About The Book
Inspired by her own experiences stationed in Baghdad during Saddam Hussein's rule, former foreign correspondent Gina Wilkinson's evocative debut is told through the eyes of three very different women in Iraq at the turn of the millennium. A secretary, an artist and a diplomat’s wife, each must confront the complexities of trust, friendship, and motherhood under the rule of a dictator and his ruthless secret police…
At night, in Huda’s fragrant garden, a breeze sweeps in from the desert encircling Baghdad, rustling the leaves of her apricot trees and carrying warning of visitors at her gate. Huda, a secretary at the Australian embassy, lives in fear of the mukhabarat—the secret police who watch and listen for any scrap of information that can be used against America and its allies. They have ordered her to befriend Ally Wilson, the deputy ambassador’s wife. Huda has no wish to be an informant, but fears for her teenaged son, who may be forced to join a deadly militia if she refuses. Nor does she know that Ally has dangerous secrets of her own.
Also fighting to keep her child safe is Rania, Huda’s former childhood friend. As the women’s lives intersect, their hidden pasts spill into the present. Facing possible betrayal at every turn, all three must trust in a fragile, newfound loyalty, even as they discover how much they are willing to sacrifice to protect their families.
Advance Praise for WHEN APRICOTS BLOOM
“Wilkinson’s atmospheric and suspenseful novel explores the complicated relationships between two Iraqi women and a diplomat’s wife during Saddam Hussein’s tyrannical rule. It powerfully illustrates the peril women faced under his misogynistic, autocratic regime, and the risks, lies and betrayals they had to commit in order to protect their families. I read this novel with my heart in my throat.”
—Lisa Johnson, Penguin Bookshop (Sewickley, PA)
“In Wilkinson’s vivid debut, set in early 2000s Baghdad, secrets and lies mingle as easily as the scent of apricot blossoms and nargilah smoke...Wilkinson weaves in the miasma of fear and distrust that characterized Hussein’s regime…[with] richly drawn characters and a high-stakes plot.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Wilkinson does a marvelous job depicting the fear that all of these characters experienced. Her personal experience in Iraq during the years prior to the Iraq war adds genuine depth to this story and the characters’ lives. A great read!”
—Stephanie Crowe, Page & Palette (Fairhope, AL)
“The stories of these three women are each compelling on their own, but when intertwined they become formidable. The sights and smells of Iraq are so vivid, casting hope where there seems to be only despair. This stunning novel has such an authentic voice it is easy to forget that it is a novel rather than a memoir or history.”
—Jennifer Winberry, Hunterdon County Library (Flemington, NJ)
“Reading this novel, I felt the warmth of the sun and tasted the sweetness of the lime tea. The intricately woven relationship between these characters and the expert pacing had me at the edge of my seat, turning the pages as fast as possible all the while wanting to savor every sentence, and even going back to reread a particularly beautiful passage.”
—Kaitlin Smith, Copperfield’s Books (Healdsburg, CA)
“An extraordinary novel that is both poignant and hopeful. Friendship, family, trust and betrayal all factor into the lives of three remarkable women in Baghdad, under the suffocating reign of Saddam Hussein and his secret police. This powerful saga will have your heart racing, as these women risk everything for their children's freedom.”
—Maxwell Gregory, Lake Forest Book Store (Lake Forest, IL)
About Gina Wilkinson
Gina Wilkinson is an award-winning journalist, author, former foreign correspondent, and documentary maker who's reported from some of the world's most intriguing and perilous places for the BBC, NPR, ABC, and other renowned public broadcasters. During two decades living and working in hotspots across the globe, she spent more than a year in Baghdad under Saddam Hussein. At that time, Iraq was virtually sealed off from the outside world, and Gina lived under tight surveillance. One of her closest Iraqi friends even worked as a secret police informant, reporting on her every move. Gina now works in international development, supporting efforts to end poverty in the developing world. She lives in Australia.
Visit Gina online at GinaWilkinson.net.
For review copies, interview requests, and other publicity-related queries, please contact: Vida Engstrand | [email protected]