I can’t tell you how happy reading this made me! After years of reading and reviewing excellent books by women from all over the world it was thrilling to finally read Imperfect Arrangements by Frances Mensah Williams – a Ghanaian author (rise up Ghana!) And I can testify that it did not disappoint at all.
Before I continue with the review, I’d like to publicly apologise to Frances. This post should have been out in April! 😖
Imperfect Arrangements, what’s it about?
Three young couples whose lives are intertwined prove that when it comes to marriage and love, all is not as it seems.
Meet Theresa and Tyler, British Ghanaians who have just moved back to Ghana to start up their individual businesses. Sounds like the British-Ghanaian dream until their rose-tinted view of being returnees is quickly cleared as they realise ‘home’ is not all it’s cracked up to be. They find their new environment comes with new societal pressures: as Tyler struggles to keep up with his wife’s success whilst his own business seems to be heading quickly towards failure, he seeks solace in the bottom of the beer glass at Jake’s Joint, a pub which is much frequented by Accra’s badly behaved husbands.
Next, we have Lyla and Kwesi, friends of Theresa and Tyler, whose glitzy and glam ceremony was the talk of town only a few years ago. But like whilst on the outside, they look perfect: a beautiful home, good jobs and tons of money, the truth is love don’t live there anymore. After years of marriage they have still been unable to have a child – something that Lyla bears the brunt of everyday – her emotionally abusive mother-in-law, as well as her own conscience, make sure of that! It doesn’t help that Kwesi so brazenly has affairs behind her back, not even caring enough to hide his philandering ways from his wife. Although Lyla is painfully aware of her husband’s unfaithfulness, the day Nadia, Kwesi’s mistress shows up at the couple’s door pregnant is the day she decides to give up on the illusion of somehow holding the fragmented pieces of her marriage together. The revelation pushes a devastated Lyla further into the arms of Reuben a member of her church with whom she shares a mutual attraction.
View this post on Instagram
Then there’s Maku and Nortey – probably my fave couple (it could be because I have a sister called Maku and an uncle called Nortey).
Anyway, Maku is Lyla’s cousin, a village girl trying to carve out a life for herself in the big city of Accra. But how much success can she actually achieve with an underpaying job, three young kids, a wotless husband who seems to squander every last cedi on failed business ventures, and finances that are spread very thin?
You may also want to read: Fattily Ever After
Want to be Insta-fab? Download your 200 Instagram Highlights Cover!
Maku is tired. She really would love more acceptance from Nortey’s family who continue to look down on her because of her rural background; and she really would love her husband, who she is wedded to through a small customary Ghanaian ceremony, to give her the white wedding she’s always dreamed of. Nortey on the other hand, doesn’t seem to be in much of a hurry to fork out a fortune for a wedding – after all, Maku is already technically his wife, isn’t she?
These are our three couples in a nutshell. You can see they provide so many themes for us to get stuck into; love, relationships, fidelity, societal pressure, family gender roles, identity, money…just to name a few! The underlying questions are: will Theresa and Tyler find balance in their marriage? Will Lyla and Kwesi reconcile, or will she find her happily ever after with Reuben? Will Maku finally get her breakthrough?
My Opinion
Whilst reading Imperfect Arrangements I noticed how smoothly its themes were woven together, ready for any reader to unravel. It wasn’t forced at all. Whilst we follow the journeys of three separate couples, their lives are effortlessly linked. The additional characters are all utilised well to enrich or move the story forward. In short, there are no redundant characters.
The structure of Imperfect Arrangements is such that the plot spans over the course of a year. In four three-month intervals, each couple is visited once. For me, this adds to the “soap opera” feel and allows each of the main characters (in particular the women) enough room to arc quite nicely.
I’m a fan of lighted hearted reads and although this wasn’t as light as I had thought it would be at the beginning, I still found myself eagerly turning page after page. It might have been something to do with the Accra sun!
There were some moments of humour but also some real heart-wrenching stuff. I think Frances got the balance just right.
All in all, I’d give Imperfect Arrangements an 8/10. I’m hoping a fine Ghanaian producer would pick it up and give it the on-screen treatment! A girl can hope, right?
Tell me, have I convinced you to give Imperfect Arrangements a chance? Comment below.
