Project Gutenberg 2024-08-22 Public domain in the USA. 139 Arkawy, Norman 1927 2004 Arkawy, Norman M. Once a first wife $aNew York, NY :$bKing-Size Publications, Inc., $c1954. Produced from Fantastic Universe October 1954. Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "Once a First Wife" by Norman Arkawy is a speculative fiction novel written in the mid-20th century, with a futuristic setting in the year 2136. The book revolves around themes of marital fidelity, societal norms, and a woman's struggle to maintain her identity and status in a highly regulated environment. It explores the legal complexities surrounding divorce and personal autonomy, highlighting the protagonist's fight against a societal system that seeks to strip her of her rights. The narrative follows Sar Wisson, a woman accused of sexual incompetence by her husband, Merl, as they navigate a contested divorce case in a futuristic court. As Sar defends her character against the humiliating accusation, her fierce desire to retain her status as a first wife serves as the driving force within the story. She grapples with the implications of divorce on her future, fearing a life as a second wife or being relegated to a public sector existence—an outcome she vehemently desires to avoid. Ultimately, Sar's unexpected decision to withdraw her objections allows her to reclaim agency over her life, leading to an ending that underscores her resilience and personal choice. The story critiques societal expectations surrounding women and marriage while capturing the complexities of love and individual rights in a futuristic context. (This is an automatically generated summary.) 20240316165333arkawy 1954 US Reading ease score: 76.6 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. en Science fiction Short stories Trials (Divorce) -- Fiction PS Text Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy Category: Novels 47131 2025-07-29T10:39:07.659709 text/html 22749 2024-08-22T13:09:06 text/html 267834 2025-07-29T10:39:10.915739 application/epub+zip 266623 2025-07-29T10:39:08.979735 application/epub+zip 195430 2025-07-29T10:39:08.222699 application/epub+zip 781475 2025-07-29T10:39:12.380680 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 774999 2025-07-29T10:39:10.374707 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 39990 2025-07-29T10:39:07.531712 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 20198 2024-08-22T13:09:06 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 15944 2025-07-29T10:39:12.545767 application/rdf+xml 34043 2025-07-29T10:39:08.599710 image/jpeg 4833 2025-07-29T10:39:08.444696 image/jpeg 844755 2025-07-29T10:39:07.674702 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog