3.5 stars

Huda and Rania were childhood best friends, torn apart by the devastating consequences of the revolution that Saddam Hussein’s rule was determined to extinguish.

Now married with a son, Huda has found work as a secretary at the Australian embassy in Baghdad. The pay is a blessing since her husband’s career has come to a halt along with the economy. Unfortunately her position has gained the attention of the Iraqi secret police and they want her to befriend Ally Wilson, the deputy ambassador’s wife, to gain her trust and hopefully information that could be used against America. The threat grows each day that she doesn’t have useful information and soon her teenaged son could be forced to join the militia.

Rania’s privileged upbringing is in the distant past. Her family’s wealth is now non-existent and her daughter has caught the eye of a dangerous member of the regime.

The former friends are reunited in their desperate attempt to save their children from the growing dangers of their homeland.

Newlywed Ally Wilson was determined to travel with her husband to Baghdad. Her mother died when she was a child and all she has left are postcards she sent during her time in Baghdad. Ally has so many questions and, as a former journalist, isn’t afraid to dig for answers. Looking for answers in Baghdad is almost certainly a death sentence, especially when Ally has secrets to hide.

The lives of Huda, Rania, and Ally intersect in this novel about friendship, motherhood, and betrayal in the middle of Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship.

While I love the idea of this story - the atmosphere, the relationships, the intense scrutiny as the government watches everyone and anyone could turn against you - it fell short for me. I never felt a connection to the characters; it lacked the emotional level I would expect. While the complexities of the relationships are stated and understood, it isn’t detailed in a way that allowed me to become swept up in the urgency.
The greatest strength of this novel is its atmosphere; the descriptions of locations and the strategies of the secret police are exceptional. I was surprised and fascinated by the author’s note which explains that Gina Wilkinson is a former foreign correspondent who witnessed Baghdad under Hussein’s rule.

Thanks to Kensington Publishing Group and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. When the Apricots Bloom is scheduled for release on February 2, 2021.

This is the story of three women whose lives intersect during the reign of Saddam Hussain in Iraq.

Ally, the wife of the Australian deputy ambassador, Huda, an Iraqi working as a secretary at the Australian Embassy, and Rania a childhood friend of Huda's, whos family was wealthy and she was the daughter of a sheikh, but now are almost destitute.

Huda befriends Ally, to be an informant to the secret police, because Huda's son is threatened. Rania is drawn back into Huda's circle because her daughter is threatened by one of Saddam's sons. Ally is looking for information about her mother who worked in Iraq in the 1970's. All three women have secrets that they keep to themselves, unless it benefits them to share.

The terror, scare tactics, and targeting the most precious thing a parent has, by the Saddam Hussein regime, is balanced with the women coming together to help, console, and lean upon each other. Ultimately the question is, to save your family, what will a mother endure?

As the great-granddaughter of a physician who emigrated to American from Persia/Iran in the early 1900's, I was intrigued by this book. From family oral history, we would have been in the same situation as Rania. Once having been part of the ruling class, then after the regime change, having nothing. The Middle East has always intrigued me because of my genealogical roots there.

A fascinating book by a new author.

3.5 stars

“Didn’t anyone ever teach you? Two can keep a secret only when one of them is dead.”

This novel follows three women living under Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq: Rania, a daughter of a sheikh; Huda, her less privileged friend from childhood; and Ally, the wife of an Australian diplomat. In a time where you can’t trust anyone and you always have to be wary of recording devices, these three women’s lives intertwine.

When Huda’s job as a secretary to Ally’s husband leads the secret police to recruit her as an informer, she has no choice but to join them to protect herself and her son. While she doesn’t think that Ally is hiding anything of importance, she soon realizes that she was mistaken. When Huda decides to attempt to deliver her son to safety, she ropes Rania in.

Wilkinson did a good job of painting a picture of the widespread mistrust and fear in Baghdad under Hussein. However, it took a long time to get into the story and I was not all too invested. The characters made some decisions that I did not really understand and that did not seem realistic. Ally was painted as an extremely naive and useless housewife, despite the fact that the reader knows from the beginning that she is actually a journalist.

