Book Review: The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak

Told from multiple points of view in a non-linear timeline, this novel introduces us to Defne and Kostas in the 1970s: their love, their daughter, their island, their pain. We learn of the devastation that tore apart the beautiful island of Cyprus, home of Defne, a Turkish girl, and Kostas, a Greek boy. Despite a political climate that prohibited their relationship and destroyed their home, Kostas and Defne share a deep loyalty to their families, as well as their island. As the novel progresses, we are privy to the conflicting emotions that accompany the realization that their home is no longer the safe and comforting place they once knew. 

The novel is also told from the point of view of Ada, Defne and Kostas’s teenage daughter who is growing up in London. As she struggles to come to terms with her mother’s death, her family’s strained relationship with the island of Cyprus and its people, and what it means to be a teenager in today’s world, she stumbles upon pieces of her identity she never knew she was missing.

I really enjoyed the book. Very well written. Elif Shafak has a beautiful way of making scientific facts not only readable and understandable, but entertaining. I learned more from this novel than I ever learned in any science class. Shafak was able to transport me to a foreign land in a way that very few writers can. For those of us who struggle to understand our own patriotism while living in a country that doesn’t always provide for and protect its people, the book was relatable and insightful. I usually reflect on whether I “liked” the characters when doing a review, but with this novel, I found myself reflecting more on whether I understood the characters. Shafak crafted characters with depth and complexity. They were challenging for me to completely understand, which made the book even more intriguing. 

This book comes out on November 2, 2021 and I recommend checking it out. Be prepared to think, feel, and learn. Please don’t read through it quickly and definitely do not skim over the detailed passages. This book is a gift. Read it slowly and savor it.

Thanks to Elif Shafak, Bloomsbury, and Netgalley for this ARC in return for my honest review.