A review by asourceoffiction
The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak

emotional hopeful informative mysterious sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

What a rich, beautiful story. Genuinely made all the more poignant because so much of it is related by a fig tree. 

I'm shocked at how ignorant I was about the civil war in Cyprus in the '70s, and this beautiful book sensitively marries history with fiction (and botany!) to paint a heartbreaking but gorgeous picture of an island divided by political turmoil. Defne and Kostas's story is compelling, but it was the unrest, seen largely through its startling effect on the local animals and plants, that really had me hooked. The way a tourist hotspot was so divided so recently in its history is unbelievable.

And while I loved the complexity in all of the characters, it was Yiorgos and Yusuf (as well as the beloved fig tree) who have my heart. Their unwavering strength and love, combined with knowing right away where their story was headed, really got to me. This is one of those books that I suspect will pop into my head at random intervals for a long time.
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