The Island of Missing Trees

The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak is a captivating and poignant novel that delves into the intertwined lives of two star-crossed lovers in war-torn Cyprus and their enduring legacy decades later. This Sunday Times bestselling novel intricately weaves themes of love, loss, and identity amidst a backdrop of cultural and historical turmoil.

Set in 1974 on the island of Cyprus, the story introduces us to Kostas, a Greek Cypriot and Christian, and Defne, a Turkish Cypriot and Muslim. These two teenagers, hailing from opposite sides of a divided land, seek solace and secrecy in a taverna where their forbidden romance flourishes. The taverna, shaded by blackened beams adorned with garlands of garlic, chilli peppers, and wild herbs, becomes their secret haven. It’s a place where they can momentarily escape the harsh realities of their world and indulge in the finest food, music, and wine the city has to offer.

In the heart of this taverna, a fig tree grows through a cavity in the roof, standing as a silent witness to Kostas and Defne's clandestine meetings and hasty departures. This fig tree becomes a symbol of their love and the tumultuous events that unfold, from the eruption of war to the shattering of their city and their eventual separation.

Fast forward to decades later in north London, where sixteen-year-old Ada Kazantzakis has never set foot on the island of her heritage. Struggling with her own identity and longing for answers, Ada embarks on a journey to untangle a web of family secrets, separation, and silence. Her only tangible connection to her roots is a Ficus Carica, or fig tree, growing in the back garden of her home, echoing the one from the taverna in Cyprus.

In The Island of Missing Trees, prize-winning author Elif Shafak presents a rich and magical narrative that explores themes of belonging and identity, love and trauma, memory and amnesia, and the human-induced destruction of nature. The novel ultimately offers a message of renewal, demonstrating the resilience of both nature and the human spirit amid the ruins of history.