When the Apricots Bloom

'Thrilling yet heart-wrenching . . . This must-read novel is mesmerizing, captivating, and profound' DEBORAH RODRIGUEZ, internationally bestselling author of The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul 'I truly felt for the memorable women risking their lives to protect themselves and their families . . . Baghdad springs into vivid violent life . . . Outstanding!' DINAH JEFFERIES, internationally bestselling author of The Teaplanter's Wife Readers can't stop talking about this book! 'I felt the warmth of the sun and tasted the sweetness of the lime tea . . . Beautiful' ***** 'Riveting from beginning to end . . . A great read!' ***** 'Atmospheric and suspenseful . . . I read this novel with my heart in my throat' ***** 'All I can say is: WOW - read it. You won't be disappointed' ***** What would you sacrifice to protect your family? As night falls in Huda's fragrant garden of apricot trees, a breeze sweeps in from the desert, warning of visitors at her gate . . . The secret police have ordered Huda to befriend and spy upon her employer's wife. She is in an impossible position - if she refuses her son will be forced to join the regime's deadly militia, and worse. And it soon becomes clear that the Deputy Ambassador's wife, Ally, is keeping dangerous secrets. Meanwhile, Huda's estranged childhood friend Rania - a sheikh's daughter whose wealth is long gone - is battling to keep her daughter safe from the dictator's men. As their connection with Ally brings Huda and Rania reluctantly together again, each of their hidden pasts spill into the present. Facing danger - and betrayal - at every turn, all three women must decide who to trust, even as they discover just how far each is willing to go to protect the people they love . . . Lose yourself in this evocative, emotionally powerful and completely gripping international bestseller, where secrets are precious currency and three courageous women are tested to the limit by a horrifying power seemingly beyond their control. Have you discovered the international bestseller yet? 'Richly drawn characters and high-stakes plot' PUBLISHERS WEEKLY '[A novel] of suspense, intrigue and conspiracy; where female friendship is platformed . . . Although it is set within a backdrop of male power, where human grief is "almost a creature into itself", the power of a woman's intent for the safety of those she loves carries the novel through with a mesmerising pulsating force' SYDNEY MORNING HERALD