I could not put down this novel about three women living in Iraq during Saddam Hussein’s rule. The principal characters were well drawn and I enjoyed the in depth look at this place and time.

Every once in a while, you come across a book that completely pulls you in from the very first page and then leaves you wanting more after the last page is read. A book with characters and events so real that you read with your heart in your throat. “When The Apricots Bloom” by Gina Wilkinson is one such a book. It is the story of three very different women living in Iraq during the oppressive dictatorship of Saddam Hussein. Ally is the wife of an Australian diplomat who desires to find the truth about her mother’s time as a nurse in Iraq in the 1970s. Hudah is an Iraqi commoner who works at the Australian Embassy and is coerced by the secret police to inform on Ally. Rania is a member of the Iraqi elite who desires above all to protect her daughter. The lives of the three women collide as they do what they have to do to survive under the regime.

Meticulously researched and based on her own life experiences, the author paints a vivid picture of what life was like in Iraq during the reign of Saddam Hussein. I was utterly captivated by the characters and the plot was riveting and, at times, absolutely chilling.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the privilege of reading an advanced digital copy of this fabulous book in exchange for my honest review.

What initially drew me to this story was the cover, and then the synopsis. Based somewhat off the author's own experience, this story tell of life during the Hussain rule, from distantly different backgrounds. One main character is from the west, while the other two are from the east. Together, this meshed for quite an insightful read.

The plot felt like it could be an impactful book, that was emotional and engaging. For me, it did not end like that. The writing was well developed; however, the characters didn't draw me in and engage me. I felt like this would be a dark book, but it felt hazy, like I wasn't truly there and I think that's what it needed, at least for me.

I did find I learned something from this story, which for me is important for a book of this sort. Of a time and place I have no relation to, nor in-depth knowledge.

This is When Apricots Bloom, or when American Dirt meets A Thousand Splendid Suns.

This is the story of Huda, Rania and Ally. Huda and Rania are two Iraqi women, former best friends with a heavy past. Ally is the spouse of Australian Deputy Ambassador Tom Wilson. Huda works for the Australian Embassy as a local secretary. The Mukhbarat, the Iraqi secret police, is keeping as close eye on Huda as she is working for foreigners. To stay in control on all citizens, they pressure Huda to become an informant and report everything she possible can on Ally. From who calls her to who she has lunch with. She needs to fake a close friendship so Ally can open up to her and start spilling all her secrets. The dangers is that Ally holds a secret which, if discovered, can put her, her diplomat husband and those around her in danger, to include Huda, her husband Abdul Amir and son Khalid.

Author Gina Wilkinson has lived in Iraq during the Saddam Hussein regime as well as during the Iraq War. She shares similar traits as Ally and that's what makes this story another-level: even though one cannot fathom living understand such atrocious circumstances (all households had for instance to have a framed photo of Saddam in their living room, front and center next to their wedding photo or their children's portraits to show their support and adoration), those horrific acts of violence and tyranny really happened in the 21st century.

I did not like Huda and Rania first -I had issues with their two-faced personality, the lies, the manipulation. I tried to persuade myself that they were doing all this to protect their children, but regardless, I couldn't get rid of the feeling.. until the end.. I cannot spoil the ending and I won't, but it was so good and so badass!! Huda went above and beyond to protect her son Khalid, Rania's daughter Hanan and Ally, my heart swell with pride as a mother to another mother. Powerful!

A master of storytelling, Gina Wilkinson surely delivered with When Apricots Bloom. A unusual story of family, motherly love, friendship, sacrifice, search for truths, and life under a dictatorship, And Gina proved that one does not need to be of similar ethnic descent in order to tell a story of a community (or nation in this case). I adored this book!!

Thank you Net Galley and Kensington Publishing Corps for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have never read a story set in Iraq under Sadam Hussein’s regime, so I was totally drawn to this one for that reason. I learned a lot about living under an unreasonable and egocentric dictator. I often found myself feeling so grateful to live in a country where I have the freedoms I do, and hoping that I never know the life these people know. Though the three women in the story were drawn to each other, they also knew that they couldn’t trust anyone. How hard it must be to live in a world where you’re always looking over your back, never knowing who you can trust, and fearing you’ll be caught up in something you never intended to.

