Scan barcode
A review by wordsofclover
The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
In 1974, Kostas and Defne are teenagers on the opposite sides of conflict in Cyrus - Kostas is Greek, and Defne is Turkish but the two love each other and are determined to find a way to be together. In 2010, London, the pair's daughter Ada is struggling in school as well as with grief and loneliness. Over the course of a winter holiday, she comes to know her family a bit better with the arrival of her Aunt Meryem, and learns why the fig tree in her garden is a very special tree indeed.
This book dives back and forth between two timelines, bridged by chapters from the fig tree's perspective whose narration is warm and omnipresent, a loving guardian of a family broken by despair, grief and a traumatic history. I learned a lot about the conflict in Cyrpus during this tale, and I'm ashamed to say I was very ignorant of this before reading. But the horrors and tragedy of the time became very real for me, and I'm glad to have learned about it and know more about the tragic history of a very beautiful country.
While this book is easy reading, and there were some great passages in this around family, culture and food, I do also think there were some parts that felt very skimmed over and light, and I would have liked more time dedicated to them overall. It felt a little bit like the author had so much to say but only a certain number of pages to say it. It felt there was room for this book to be bulked out and for storylines to be given the time they deserved from Defne's struggles with mental health and addiciton, as well as the loss of baby Yiorgos. There were times the book read like YA rather than adult, as some of the harder topics weren't delved into deeper which I think did a slight disservice to the readers who were already reading a book full of tough topics and history.
I would have liked a whole part dedicated to Aunt Meryem who was a shining light in this book with her funny sayings, her healing through food look on life and her desire to break away from a duller life and wear the bright clothes she wanted to. So many metaphors for life came from Meryem's story and she could be a main character all on her own.
There was also lots of potential for a greater storyline with Ada's troubles in school and the viral video on social media. This definitely felt like it fizzled out and I thought there was going to be more in it.
Overall though, this book was a pleasant read overall. Out of all the characters I loved and connected to Kostas the most thanks to his gentle nature and his determination to help and preserve nature which honestly just swelled my heart. Maybe it's an unpopular opinion but I thought he deserved better than the lot he was given as I found Defne from the start very hard to warm up to. I felt for her struggles but I just didn't really like her.
I quite enjoyed the fig tree's chapters. There was something lovely and warm about them - like a mother hen watching her chicks grow and thrive. There was a wisdom but also a vulnerability there too and parts of it reminded me of one of my favourite passages in Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell when we follow a flea make its way to England. I love reading from the point of view of nature - it's so much nicer and simpler than that of the human mind, and ten times purer.
I'd be surprised if this one wins the Womens Prize 2022 but it was a nice book to pick up, and I'd recommend it to others. I actually think it would be a great plane or holiday read.
This book dives back and forth between two timelines, bridged by chapters from the fig tree's perspective whose narration is warm and omnipresent, a loving guardian of a family broken by despair, grief and a traumatic history. I learned a lot about the conflict in Cyrpus during this tale, and I'm ashamed to say I was very ignorant of this before reading. But the horrors and tragedy of the time became very real for me, and I'm glad to have learned about it and know more about the tragic history of a very beautiful country.
While this book is easy reading, and there were some great passages in this around family, culture and food, I do also think there were some parts that felt very skimmed over and light, and I would have liked more time dedicated to them overall. It felt a little bit like the author had so much to say but only a certain number of pages to say it. It felt there was room for this book to be bulked out and for storylines to be given the time they deserved from Defne's struggles with mental health and addiciton, as well as the loss of baby Yiorgos. There were times the book read like YA rather than adult, as some of the harder topics weren't delved into deeper which I think did a slight disservice to the readers who were already reading a book full of tough topics and history.
I would have liked a whole part dedicated to Aunt Meryem who was a shining light in this book with her funny sayings, her healing through food look on life and her desire to break away from a duller life and wear the bright clothes she wanted to. So many metaphors for life came from Meryem's story and she could be a main character all on her own.
There was also lots of potential for a greater storyline with Ada's troubles in school and the viral video on social media. This definitely felt like it fizzled out and I thought there was going to be more in it.
Overall though, this book was a pleasant read overall. Out of all the characters I loved and connected to Kostas the most thanks to his gentle nature and his determination to help and preserve nature which honestly just swelled my heart. Maybe it's an unpopular opinion but I thought he deserved better than the lot he was given as I found Defne from the start very hard to warm up to. I felt for her struggles but I just didn't really like her.
I quite enjoyed the fig tree's chapters. There was something lovely and warm about them - like a mother hen watching her chicks grow and thrive. There was a wisdom but also a vulnerability there too and parts of it reminded me of one of my favourite passages in Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell when we follow a flea make its way to England. I love reading from the point of view of nature - it's so much nicer and simpler than that of the human mind, and ten times purer.
I'd be surprised if this one wins the Womens Prize 2022 but it was a nice book to pick up, and I'd recommend it to others. I actually think it would be a great plane or holiday read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: War
Minor: Child death, Mental illness, and Suicide