I can't even express how much I loved reading When the Apricots Bloom. I was excited to go into it to get a glimpse into Iraqi culture since it's not a culture normally represented in the books I read, but wow this book was amazing. Not only was it beautifully written, but the characters were so well developed and the story was paced so well that I found it nearly impossible to put the book down once I started reading it. I actually ended up finishing it all in one sitting because I needed to keep reading. Im not usually a fan of books moving between the past and the present, but it was written so naturally into this book that not only didn't I mind it, but I actually really enjoyed it. Besides just reading the book itself, my favorite part of When the Apricots Bloom was that I found myself just sitting and thinking once I closed it. Thinking about what I would do in the situations of the women in the book.