After the birth of her only child, Elizabeth grows lonely during her husband's long trips and finds unexpected companionship in her neighbor Nick, a single father with a baby boy. An unlikely friendship begins between the two parents of newborns, despite her career as a Russian professor and his job as a truck driver. Their connection grows deeper, and their love affair consumes Elizabeth and torments Nick. When he destroys her dream for their future, Elizabeth must confront her marriage and identity as a mother. Through the years, she longs for Nick and writes to him. Only the approach of death prompts him to answer her call. From idyllic California to a mysterious rendezvous on Red Square in Moscow, The Secrets of Apricot Lane shows how love can fulfill some dreams and shatter others. The romance between Elizabeth and Nick, their love for their children, and the power of marriage create an epic tale that spans twenty-five years and reveals the flaws of class and gender stereotypes.