Scan barcode
elzjosephine's review against another edition
3.0
This was picked from my book club group, there are parts I loved about this book and other parts I didn’t enjoy. The ‘fig tree’ chapters was what kept me reading the book, I loved all the nature facts entwined in these chapters. The rest of the book around the family, I really didn’t care for, I felt like the aunt walked in and back out without anything really happening, I personally can’t understand the strong culture ties that meant they hid half their life from their child, personally I just can’t get my head round it.
menestrelle's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
lorikleininak's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I recently discovered that this was the only book in the top 10 reader's choice best books of the last century that I HADN'T read. I was so anxious to read it!
"The Island of the Missing Trees" is full of layers. It takes place in England in the 2010s, but it's about the island of Cyprus during their civil war in the 1970s. The story is told through multiple character perspectives, and my favorite character was a fig tree.
Rich with history and culture, love and loss, my only complaint is that each storyline could have been its own book! I wanted more from this talented author. This was published in 2021 and was a Reese's book club book that year. Have you read?
"The Island of the Missing Trees" is full of layers. It takes place in England in the 2010s, but it's about the island of Cyprus during their civil war in the 1970s. The story is told through multiple character perspectives, and my favorite character was a fig tree.
Rich with history and culture, love and loss, my only complaint is that each storyline could have been its own book! I wanted more from this talented author. This was published in 2021 and was a Reese's book club book that year. Have you read?
josephine_is_tired's review against another edition
4.0
**4.75 I loved this book, and I will reflect on its contents for a long time, but it was missing that special thing that makes a book a five-star read. I will be recommending this book to literally anyone tho.
lindabook2024's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-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
3.5
miss_readerbee's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Elif Shafak really is a master weaver of stories. This is the second book of hers I've read after '40 rules of love' and I cannot praise it enough! Her writing is rich and poignant and has depth that surely must come from someone who both thinks and feels deeply. The characters, plot, their emotions are all so intricately created and described.
This paragraph from the book was my absolute favourite. "Costas has once told her that long ago in Peru where tomatoes had originated, they used to call it 'A plum thing with a navel'. Defne had liked that description. Everything in life should be evoked in such detail she thought. Rather than being given abstract names, a random combination of letters. A bird should be 'A Feathery thing with a song'. Or a car 'A metallic thing with wheels and a hole'. An island 'A lonely thing with water on all sides'. And love - she might've answered this question differently until today, but now she was certain love ought to be called 'A deceptive thing with heartbreak in the end'.
It is rare to have a book that is both beautifully written and deals with topics as delicate as ones that are dealt with in this book - war that divides people, immigration, one generation's traumas transcending its way into other generations - so many profound themes. On top of all this is one core element - that of the role ecological systems play and how all organisms other than humans - plants, bees, faunas are not given their due credit. The fig tree and some fauna is anthropomorphized, their feelings given a voice and events happening in the book described from their 'eyes', and that was uniquely lovely to read.
I listened to this book as an audio book and credit is definitely due to the narration too, the book is very well read. Would definitely not mind coming back to this one and getting it in print!
This paragraph from the book was my absolute favourite. "Costas has once told her that long ago in Peru where tomatoes had originated, they used to call it 'A plum thing with a navel'. Defne had liked that description. Everything in life should be evoked in such detail she thought. Rather than being given abstract names, a random combination of letters. A bird should be 'A Feathery thing with a song'. Or a car 'A metallic thing with wheels and a hole'. An island 'A lonely thing with water on all sides'. And love - she might've answered this question differently until today, but now she was certain love ought to be called 'A deceptive thing with heartbreak in the end'.
It is rare to have a book that is both beautifully written and deals with topics as delicate as ones that are dealt with in this book - war that divides people, immigration, one generation's traumas transcending its way into other generations - so many profound themes. On top of all this is one core element - that of the role ecological systems play and how all organisms other than humans - plants, bees, faunas are not given their due credit. The fig tree and some fauna is anthropomorphized, their feelings given a voice and events happening in the book described from their 'eyes', and that was uniquely lovely to read.
I listened to this book as an audio book and credit is definitely due to the narration too, the book is very well read. Would definitely not mind coming back to this one and getting it in print!
feralphaniepack's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Elif Shafak's books always take you to another world with her use of senses and attention to detail. The story connect harmoniously. We get to understand lives we would usually consider in our small bubbles.
smackinnon's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
abbey1s's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
A nice story.