The Island of Missing Trees

The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak
Reviewed by Mimi
📘📘📘📘

I'm embarrassed that this is the first novel by @shafakelif I have read, however, I had the singularly brilliant privilege of reading The Island of Missing Trees whilst on holiday in Cyprus, so I feel like that makes it worth the wait.

This story follows two timelines. That of Ada, a young girl at school in the UK and her parents who grew up in Cyprus. Her father Kostas is a Greek Cypriot and her mother Defne is a Turkish Cypriot so their love is a forbidden and difficult one. Their story takes place as the war and partition are happening. People are killed and go missing on an almost daily basis. Ada loses her mother at a young age and is raised by her Father but has never met any of her family from Cyprus. Indispersed throughout the book there is a Fig Tree telling its own story and witnessing events of love and war.

There is so much going on in this book and it is an incredibly rich read, almost poetic. There are plenty of characters to love, and even The Fig Tree stands out with its own personality. Elif has managed to paint such a vibrant picture and there are many moments that had me really holding my breath. I cared so much about Kostas and Defne and the difficulties they were facing. They were the human side of the conflict in Cyprus.

It felt to me like Ada was truly tormented. She was suffering for the lack of understanding about her past and when her Aunt lands on the doorstep, she reluctantly uses the opportunity understand more of where she came from.

I loved this book and if anything, it ended too abruptly and too quickly for me. I could have read so much more.