Breathtaking, haunting and complex, the author, Gina Wilkinson draws on her own experience as a foreign correspondent and focuses on Iraq at the turn of the Millennium.
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Quite honestly, I did not know much about this time period or this culture but this gripping novel had me hooked. Three different women must find any way to survive under the terror regime with secret police always around.
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There is always the question of loyalty and who you can truly trust. With the whisper of the trees as they waive sending the sweet smell of apricots in the wind brings the fear that someone is out there listening. There is fear around every single corner and I felt on edge for all three women.
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This book had me never so thankful to be living in a free country. It’s horrifying to imagine this may be a work of fiction but could be someone’s reality.
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Profound and beautiful Wilkinson paints a portrait of survival and sacrifice.
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Thank you to #netgalley and #kensingtonbooks for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
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Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy. I enjoyed this mysterious historical fiction and especially appreciate that this novel is clean, without expletives or intimate scenes. I was thoroughly enjoying the story until about halfway through the book. At that point, the plot turns more sinister, political, and violent. Also, more romance comes into the story, while it is not the main element of the plot. This book helps Westerners see how Iraqi people lived under the Saddam Hussein regime, and helps us appreciate our freedom more. I enjoyed how the second half of the book develops the plot into an adventurous read. Even though this is an adult fiction novel, I can recommend it to high schoolers. Thank you for a happy ending!

When the Apricots Bloom
By Gina Wilkinson

When the Apricots Bloom by Gina Wilkinson is a debut novel that is both powerful and memorable. The story is influenced by the authors’ time in Baghdad as a foreign correspondent and whose friend is someone whom she later realized was a secret informant.

When The Apricots Bloom tells the tale of three women’s lives each unique in their perspectives and stories in Iraq during the ruthless reign of Saddam Hussein. The author weaves the stories beautifully in a suspenseful and atmospheric read.

Ally is an Australian woman accompanying her husband on a diplomatic posting, a journalist who must become a housewife for the purposes of her visa.

Rania is an artist who has been involved in secret rebellion in the past and who is barely managing to scrape by.

Huda who works as a secretary at the Australian embassy, is required by the secret police, the mukhabarat, to spy on Ally.

The writing transported me not only to the time of this intriguing story but also immersed me in learning about the rich history, the art scene, and the book markets. The story in its core is about the past, secrets, friendships, forgiveness, motherhood, trust, grief and loss.

A work of historical fiction that takes place in Iraq during the time of Saddam Hussein, this is an interesting novel. It was fascinating to read about life in Baghdad during that period, with fear ruling the lives of many. These lives have similarities to those who lived during the Nazi regime - feeling powerless against government and being constantly under scrutiny. The characters drive the plot as the three women are drawn together despite their different circumstances and status. The basic needs of love and security and wanting to protect one's child are what motivate Raina and Huda to their actions. Ally on the other hand, wants to find truths about her mother and in doing so learns what it means to be in Iraq during Hussein's rule. Friendship and love are universal themes explored in this novel, at a time and place vastly unfamiliar. I recommend it!

I wanted to put this book down and blot the memories of what life was like for real people in Saddam’s Iraq. When Huda is asked by the secret police to spy on the Australian deputy ambassador’s wife, she has no choice, the secret police are threatening her son. Ally Wilson hopes that her husband’s posting to Baghdad will help her track down information about her mother who was a nurse there in the 1970’s, but she’s unaware of how her interest threatens the safety of her Iraqi friends. Huda’s childhood friend, Rainia, an artist is also drawn into the terror of the secret police when they threaten her daughter’s future by offering her to Saddam’s equally sadistic brother. This was so suspenseful and the danger so real, I, a lifelong Democrat, kept hoping George W Bush would ride in on his white horse to save them. This debut novel was inspired by Gina Wilkinson’s experience in Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. Don’t skip the author’s notes at the end.

Through reading I've lived 1000 lives

I absolutely loved this story, it was amazing to get lost in this world and see the perspective through three different ladies eyes. The writing was amazing and the story really held my attention. It's one I will think about for a long time.

Wilkinson’s writing is atmospheric and riveting that brings readers into the heart of Iraq during the tyrannical reign of Saddam Hussein. No one can be trusted; friendships are fragile and dangerous.

Huda is a secretary at the Australian embassy and has been ordered by the mukhabarat - Iraqi secret police to become an informant and befriend Ally Wilson, the deputy ambassador’s wife. They threaten to put her young son into the fayadeen (brutal militia that is known to kill women & children). As she gets to know Ally, Huda struggles with her own morals and wonders if they would have been friends in different circumstances. Unbeknownst to her, Ally has her own perilous secrets. As Ally has her own motives, she fails to realize that as a white woman in a foreign country her actions and words can be fatal to her & those around her. “Didn’t anyone ever teach you? Two can keep a secret only when one of them is dead.”

