Review: The Island of Missing Trees
I first heard about this novel during a broadcast of NPR’s Morning Edition as I was pulling into work in November. Listening to Steve Inskeep as he interviewed the author, I immediately knew I needed to add this book to my reading list.
At its core, The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak is a story about family, heritage, and identity. Its characters include Kostas, a Greek-Christian Cypriote, who falls in love with Defne, a Turkish-Muslim Cypriote. They eventually immigrate to the UK and raise their daughter, Ada, there. The story begins when 16-year-old Ada learns that an aunt she’s never met is flying in from Cyprus to visit during the winter holiday. Lastly, there’s the fig tree—both a character and, in many ways, the narrator of the novel. The fig tree is interesting, wise, and the only character to provide a first-person perspective.
The novel generally alternates between three time periods: the UK in the late 2010s where Ada and Kostas are attempting to navigate everyday life; Cyprus in 1974, as tensions and inter-communal violence between the island’s Greek and Turkish communities rise; and Cyprus in the early 2000s after the island had been divided into halves and while a bicommunal organization known as the Committee on Missing Persons worked to recover and identify the remains of those who disappeared during the island’s conflict.
This book easily earned 5 of 5 stars. There are so many things I love about this novel. For starters, Shafak does a wonderful job of layering suspense and revealing secrets throughout the text. I also thought the fig tree was a fascinating character who provided a very nuanced perspective, not only within this story but in the whole of literature.
Furthermore, the story explores generational and inherited trauma in a way that's insightful but leaves room for hope and levity. As a bonus, I genuinely felt that all of the characters were well-written, and there were multiple ways in which I could relate to each of them. This novel is a well-researched historical fiction, a love story, an intriguing examination of eco-consciousness, and a joy to read.
Lastly, I also found a reading guide that includes 15 thought-provoking discussion questions about the novel on the publisher website, so this would also make an excellent book club pick. If you decide to add this to your book club list, please invite me because I would love to discuss this book!
