Three women in Iraq have an unusual bond of friendship sprinkled with lies, disloyalty, and even blackmail. I loved this book, the shifting perspectives, the interwoven storylines and the reality behind it all. Wilkinson brings such a realness to this fictional story and adds so much depth to her characters and their setting. You connect to Huda, Rania, and Ally from the very beginning. You begin to live their lives right along with them, and feel the pressures of tyranny and betrayal with them too. You feel like you are in Iraq with the author's vivid narrative, and you can feel the sand, heat, and smell the delicious-sounding tea while deliberating 'One kebab or two?' An author I follow, David Putnam, refers to "the fictive dream," a state where you are drifted away by the story, you live the story and you feel the story. When the Apricots Bloom is a prime example of this fictive dream, you are immersed and invested from the very first page
[Thank you BookishFirst, Gina Wilkinson, and the publisher for the free ARC]
[Thank you BookishFirst, Gina Wilkinson, and the publisher for the free ARC]