Rania lived a privileged life as a sheikh’s daughter and has known Huda since childhood. More specifically, in the prologue of the novel, they swore to be “blood sisters” & to never have secrets. Fast forward 25 years, betrayal, heart break and too many dark secrets have torn their friendship apart. Rania’s wealth is gone, and she is fighting to keep her 14 year old daughter from Hussein’s infamous son, Uday known to rape, torture and kill young girls.

As their paths intersect, each woman’s hidden past comes to the forefront. Their lives are in the hands of the oppressive dictatorship of Saddam Hussein & his men. Forgiveness, friendship, and a mother’s love may be what ties these three women together to fight for their lives & future.

“In that moment, past and future, loyalty and betrayal, all seemed to collide”.

Author Gina Wilkinson is inspired by her own experiences living in Iraq under this regimen and later during the Iraq War, she became close to someone who turned out to be an informant. It seems that instead of bitterness towards this person, she wondered if they had been friends too. This is what is at the heart of this novel.

“Throughout, I’ve found that while we might pray in a certain way, cover our hair or not, bake our bread flat or leavened, at heart we want the same things – safety, peace, love. We share far more in common than that which divides us” – Gina Wilkinson in her author’s note for this novel.

Thank you Kensington Books & NetGalley for sending me both the physical ARC & ebook ARC for this wonderful novel.

“When the Apricots Bloom” by Gina Wilkinson is an incredible work of historical fiction inspired by the author’s time living as a “dependent spouse” in Baghdad during Sadaam Hussein’s regime. We’ll start by saying we loved this book and HIGHLY recommend you read this for a few different reasons:

We like to think we recognize true champions of women when we see them in literature and this novel is a beautiful example. You can’t read this and not label these three unlikely friends as brave and courageous in the face of extreme danger. These women represent a lot of facets of womanhood - but the drive they carry to protect their children due to their intense love of family is inspiring.📚

This novel provides enormous world building 🌍 and insight into what living in Baghdad would have been like. It was important for us to note that among all the intimidation, fear, and ruthlessness Gina Wilkinson exemplified a rich culture in the city. You could almost smell the markets and see the colors just be reading! 😍 Also importantly was recognizing again that among all the wealth and power there are also the same systems in place to oppress the marginalized and squash the voices of the free.

This book was compelling, attention-grabbing, beautifully crafted and suspenseful. It had a little bit of everything but most importantly (like the best of historical fiction), it offered us perspective and a well painted picture into what living during this time may have felt like. Three cheers for Gina Wilkinson! 💗

Thank you to Netgalley, Kensington Publishing Corp., and Gina Wilkinson for a copy of the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

When the Apricots Bloom is a well-written look at the life people lived under the Hussein regime of Iraq, and how it forced people to do things they wouldn't normally do, and how the slightest unsavory comment casually mentioned to even the closest of friends could literally be the undoing of someone - and their whole entire family. Wilkinson chooses to focus her book on the interconnection of three women, Huda, a woman who grew up poor but has elevated herself to a role in the Australian embassy, Rania, the daughter of a sheikh from the same tribe as Huda that has now fallen on harder times, and Ally, the young wife of an Australian ambassador. While Huda and Rania have drifted apart over the years they are brought back together when Huda, acting as an informant through no choice of her own, brings Ally into the orbit of Rania. And while Ally's intentions for following her husband to Iraq to learn more about her deceased mother are pure they set in motion a course of events that put her as well as Huda and Rania's families at risk. There are many points during this book where it's hard not to feel some disgust at a decision someone makes, but at the same time it's hard not to imagine making the same one yourself if put in that same position. It never feels like Wilkinson over dramatizes her story which makes the fact that people live like this so much more horrifying. There's also a point in the story where Huda is concerned about a movement involving clerics that would strip women of even more rights and how Saddam Hussein at least allowed women some rights and control. This simple moment to me in the book amplified how as outsiders we don't always realize the potential ramifications of getting involved in something we don't fully understand. And while this book does a beautiful job of teaching me how dangerous and complicated life in Iraq under Hussein was, it feels like just the tiniest peek into a different world through the eyes of three different, but strong women.

I found the ARC copy of this really hard to read because of the format it was sent to me. I didn't understand when one thought ended and a new one began. I have place a hold from the library which isn't available but if it does become available will try the read again.

