Kostos and Defne are teenagers in love. That would be fine except for one thing. They live on Cyprus where Kostos is Greek and Defne is Turkish, meaning that their parents will never accept their love. They find a tavern run by a gay couple who are also a mixture of Turkish and Greek backgrounds and meet there. The tavern has a huge fig tree growing up inside and the tree is a character in the novel as well.

When the civil war comes, Kostos' mother sends him to London. He thinks he is only going for a short visit but in reality it is years before he returns. Defne has remained on the island throughout the war and now works reclaiming bodies killed in the massacres of that war. When they see each other, their love reunites and they go to London bearing a cutting of the fig tree. They marry and have a child, Ada.

Elif Shafak is a Turkish/British writer and her books reflect her Turkish history. She is known as an advocate for women's rights and her novels often feature strong women who find a way to live their dreams. In this novel, the reader will learn the history of the Cyprus Civil War as well as the plants, insects and animals who live there, told often by the fig tree character who symbolizes rebirth and continuity. Kostos and Defne have a love that transcends differences and they find a way to be together. This novel was shortlisted for the Women's Fiction Prize. It is recommended for literary fiction and historical fiction readers.

I have tried to read this book multiple times, but have DNFed each time. While there is nothing wrong with it, it is just not for me. It is a bit too literary for my taste.

Island of Missing Trees is an excellent book that sticks with you. The conflict between the two sides of Cyprus is not something you learn about often. The love story between Kostas and Defne is sweet and tugs at your heart. Also I was a fan of the chapters from the POV of the fig tree. It added a nice layer of magical realism to an already beautiful story.

The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak tells a tale of generational trauma, explores identity and pays homage to the natural world in prose so lyrical it melts into your very spirit. Oscillating between past and present, the narrative is split between the ruminations of a fig tree; the love story of a Greek Cypriot, Kostas, and Turkish Cypriot, Defne, in 1974 Cyprus; and the mourning of the lovers' 16-year-old daughter, Ada Kazantakis, in London in the 2010s after the death of her mother. The story is not told linearly, rather, much like reality, the pieces arrive in distinct moments that eventually coalesce into the truth. The torrid romance of Kostas and Defne reveals the trauma wrought by ethnic strife and colonialism across generations, on humans and on ecosystems throughout the world. Their story humbles the reader, shedding light on our dependency on the planet we inhabit and the consequences of tribal warfare.

Kostas and Defne are both Cypriots, and yet they are different from one another, in that one is Turkish and the other Greek. Aware of the violent opposition that would arise should their families and fellow islanders learn of their forbidden affair, they carry out their meetings clandestinely with the help of the owners of a local tavern, The Happy Fig. Here, their youthful passions blossom under the shadow of mounting tensions and an observant fig tree, which grows through the center of the bar. During their budding romance, the catastrophic events of the 1974 Cypriot Civil War are imminent. All the while, the fig tree bears witness to the lovers and the events unfolding around them. Escaping the plight of their little island, Kostas and Defne migrate to London, leaving familial discord in their wake. They choose to shelter their daughter, Ada, from the violence of their pasts. This surreptitiousness complicates Ada's grief, and the death of her mother ultimately uproots the past that has shaped her familial circumstances.

The choice to give voice to a fig tree provides a mystical element that is reminiscent of a fable, but Shafak's effortless prose truly makes this character seem human. Through the tree's musings, we are inundated with the reality of the natural world. She tells us about the essential roles fruit bats play in the environment, and the complex journey of bees and the flora they coexist with. It seems like it would be out of place to cite technical and scientific information within a novel, but these facts daze the reader into thoughtful introspection on the smallness of our beings. Despite history being replete with men believing all other creatures submit to them, it is we who are subservient to nature. The fig tree reminds us that, "Humans walk by us every day, they sit, and sleep, smoke and picnic in our shade, they pluck our leaves and gorge themselves on our fruit…and yet they still do not see us." But despite the destruction humans have brought upon her world, the gorgeous tree is filled with empathy for us, and concern for the sorrow of Kostas. Her voice feels phantasmic behind the story of the Kazantaki family. She has witnessed the most intimate of human moments and the most bestial of human actions. The reader will be haunted by the sense that the natural world stands judicially sentient among us.

Shafak forces the reader to confront the violence and trauma that Ada's parents hoped to protect her from. But without such honest reckoning, justice for the land and its inhabitants is a meek and distant dream. We cannot neglect the very earth that protects the dead that we mourn. Through the eyes of this arboreal being, the ramifications of rapacious leaders, colonialism and divisive partitions are unobscured. We come to understand that all forms of life are inextricably intertwined and when one link is poisoned, the rest will dwindle slowly and painfully. When a tree and migrant are uprooted from their homes, this trauma becomes indelible upon their offspring. In spite of Ada's parents' best efforts to raise her without the cloud of their past, it follows her insidiously. Only when the truth is revealed does she find a melancholic respite. The Island of Missing Trees is far more than a prosaic love story. It is a tribute to ecosystems everywhere and their resilience in the face of utter devastation.

I enjoyed this book about a topic I didn’t know much about. I loved that the main characters were human and a tree; that made the book really special. Though I felt that the pacing was off in some sections, I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a good read.

This unique book jumps around in time and narrator, from 16 year old Ada in London in the present-ish, her parents Kostyra and Defne, on Cyprus in 1974 and the early 2000s, one of whom is a Greek Cypriot and one of whom is a Turkish Cypriot, when those two groups were very much enemies. Oh, and there is also the POV of a fig tree, which had been on Cyprus for more than 100 years before Kostyra brought a cutting of it to London to grow a new tree which still has the memories of the old tree.

