When the Apricots Bloom: The evocative and emotionally powerful story of secrets, family and betrayal . . .

I struggled with this because of how it was written. Every few words a full stop even though it would have been easier to read by using a comma or an ‘and’ to create a flow that would pass without notice and allow the storyline to blossom; as it was it annoyed me. I won’t say more but there is more. The cover is enticing and the outline of the story encourages me to read the book, so I might try to read it. I’m glad others found it enjoyable. Maybe it’s just me!

I enjoyed The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul and, equally, this book did not disappoint. To say 'enjoy' is possibly a strange choice of word because the conditions and rules under which women are expected to live under the Iraqi regime are horrendous, upsetting and hard to believe from the comfort of an armchair in the Western World. I very much appreciated the ending, it could have been so much worse.

Having also lived in the Middle East and Asia like the author, much of this rang true however some of the characters were a little thin and elements of the story farfetched and unbelievable. This would have benefited from more realistic character development and background.

An enlightening narrative about the experience of people of another culture and the differences in status between the women. An interesting read.

When the Apricots Bloom is Gina Wilkinson's début novel; Gina is an Australian former foreign correspondent, radio journalist, documentary maker and author. The novel is partially based on the author's time in Baghdad as a foreign correspondent whose Iraqi friend, she later realised, was a secret police informant. I found the story atmospheric and suspenseful, exploring the intricacies and intersections of three women, Huda, Rania and Ally, Huda is a secretary at the Australian embassy in Baghdad; Rania is a struggling artist and the daughter of a sheikh who is no longer wealthy, and then there's Ally - the Deputy Ambassador's wife. Friendship, loyalty, and motherhood as well as secrets, mistrust, betrayal, corruption, fear, and intimidation all feature to varying degrees in When the Apricots Bloom. Well told, evocative and fascinating with some good characterisation, I'm pleased to have chosen to read this novel.I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Headline via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

When the Apricots Bloom by Gina Wilkinson is a story of three strong and different women based in Baghdad, during the rule of the dictator Saddam Hussein, at a time when Western sanctions kept Iraq virtually cut off from the rest of the world. It clearly portrays what a dangerous and difficult time it was particularly for women living in constant fear of the atrocities surrounding them and risking their lives to protect themselves and their families.I did find it an interesting read, however, I was distracted by the plot at times by the heavy use of colour descriptions, ironic as Ally,one of the characters, hated the use of over stuffed adjectives!Big thanks to Gina Wilkinson, Headline and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.

A beautifully written, thought provoking and deeply saddening book written with depth and relevance. Set in Iraq during the reign of Saddam, When the Apricots Bloom paints an image of what was life, without scandalising or stereotyping but with subtlety and elegance. At its heart it's a story about the enduring threads of friendship but interwoven with the desperation of living under such a regime. It's a unique story and an untold setting and I would definitely recommend.

Unfortunately I found this to be a real struggle. I ploughed through until the end but the story just wasn’t for me and I have to say I didn’t enjoy it very much.