When the Apricots Bloom is an impressive debut novel based on the author's own experiences as a former foreign correspondent and partner of a diplomat living in Iraq during Saddam Hussein's rule.

The book centers on three women from very different backgrounds. Ally, 27, is the wife of Tom Wilson, 34, the Deputy Ambassador in the Australian Embassy in Baghdad. They have been married ony six months, and Ally is the only diplomat's wife in Baghdad. Her days are long and lonely. A former journalist, she spends her spare time looking for information about her mother, an American who served as a nurse in Baghdad when she was young. She died of cancer when Ally was five, and her parents and grandparents won't discuss her. Ally is determined to learn all she can about her mother while in Iraq.

Rania is the granddaughter of a sheikh. Raised wanting for nothing, like everyone else her economic situation has changed drastically under Hussein's rule. Her husband of less than a year was killed when he was called up to fight the war with Iran. Rania was six months pregnant with her daughter (now 14) Hanan at the time. Now she lives by selling her grandfather's possessions and the few painting commissions she can get. She has sent her daughter to live with her mother in the village near where whe was raised for safety reasons.

Huda is a secretary in the Australian Embassy and Hussein's secret police have coerced her into being an informant for them. Her real job is to get close to Tom and Ally and gather any information she can find out and pass along to the police. She is married and has a son, Khalid, 13. Raised in a poor village, she and Rania were friends in their girlhood days and even took a blood oath of sisterhood. Past events have changed their friendship however, and now they are each cautious toward the other.

The three women's lives intersect and tentative bonds are formed/re-formed, even as past and present secrets and the constant possibility of betrayal test their loyalties. When the danger for both Khalid and Hanan increases, the women must each decide how much they truly trust each other and what they are willing to risk to keep the children safe.

This is an immersive and suspenseful read. Wilkinson does a marvelous job of bringing both life in Iraq and her rich and complex characters to life. I look forward to reading her next offering!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book which is scheduled for publication on 2/1/21. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I'm so glad I grabbed this book. This was one of those books where I didn't really have any interest in reading until I read the first look. Once I read that, I knew this was something I had to read, especially given the fact that the Saddam Hussein's regime has always interested me because I always wondered how he came so powerful.

This is a story about friendship, family and protection. a childhood relationship which is put to the test as both Huda and Rania try to save their children from the danger of their home.

Huda is asked to befriend American Ally Wilson, whose husband is the deputy ambassador. The friendshipo is strictly for Huda to obtain information to use against America.

Wilkinson did such a great job of putting us readers right there with the characters. She describes the atmosphere so realistically that its easy to imagine it in your head!

Thank you so much to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for an Arc in exchange for my honest review

I received this book from Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
What an intriguing tale of friendship, betrayal, fear and motherhood. Based on real events, and set in Iraq during a dictatorship, this book resonates with fear and hope; dreams of a better life. This story has many threads to follow throughout the telling. Highly recommended for book club discussions. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will recommend it to family and friends.

I’ve never read historical fiction during the time of Saddam Hueissen so I was looking forward to it. The author did an amazing job of taking me to that place and time. The characters and details were well developed. My favorite part of the book was reading about the friendships and the 3 women’s lives. I highly recommend this book!!

This is the story of three women living under the terrifying reign of Saddam Hussein. Huda and Rania grew up together but years of resentment and grief have torn them apart. Ally, the wife of an Australian diplomat, is haunted by photographs of her own mother’s time in Iraq and desperate to understand what happened to her. Huda is working at the embassy when the secret police put her in the impossible predicament of having to befriend Ally to pass on her secrets. As Ally begins investigating what happened to her mother, she is invited to a party where Rania and Huda come face to face again. The more questions Ally asks, the more nervous Huda and Rania become. The tensions mount as pressure from the secret police grows. Their lives and the lives of their families are in jeopardy. No one is safe and the three women must decide who they can trust. / Wilkinson was inspired by her own time spent in Iraq under Saddam Hussein’s regime and she explains in the author’s note that this novel is her attempt to work out her own experience. Like Ally, she, too, was befriended by an Iraqi woman who was informing on her. The three fictional women are so beautifully complex as they grapple with trust, loyalty, maternal love, and forgiveness. Wilkinson describes the reality of living under a dictator so well--you could feel the eyes of the secret police everywhere. The story races along to its dramatic and satisfying conclusion. This debut novel is fantastic.