I’ve read books with animal POVs, but this was definitely the first with a tree POV, and it was interesting how the author used the tree to tell us about Cyprus history, something I’m embarrassed to say I had no knowledge of but felt compelled to read more about as a result of this book.

This was definitely a slow starter but I got more and more into it as it went along, and the writing was just beautiful. I can also see why this was a Reese’s Book Club pick (in November 2021) because there’s a lot to talk about!

The Island of Missing Trees, by Elif Shafak, tells the story about the people that live through the 1970's war in Cyprus between the Turks and Greeks, Christians and Muslims. The story shifts between several characters including Defne, a Turkish woman, Kostas, a Greek man, their daughter Ada and a fig tree. What follows is a beautiful story of forbidden love and loss and how it spans generations. I absolutely loved this story and it will definitely be in my list of all time favorites.

I'm so thankful for netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this book. It got lost in the shuffle for me until it was named to the longlist of the Women's Prize for Fiction. And, oh my gosh, how deserving!!!

Described as a “rich, magical book on belonging and identity, love and trauma, nature and renewal”, this book is heartbreaking, magical, original, and beautifully written. Following two timelines: 1970s Cyprus during the civil war between Greek Christians and Turkish Muslims, it’s a story of the forbidden love of Kosta (Christian) and Defne (Muslim); and late 2010s London with the story of their confused and struggling teenage daughter Ada. And there’s narration by a fig tree 💚 that grows through a tavern in Cyprus and observes the young couple as well as the devastation of war, the disappearances and sorrows … and then a cutting is taken to London (the saga continues). Some question the idea of a fig tree as narrator, but I really appreciated and enjoyed it as a literary device. One of my two favourites from the longlist, this book definitely deserves a spot on the shortlist. And from the chatter on bookstagram, I think most other readers agree.

Spoiler Alert: It did make the shortlist and I feel like it is one of the strongest contenders to win the Women's Prize. We'll find out on June 15!!

Elif Shafak is one of my favorite authors and this did not disappoint. She continues to knock it out of the park. I absolutely adored the writing, characters, and mysticism of this work.

I love, love, loved this book. It was gorgeous and it seemed like every single line and word was chosen with care. I've already gifted this book to several friends and they've loved it too. Elif is absolutely incredible!

DNF. Unfortunately, this was a book I started multiple times but could just not get into. I appreciate having the opportunity to read this book, it was just not a good fit for me as a reader. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my gifted review copy.

A magical, mystical, unique story, unlike anything I've ever read before. Highly recommend it, and I'm looking forward to exploring Shafak's backlist soon. Thank you Netgalley and Bloomsbury for the digital arc.

Shafak is just such a gorgeous writer, and this latest book of course does not disappoint. It is not a light read but it is so worthwhile.

Special kudos to the cover designer- this one is so beautiful.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy!

I usually enjoy Elif Shafak but this might be my favorite, a love story from Cyprus but also a tree story from the point of view of a fig tree that has seen some things. I really noticed the writing this time around, how she almost crosses the line of purple prose but then turns the language in interesting ways.

This is my third book set in Cyprus in under a year and it's so disheartening how neighbors become enemies. At several points in this novel, characters won't identify people as Cypriot Turkish or Cypriot Greek, but rather as "from the island, like me."

Like everything Elif Shafak writes this is beautiful. The history of Cypress is fascinating and the love story between the two main characters is heart breaking. She explores the fact that sometimes grief and trauma cannot be overcome.

So finally completed reading The Island of Missing Trees. A great story that speaks of love, loss, identity, and nature. These are the themes that I noticed and I loved reading about it.

The book is set in 1974 in Cyprus. At this time, the country is in turmoil between the two religious groups.

Kostas and Defne are in love at this time. With all the turmoil, the only place safe for them is the tavern called The Happy Fig.

Magically, this tree remembers everything that goes on in the tavern. It remembers, the secret meetings, the war details and everything else.

The book then ,moves to present-day London and takes another new turn.. Worth a read with its beautifully woven tale. POignant and deep in every way. Read it slow to soak it in.

I loved this. Such gorgeous, lyrical writing with a sprinkle of magical realism. It’s a forbidden love story set against the backdrop of the 1974 Cypriot civil war, and present day London. The descriptions of the island were just gorgeous, and themes of nature, identify, trauma and renewal handled with such care. Narrated by the lovers, their daughter and surprisingly by a fig tree at the the center of the story, this sad story really captured my heart.

4 stars

I think the overall theme and message of the story was beautiful and the writing was so lush and lyrical that I found myself so immersed in the story very quickly. When it comes to magical realism I find myself very picky and having to be in the right mood for it and this story did it so well that there wasn’t any time that I needed to adjust to it or put the book down and pick up on another day. I think Shafak did such a beautiful job at interweaving two histories and layering stories to create this one piece which I found myself truly lost in. I think this is a story where you want to go in knowing as little as possible so I won’t get too into the plot or any details like that, but I will say that I found the overall message and theme of the interconnectedness of humanity and nature to be a really beautiful thought especially when juxtaposing that with the ugliness and violence that is shown keeping us separated. Overall a very beautiful read that drug on a bit in the middle but was well worth the read.

ARC given by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

This was my first Elif novel and it won’t be my last! This was a fantastic read! Thoroughly enjoyed.

This is truly such a beautiful story with phenomenal writing. Please take my review with a grain of salt because I highly, highly recommend this, but I find that I'm more of a true-blue fantasy reader and am less likely to enjoy magical realism, so this simply was not the book for me.