When the Apricots Bloom by Gina Wilkinson

When the Apricots Bloom by Gina Wilkinson
A secret is like a dove, once it leaves your hand it flies where it wants…

When the Apricots Bloom by Gina Wilkinson captivated me from the first to the last page. Inspired by the authors own experiences working as a journalist in 1990s Baghdad under the regime of Saddam Hussein, it is a tale of suspense, forgiveness and female friendship. Wilkinson’s journalistic style of storytelling shines through as the narrative unfolds, adding a sense of credibility and heightening the tension as you flip from one page to the next, on edge as you wait uneasily for the pin to drop and the secrets to be exposed. The credibility of the story only becomes more solid as you learn that it is based on true events—Wilkinson discovered after she left Baghdad that one of her close friends was a government informant, reporting back her every move to the regime.

But not everything is as black and white as it seems. What would you do if the secret police demanded you spy on a friend in order to protect the lives of your children? Wilkinson’s descriptions of Baghdad are poetic and vivid, a chilling glimpse into the suppression of an entire nation under dictatorship. The characterisation of the women in the story also make it a gripping read—resilient and clever while also being flawed and real—they are the standard of complex female characters. Overall, When the Apricots Bloom is a stunning debut novel and I’m eager to see what Gina Wilkinson does next.
 

View More Recommendations


Back to Home Page