Review of The Island of Missing Trees

[Angie Fernandez]

The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak is a fictional historical tale of the conflict between the Greek and Turkish people on the beautiful island of Cyprus. A captivating story revolving around forbidden love, Shafak shows how violence and the need for power can disrupt the trajectory of ordinary lives. The book centers around a fictional tavern called the Happy Fig, where Kostas and Defne secretly meet under the watchful eye of a fig tree. The fig tree is a key narrator in the novel, giving the perspective from nature’s point of view on the destruction that war and love bring to a nation.

The novel deftly moves back and forth across the decades as each chapter reveals the conflict and cultures of Cyprus and the complicated story of one family divided by time and circumstances. Just as the writer says, “In real life stories come to us not in their entirety but in bits and pieces, broken segments and partial echoes, a full sentence here, a fragment there, a clue hidden in between. In life, unlike books, we have to weave our stories out of threads as fine as the gossamer veins that run through a butterfly’s wings.”

Shafak is a brilliant poetic writer who includes the traditions and folklore of Cyprus and the natural world, as seen through the eyes of Kostas, a renowned botanist. She also incorporates stories inspired by true accounts she discovered in her extensive research, lending authenticity and richness to her writing.

Overall, I was enraptured by The Island of Missing Trees and rated it a 5 out of 5 stars. Furthermore, I found no errors while reading this novel, leading me to believe that it was professionally edited. I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy historical fiction mixed with love, culture, the magic of nature; and hope for the future.

[Anaïs Quesson]

Overall, I was enraptured by The Island of Missing Trees and rated it a 5 out of 5 stars. Furthermore, I found no errors while reading this novel, leading me to believe that it was professionally edited. I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy historical fiction mixed with love, culture, the magic of nature; and hope for the future.

I enjoyed reading your review, Angie. I know nothing about this conflict, so I would be eager to try this book and learn more about Cyprus. Most important of all, it seems like it contains a beautiful love story. Thank you a lot for sharing these thoughts with us!!

[seddiki]

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