When I requested this book it was solely based on the premise. I love books that tackle generational stories of women. What I wasn't aware of was that the author of this book is white. I decided to do a little research on the author and I think the perspective that she was going to bring to this book was not one I cared to read. I find that a lot of white authors when discussing events from other countries promote too much white saviorism and for that reason, I decided to DNF this book. I would rather read these types of stories by women of color who have themselves experienced these histories or had ancestors that did.

Absolutely amazing - this book was spectacular and wonderful in so many ways. I loved how well developed the story was and would 100% recommended this for a fun and entertaining read… I had so much fun with these characters.

This book centers around three women: Rania, Huda, and Ally. Rania and Huda have a shared history that is intimate but also fraught with resentment. Ally has followed her diplomat husband to Baghdad to try to reconnect with her dead mother, who also spent many formative years in the same city, many decades ago.

The corruption and mistrust of foreigners are rampant within the government officials. Living in an environment where any misstep could result in death or torture for yourself and your family is terrifying and exhausting. The city of Baghdad in that time period is portrayed as extremely dangerous and corrupt.

Although the book is well-written, I couldn't really connect with any of the characters. All three of them had ulterior motives and rarely told the truth, which made it difficult to relate to them. There also seemed to be a strange dichotomy; while some were always on high alert and knew that imprisonment and torture could be imminent, others did not seem too concerned about the ruling regime and their policies.

This story takes place in Iraq during the rule of Saddam Hussein and it tells the story of three women. The opening scene is of Huda and Rania cutting their thumbs and becoming blood sisters. The story then moves ahead 24 years.

When we meet Huda again she is a secretary for the Australian embassy, a wife and mother.
Rania has lived a more privileged life but the two blood sisters have gone separate ways.
Ally is the foreigner. She is married to Tom who is an Australian diplomat. Ally has her own connections to Baghdad and is hoping to find some answers while also having to keep some secrets herself.

My favourite things about this novel were that it told a story about a time and place, I rarely read about. Of course, I remember clearly this time period, but most of my information came from the news and this story gave the perspective of everyday people trying to survive under difficult conditions. I’m also a sucker for a story about women and women’s friendship and this novel had three strong women who had to learn who they could trust and had to make decisions to protect their loved ones.

The writing was good. There are some beautiful and thought provoking lines. At times, I found the story moved slow. I don’t mind slow paced if it holds my attention, but I found myself drifting until something else would happen that would draw me back in. Overall, I thought that this was a solid debut novel and I think we need more stories about this time period in Iraq.

When the Apricots Bloom tells the story of three women living in Iraq under Saddam Hussein’s rule: two of them, Huda and Rania, are Iraqi women and childhood friends who have since grown apart, while Ally is an Australian diplomat's wife looking for answers about her mother's past. Fate eventually brings the three of them together, and difficult choices will have to be made to keep their families safe.⁠
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This was the first work of fiction I've read that is set in Iraq and focused on Saddam Hussein's rule at the turn of the millenium. It wasn't a light read by any means - there was so much fear, tension, a significant dose of violence, and devastating secrets coming to light -, and I don't think it could've been any other way, given the subject matter and how important it was to stay true to the reality at the time.⁠
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That being said, this book was about so much more than tragedy and politics and espionage; it was mostly about friendship, family, and loyalty, especially amongst women. It was also about finding pleasure and happiness in the little things.⁠
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It was pretty slow-paced, at least for me, but overall, it was a very interesting and enjoyable read. I loved getting to know the three women and their families, and I learned a lot about Iraq in that particular period of time.⁠
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You might enjoy this if you like...⁠
🤍 historical fiction about wars/dictatorship;⁠
🤍 character-driven stories (though this one has some action too!);⁠
🤍 books about female friendship and dynamics.

An interesting look into the physical and emotional landscape of Iraq, based on the author’s own experience as a foreign news correspondent. The tale is quite immersive, dropping you into both the oppressive heat and the oppressive regime of the modern era. Contrasted with this are the memories of our one of our three protagonists’ (Ally) mother, who lived and worked in Baghdad during freer times a couple of decades prior.

A debut novel for Gina Wilkinson, When the Apricots Bloom is Part mystery, part intrigue, part women’s fiction, this was a fascinating read into a part of the world that most Americans do not have the opportunity to see or experience. As well, it’s a thrilling adventure told through the tenuous friendships of three women, each from very different worlds.

This book is highly recommended for book club readers and those who appreciate (even more recent) historical fiction.

A big thank you to Gina Wilkinson, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for providing an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for this review.

Please consider buying a copy of When the Apricots Bloom from bookshop.org – the online bookstore that gives 75% of each book’s profit margins back to independent bookshops – at https://bookshop.org/lists/best-fiction-of-2021.

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Beautifully written suspenseful and atmospheric story. It is crazy to believe that this story is partially based on real events, it definitely adds to the feeling of resiliency and what people will do to escape/fight back against authoritarian regimes.

What an amazing novel! This is a work of fiction based on the authors true experiences and tells an amazing story of life in Iraq under Saddam Hussain‘s regime. The author does a wonderful job bringing her characters, reality, and the fears to life. I felt myself carried along by the story and loving every moment. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
#netgalley #whentheapricotsbloom

I wanted to love this book. It was just okay. I wanted to be swept up in the different perspectives and time periods but the story read like three different people who had nothing to do with each other and so the story wasn't cohesive. As an overall it just didn't work for me.

