I met these two little girls in 2002, not far from Baghdad’s Mutanabbi book market. The little girl at the front proudly showed me her fine dress, and explained she was preparing to attend her aunt's wedding. Her young friend, dressed in apricot, was curious and a little shy, taking shelter behind her vivacious companion. I turned to this photo often when writing about Huda and Rania, two of the main characters in my upcoming novel, When the Apricots Bloom. The story was inspired by my real life friendship with a woman who was secretly working as an informant for Saddam Hussein’s secret police and reporting back on my every move. To find out where fact meets fiction, embark on audio journeys through time and space, get book news and more, please sign up for my newsletter at www.ginawilkinson.net