It’s hard to believe the events in this book were actually inspired by the author, Gina Wilkinson’s own experiences in Iraq during the time Saddam Hussein was in power. Throughout most of the book, I was saddened and at times horrified by the oppression that the people were under.

Gina definitely grabbed my attention with her careful details, and even though the things some of the people were doing seemed to be wrong, I felt compassion for them and hoped that they would find a way to save themselves and those they loved. The book became more and more suspenseful the further I read, and I was rooting for the characters, while unsure how it would turn out.

Five stars for a book I am sure will be one of the best fiction books of the year.

When the Apricots Bloom was a compelling and fascinating book about life in Baghdad for three friends. Not only did this book have an eye popping the cover but I got sucked in right from the start.

I found this story to be a great way to understand life under Saddam Hussein’s rule, especially as a female citizen. Their life was stagnated and undervalued in so many ways and their pledge to Hussein had to be blatantly shown or their life was threatened. When two ex-best-friends are brought back into each other’s lives due the arrival of the Australian Ambassador’s young wife, a three-person friendship triangle ensues. The government has threatened the two local women, by means of their children, which adds the suspense angle to the book.

The story is what made the book shine. Within the pages, Wilkinson touches on many relatable topics such as friendship, loyalty, trust, art, gender roles, parenting and of course has several “What would I do?” moments peppered throughout. Some of those moments broke my heart as feelings of being trapped and damned if you do, damned if you don’t came over me. The writing was solid, yet I could feel the author’s background as a journalist/foreign correspondent come through in some scenes.

The book had an added sense of credibility as the author lived in Iraq during Hussein’s regime. Years after she left, she learned that one of her closest friends in Baghdad was a government informant, reporting back about her activities and actions. I’m thrilled she took her experience and molded into a fictional novel.

I did not finish this story and therefore cannot give it a full review. I got about 63% of the way through the novel before putting it down.

I felt the writing to be somewhat stilted and lacking in emotion, with characters purposefully kept at a distance from the reader. Although this could have been an authorial choice to indicate the lack of emotional truth in Iraq during the time period, it didn't land well and made it hard to press on through the thick plot of the story.

Additionally, I did not feel entirely comfortable reading a white author's perspective on Iraq circumstances, culture and traditions, even though I am aware she's a journalist and documentarian who lived in Iraq. I think the dual perspective of the Iraqi women and Australian protagonist may have furthered this disconnect.

“In Iraq, every friendship is a risk.”

I was intrigued by this book because it was written by a former foreign correspondent and documentary maker, Gina Wilkinson.

This book was exceptional, both for the complexity of its central characters and for the glimpse into life under Sadam Hussein. For many, especially women, there were no good choices in Iraq at the time. The paranoia led to a life where no one could be trusted, even family. They faced the secret police unit that could knock on their front door or even break it down. Knowing they could be arrested and tortured since people disappeared all the time, fear ruled their lives. This book made me so tense and I couldn't put it down. The friendship between two very unlikely women kept me totally gripped onto every page.

Huda al Basri and her husband, Abdul Amir, both had good jobs in Baghdad before the rise of Saddam Hussein, when Western sanctions virtually cut Iraq off from the rest of the world. By 2002, she considers herself lucky to have a secretarial position at the Australian Embassy despite the blow it causes to Abdul's pride (because of higher pay and status). The position puts her in close contact with Ally Wilson, wife of the new Deputy Ambassador which draws the attention of the secret police. She's forced to develop a friendship and report back every mundane detail. Refusal isn't an option, especially after they threaten her son.

This is a really important book to read, especially for Americans who may not fully realize the damage caused in the daily lives of those in the region. Highly recommend this one!

I’m always fascinated to hear real accounts of what it’s like to live abroad, especially in countries very different than the US, and although this is fiction, I know it’s loosely based on the author’s real-life experiences, which made When the Apricots Bloom even more fascinating. I loved the descriptions of the souk and the landscape, and the characters felt real to me. I definitely want to read more by Gina Wilkinson.

