First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

 It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 

. . . First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros . . . now hosted by Yvonne at Socrates' Book Reviews, where bloggers share excerpts from a book they have read, are currently reading, or are planning to read.

 

Today I'm featuring my current read, His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie.  The excerpt shared is from an advance reader electronic copy I received from the publisher.

First Chapter:  Elikem married me in absentia; he did not come to our wedding. The ceremony was held on the third Saturday in January in the rectangular courtyard of my Uncle Pious's house, which was bordered by two-roomed apartments and a wooden gate that opened onto a busy footpath. Our relatives, stirring with equal measures of happiness, but for different reasons, sat opposite one another on rented plastic chairs that were neatly arranged in rows that filled the courtyard. The partly walled kitchen had been scrubbed and cleared of the cast-iron coal pots, on which my uncle's wives prepared the evening meal, and of the enamel basins that they used for washing and storing dishes. My uncle's sitting room chairs, upholstered with a carpet-like fabric and polished so that the chocolate-brown wooden frames glistened, were also brought outdoors and comprised the front row where the elders of each family would sit.

 

What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

The first sentence is an attention grabber that raises so many questions, especially given the book title.  The descriptions in the rest of the paragraph paint a vivid picture of the wedding venue and build anticipation for the wedding ceremony. I am reading this novel for a book club at work that I'll be joining for the first time, and look forward to reading and discussing this book.

 

This First Chapter~First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog. © 2021, Book Club Librarian All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Book Club Librarian without attribution, know that this post is being used without permission.