many lines from the book that are impactful. Loved the words of wisdom her mother shared with her about marriage, this showed a warmer side to the mom.
It was good to see that Kokui learned about working for her money. I was overall very pleased with this book.
The ending was very funny and dramatic (chapter 33).
In the search for something different. Kokui's vision of her future is to have a different marriage from what her parents had.
I love the warmth between herself and Nami*. So many lines from the book that are impactful. Loved the words of wisdom her mother shared with her about marriage, this showed a warmer side to the mom.
It was good to see that Kokui learned about working for her money. I was overall very pleased with this book.
The ending was very funny and dramatic (chapter 33).
August 4, 2025
This was a good read to escape and live in Ghana or USA and be fully immersed in the story of love, life, family and the drama that comes with it. Her father, a practising polygamist seems to struggle to avoid the temptation of women despite being a 'christian'.
So she tries her best to not have a marriage similar to that of her parents but we know what happens when you focus on the very thing you don't want....
So she tries her best to not have a marriage similar to that of her parents but we know what happens when you focus on the very thing you don't want....
December 30, 2025
i really liked this book and enjoyed how educational it was for me culturally! it was a quick read with an interesting plot. the end actually ended up surprising me; i was sure boris would end up being unfaithful and was pleasantly suprised when kokui came to understand her mother’s “self-inflicted”, marital pain on other terms. for a first adult novel, i found this to be entertaining and impressive!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2024
I was excited to find a book on NetGalley that takes place in Ghana! I visited in 2008 and found the country unlike any place I'd ever been. This book was gripping and kept me wondering what would happen to this family. I felt for (almost!) all of the women in the story. I had a hard time reading about the abortions and all of the infidelity, but the story and cultural insights were fascinating.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2024
3.5. I wish the characters had been more fully developed, but the setting (Ghana) and the issues (polygamy, rights of wives in Ghana, intersection of Christianity and indigenous beliefs and traditions, love, trust and fidelity in marriage) were interesting and compelling. A quick reading journey that I'm glad I took.
August 28, 2024
3.5⭐️ This was a good, easy read story. There was no suspense or big dramatic scene, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Kokoui has watched her father cheat on her mother for years. Her father has many children by other women, and she doesn't understand why her mother doesn't divorce him.
When Kokoui marries Boris, she realizes that all marriages aren't the same, but they all take work. I liked how the story followed Kokoui as she found her voice and decided what path she would take. She made a few mistakes along the way that I attributed to her lack of life experiences. The story was a little slow at times, but overall, it was an interesting read!
When Kokoui marries Boris, she realizes that all marriages aren't the same, but they all take work. I liked how the story followed Kokoui as she found her voice and decided what path she would take. She made a few mistakes along the way that I attributed to her lack of life experiences. The story was a little slow at times, but overall, it was an interesting read!
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