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A review by joaofranciscof
The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
When I first read the synopsis of this book, I thought “this book has everything to be a favourite and dear to my heart”. I was not wrong.
The Island of Missing Trees has the perfect title (it holds so many meanings), the perfect structure and a great combination of fiction and reality. Getting to know a bit more about the reality of Cyprus and its people (a great number of them now scattered through Europe and the world) was definitely one of the highlights of the book. It saddens me that this conflict is a topic that is rarely talked about in History classes and world news, as it is a tension that is still felt today and has other repercussions for the countries involved and the ones around those.
I would say one of the other highlights was the inter generational relationships, hardships and reflections. It was truly amusing and heartfelt to read about this family’s history and see how Elif Shafak intertwined some aspects of it (with each other and with other facts).
Finally, I have to highlight the author’s effort in creating a story like this, so full of historical and biological facts. Reading the “Note to the Reader” was just a peek at Shafak’s investigation.
Having said this, I was not a fan of how some things were explicitly told to the reader. It felt like the author wanted to make sure we understood what was very clearly being implied and, thus, was underestimating the reader.
I am still undecided about my feelings on the ending but this has definitely earned a spot as one of my favourite books and I feel very connected to its characters and story. I am very much intrigued to read more of Elif Shafak’s books.
"Just as hope could spring from the depths of despair, or peace germinate among the ruins of war, a tree could grow out of disease and decay. If this cutting from Cyprus were to take root in England, it would be genetically identical but not all the same."
The Island of Missing Trees has the perfect title (it holds so many meanings), the perfect structure and a great combination of fiction and reality. Getting to know a bit more about the reality of Cyprus and its people (a great number of them now scattered through Europe and the world) was definitely one of the highlights of the book. It saddens me that this conflict is a topic that is rarely talked about in History classes and world news, as it is a tension that is still felt today and has other repercussions for the countries involved and the ones around those.
I would say one of the other highlights was the inter generational relationships, hardships and reflections. It was truly amusing and heartfelt to read about this family’s history and see how Elif Shafak intertwined some aspects of it (with each other and with other facts).
Finally, I have to highlight the author’s effort in creating a story like this, so full of historical and biological facts. Reading the “Note to the Reader” was just a peek at Shafak’s investigation.
Having said this, I was not a fan of how some things were explicitly told to the reader. It felt like the author wanted to make sure we understood what was very clearly being implied and, thus, was underestimating the reader.
I am still undecided about my feelings on the ending but this has definitely earned a spot as one of my favourite books and I feel very connected to its characters and story. I am very much intrigued to read more of Elif Shafak’s books.
"Just as hope could spring from the depths of despair, or peace germinate among the ruins of war, a tree could grow out of disease and decay. If this cutting from Cyprus were to take root in England, it would be genetically identical but not all the same."