Such a great read. I really enjoyed the plot of the story. I felt like I was a character interacting within the story. Cannot wait for another book by This author.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy! I very much enjoyed the perspective that the author brought to this story. Her real life experiences really shaped the story and made it very real. I felt transported to another country and time with this book. I felt connected to the characters and invested in their desire to save their children from the horrors that would likely befall them. It is sometimes hard to believe what other families endure in countries far removed from our own but this book took us on a journey in history not that long ago and helped me understand. The author does such a fantastic job painting a picture of where they are with sights and smells, that I found it easy to immerse myself into the book and feel the heat and sand and smell the apricots bloom.

I really enjoyed this book that takes place in Iraq in the early 2000. The story, the characters, and the writing was definitely worth the read. The violence was unsettling and some of the suspense seemed manufactured. However there were some beautiful sentences and original analogies that I highlighted.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Who would you betray to protect your family? This stunning novel explores the topic and all of it’s complexities as it examines the live of three women in Iraq during Sudan Hussein’s rein of terror prior to the Iraq War. The author was stationed as a diplomat’s wife in Iraq during the same time period the story takes place and has spun her real life experiences into fiction giving a poignant female perspective of life under the dictatorship of Sadam Hussein.

Two of the women -Raina, the daughter of a Sheik has education and respect and Huda a poor village girl were childhood best friends who had a seemingly irreparable falling out during the failed uprising. Both are now mothers of teenagers and society is on the brink of collapse as the regime and religious clerics tighten their stranglehold on the citizens . The dangers comes home as Huda’s son is at risk for being forced into the death squad, and Raina’s daughter as sex slave to one of Sadam’s sons.

At the same time they are faced with mundane dram of everyday life, a husband who has lost his job and all of the recognizable worries of modern parenting. An example when Huda is dropping her teen son off at a park to meet a friend:
“Are you sure about this?” Huda peered through the windshield. “Where’s Bakr?”
“He’ll be here.” Khalid unbuckled his seat belt. “We’re a little early, that’s all.”
“How early? I don’t want you wandering about and getting into mischief.” He rolled his eyes and threw open the car door. “Kiss your mother goodbye first,” said Huda.
He offered his cheek, mouth twisting, like he’d sucked on a Basra lime. “You’re sure Bakr’s mom will drive you home?” She tried to wipe a smudge of lipstick from his cheek, but Khalid evaded her and clambered out of the car.
“Mom, stop worrying.”
“Be good. Stay safe!” she cried. “I love you, my darling.”

Now Raina and Huda must over come past grievances to join forces once again to keep their children safe.

The third woman Allie , the young wife of an Australian diplomat. She has secrets of her own as she tries to find out what happened during her mother’s visit to Iraq 30 years earlier.
Huda working is a secretary in Australian embassy is conscripted by the mukhabarat to befriend Allie and inform on her activities.
Danger is ever present and lies piles up until all is revealed in the thrilling and satisfying conclusion.
Highly recommend.

A brilliant book that gave a real insight into what it must have been like living under Saddam. I connected with all the women for different reasons. Who knows what you would do to save your family. Impossible choices.
Quite a slow book but it kept me enthralled. I very much enjoyed the writing style.
It's so easy to judge Huda but could any of us say we wouldn't act in a similar way? I thought , despite her being a "spy" that Huda was a very brave and self resilient woman. The author's note at the end should be read too as it helps explain the characters.
A truly remarkable novel that will stay with me

Such an amazingly intertwined story. Loved the multiple viewpoints and the characters’ back stories.

This book was an engaging portrait of Saddam-regime era Iraq, and the three main characters are so well- drawn. Highly recommended!

The title, cover, and description of this story were all appealing to me. I was really looking forward to reading it, but unfortunately it wasn't one of my favorites. The plot seemed to drag on throughout the book. At some points, I even found myself nodding off. Although the writing style was really pleasant, there just wasn't enough happening for me to stay hooked.