The premise of these 3 distinct women immediately drew me in. Focusing on a time period that is rarely the subject of historical fiction, I loved the cultural and political aspects and history that Wilkinson's work exposed us to. The diverse and changing society within Iraq during Hussein's regime, the shifting and uneasy atmosphere that shaped an entire generation were fascinating and heartbreaking. Seeing how the starved economy laid the foundation ripe for exploitation and dictatorship was hard to get through but important to see and understand.

However, the characters themselves fell a bit flat for me. While I understood the thread each was meant to contribute, I didn't feel invested in how they came together. The execution of the shifting narratives made it difficult to understand who was who in the beginning and felt overwhelming. The format of the eARC also made it difficult to read and the lack of chapter breaks created a lot of confusion.

I would recommend this in finished format, especially consider the moment in time captured.

This book was good but didn't capture my attention as much as expected. I found the writing jumped around and it felt a little disjointed at times. Overall, it was a good book, I would probably give it 3.5

Another good book with a different story and a significantly different location (from my usual reads) has been sitting in my TBR for a while now. From recent experience, it turns out that if I pick up such a book from the older ones on my virtual shelf, I end up sitting and reading them in almost one sitting!
The author's note at the end is very revealing in terms of the actual facts that she drew this fictional tale from. It added an extra something to the narrative. It is based in Baghdad during Saddam Hussein's rule. I knew next to nothing about a situation because in the early 2000s I was busy wrapping up high school, and I did not indulge in many conversations which involved world affairs then. The book was illuminating and suffocating in equal parts. It was easy to feel the paranoia (can it be called that when it is justified?) seeping out from the page. We have one white woman, a diplomat's wife and two local women with vastly different lives. Each is carrying their own burden, and their lives intertwine together unexpectedly.
Given the way the background was provided and how the story turned out, I would have liked it even more if one of their tales (I am not going to reveal which one) did not turn out the way it did. It did not add much to the entire story for me. The book is not a happy story, and that is something a reader must know going in, given where and when it is based- I do not think anyone will expect it to be.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Set in Baghdad, during the Sadam Hussein regime in the early 2000s, we meet three women: Huda, Rania and Ally. Living under the threat of her family being hurt by the mukhabarat, the Iraq secret police, Huda is ordered to befriend Ally, the wife of an Australian diplomat, and report back to them on her activities. We later learn of Ally's secrets and the fractured childhood friendship between Huda and Rania, and whether they can all work together to save themselves and their families.

Inspired by the author's own time and experiences in Iraq during this time, the story was suspenseful and illustrated what an incredibly scary time it must've been to live through. I enjoyed learning each of the women's stories and secrets, and following their coming together to try and save their families from the mukhabarat.

When the Apricots Bloom follows three woman during the political unrest of 2002 Iraq. Huda and Rania are childhood friends who have not seen each other in years and harbor ill feelings for each other. Ally is a diplomats wife with secrets of her own as she tries to find ties to the Baghdad of her mothers era.

Going into this one I did not really know what to expect and I think that really helped. I loved this book and honestly could not put it down once I reached the 75% mark. Knowing that the author based some of the events in the book of her own experiences in Baghdad makes the story all the more heart pounding. While I would not necessarily classify this as a historical fiction novel I believe anyone who likes both literary fiction or historical fiction will enjoy this one.

I couldn't connect with this story at all. I had expected a story between three women and a lovely friendship blossoming between them but I didn't really get that. I liked that all three of them had different situations and were strong, smart in a time of Hussein's rule. I loved the idea around it but it was slow paced.

Also, it kind of reminded me of American Dirt as a white women is writing a POV of Iraqi women. Wilkinson definitely did her research and she did live there, based it off her experience but I don't know how I feel about that. Overall, I just couldn't connect with this. Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Three brave women face fear and impossible choices as they survive under the Saddam Hussain reign at the turn of the century. Pulled from her own experiences living under the deadly regime comes a brutal, suspenseful, evocative novel of humanity and desperation.

The complexities of motherhood, loyalty, deception and friendship are laid bare as the characters grapple with their pasts, choices—and each other. Not sure if I took a single breath in those last few pages.

I loved this book. So much.

Poetic, lyrical, heartfelt.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Based on true events from the author’s life, this novel is full of suspense, intrigue,deception, and betrayal. The three women are strong and independent characters whose lives intersect, and have bearing on each other. The writing is atmospheric of Iraq and the people who live there. It was an enjoyable read.
Many thanks to Kensington Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

An intimate look into what life was like under the Iraqi regime of Sadam Hussein, particularly for women. An unforgettable tale about three women whose lives will never be the same again

Beware! Gina Wilkinson’s When the Apricots Bloom, set in Iraq under Saddam, may keep you reading into the late hours of the night. Huda and Rania are childhood “blood sisters,” who had promised never to keep secrets from each other or to be cursed by suffering for themselves and the next generation of their families if they did. Eventually estranged because of social class and politics, they find themselves in an adversarial relationship when they meet again years later.

While Huda works as a secretary in the Australian embassy in Baghdad, the secret police force her to befriend the ambassador’s wife and to report information she can gather. Ally, that wife, is on her own dangerous secret mission to gather information about her mother who had worked in Baghdad years earlier and died when Ally was still a small child.

As an art gallery owner, Rania also becomes acquainted with Ally, who quickly senses an underlying problem between Huda and Rania. Yet they have bigger problems. Dangers lurk around the corner and occasionally come breaking down the front gate or sit down opposite someone at the ice cream shop.

Told in alternating points of view by these three women, this riveting historical fiction novel puts a human face on domestic and international politics. Ultimately, however, it is a story of strength and hope.

I felt as if I had been transported to Baghdad.

Thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Books, and Gina Wilkinson for an advance copy of this riveting novel inspired by Wilkinson's time in Iraq during Saddam Hussein's rule and the Iraq War..