Ally Wilson, new wife of an Australian diplomat in Baghdad, has secrets, as do the other two women featured in this novel that is set in Saddam Hussein's Iraq. But it is Ally that Gina Wilkinson identifies with most closely both have had experience as American journalists, Wilkerson shares Wilson's status as a "dependent spouse," and this setting provides the strongest element of the story. She also had the experience of having been befriended by a woman who turns out to be an informant to Saddam's secret police, the Mukhabarat, which she didn't discover until later. Wilkinson has woven a work of fiction around these experiences, one that is uneven but does have some surprising elements.

This story, though fiction, I feel really portrays the lives of the citizens of Baghdad, the Capital of Iraq during the Saddam Hussein Dictatorship. The author bases her novel on her own real life experiences and tells a very convincing plot. Though men also suffered hardships, the women were treated the worst. Through the characters of three women, having different backgrounds and responsibilities, a well rounded view is created to allow the reader to understand how dangerous living in Baghdad could be under a cruel Dictator like Hussein. His regime produced some wicked soldiers from whom women had to fear rape, torture, and death. Even very young ladies were not spared. It is very sad to think that people who wanted out of this Country because they feared for their life and the lives of their children and family were tortured or killed if they tried to escape. It's hard to imagine having to experience that level of fear on a daily basis and for such a long period of time. Everything they said, everywhere they went, everyone they encountered were all scrutinized and highly questioned. Yet, it is surprising how many remained loyal to their Country, even though they feared their Dictator.

Three different women. A secretary and an artist, both who were once childhood friends and a diplomat’s wife. What do these three have in common? They all live in Baghdad during Saddam Hussein’s totalitarian regime with all the fears, pressures, and betrayals that life during that time contained.

After a brief flashback to the childhood of Huda and Rania, the story joins the women as adults who have been torn apart by history, grief, anger and untold stories with wealthy aristocratic Raina working as an artist and working-class Huda employed as a secretary for the Australian Ambassador to Iraq whilst Ally is the outsider who comes to be with her diplomat husband with her own share of secrets that makes being in Iraq a danger to her life. Huda is forced by the secret police to develop a "friendship" with Ally and to keep them informed of her actions. Raina is forced to accept commissions from the regime to make ends meet whilst keeping her true poverty secret from her only child and Ally if forced by emotional ties to search for a time and place that no longer exists, for her mother who lived in a free Iraq that she lost to cancer as a child.

Sadly Huda as a character comes across as a cold, harsh, calculating woman who will go to any lengths to protect her family, including blackmailing Rania, a single mother who herself is under pressure from a loss of prestige and wealth when her sheik father died. Huda is also acting as an informant for the secret police on her bosses wife Ally, who is trying to make sense of her own troubled past and the life her mother lived and the mistakes she made whilst living in Iraq during the 1960s and ’70s and the repercussions that have crept into the present.

This novel looks at friendship, trust, love, and loyalty during an era when such things were potentially dangerous if not downright impossible. It paints a picture of the creeping dread that was part of everyday life. The double standards, the racism and the cruelty are all portrayed as common, almost banal in nature which leaves the reader with a chill up and down the spine. The desperation of the citizens of Iraq is almost crushing in spirit to read. The two Iraqi nationals are compelled by circumstance to force the Australian woman into playing a part in helping them escape their country to save their children from what is perceived to be fates worse than death. It is brutal and terrifying.

The unsung hero of the book is Iraq herself who is to all intents and purposes another character in this story. The flashbacks to her glorious past seem to make her unrecognizable as if such freedom and culture could never have really existed, so entrenched in the modern-day narrative of oppression and tyranny that is so much a part of the understanding within the western mindset.

This book lifts the lid on a period of history that people in the West just cannot comprehend, so foreign from our experience is life in Iraq under Hussein. It is both terrifying and mesmerizing.

The cover and especially the title of this book drew me in. Add to that the description that gave a comparison to Kite Runner, and I had to have it. I am giving it two stars for one reason only - I wanted to quit at 48% read but kept going until 73%, thinking it was still possible I’d start to enjoy it. I didn’t; I give.

Normally, I don’t give feedback on titles I don’t finish, but I’m justifying this because of how much I did read.