REVIEWS

Jo Temple

This is a book telling several entwined stories. First there is the love story of Greek Kostas and Turkish Defne who meet on the island of Cyprus before war breaks out. Second there is the story of their daughter Ada living in London and the difficulties she has at school, and not understanding her own mixed heritage. But the unusual side to this book is the third story, the narrative of the fig tree that lives in the tavern where the two young people meet, its relationship with the other trees, birds, insects and also humans. Shafak makes the countryside and the island of Cyprus come alive with her descriptive powers. It brought back memories of my visits to Cyprus where I stood and gazed across no man's land in Nicosia, the last divided capital in the World. But it also made me recall the beautiful scenery and friendliness of its people. I highly recommend this book - sadness, humour, war, peace and love, all held together by the roots of the fig tree.

Sue Arrighi

I was not sure I would enjoy this book when I saw that some of the chapters are written by a fig tree! But I did enjoy it on many levels, as the tree is simply an unusual and rather clever means of relating the background story of Cyprus and the relationships of the major characters. This book gives an interesting insight into the war between the Turks and the Greeks, with plenty of background into the recent conflicts. I would recommend to fellow Viking Book Club members.

Roger Smith

This was my first exposure to Elif Shafak and it wasn’t a genre that I would normally choose to read. However, I was very quickly gripped by the dual story lines of the father and daughter relationship set in the recent past and the backstory set during the Turkish Greek Cyprus conflict. Many of the chapters are narrated by a fig tree which was present in Cyprus and via a cutting in the father’s garden. I was a little puzzled when I started the first of such chapters, but these chapters became my favourite parts of the book. They presented a very effective mechanism to introduce historical settings, mythology, backstory and evocative images of nature and the environment. These interludes by the fig tree allowed the main story and characters to evolve in a very efficient way. It was also interesting to see how the daughter reacted to an elderly relative from Cyprus and her increasing awareness of her family background. Throw in two forbidden love stories and an introduction to the troubled history of Cyprus and you have an excellent read which I can highly recommend.

Lorraine O’Connell

The Island of Missing Trees is an interesting read, not in the genre I normally read. Set in Cyprus in 1974 and the early 2000s and London in the 2010s, it tells the story of Kostas (a Greek), Defne (a Turk), their daughter Ada and a fig tree. Although I have visited Cyprus in the past and was aware of the division across the country, I learnt more detailed information about what went on in Cyprus and how generally war is not good as it sets neighbours against each other. Without giving away the ending, the book has a twist to it on the very last pages, which was interesting, however I felt overall the ending was a bit weak as it just sort of summed up how life was going to proceed for the main characters. It was an easy read with great descriptions, lots of thought provoking narrative, bringing in the problems that people had to contend with back in the 1970s and comparing them to the harsh realities of a digital life currently.

Karen Tucker

This is the first novel by Elif Shafak that I have read and, for the most part, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The story is told through three different narratives. One of Cyprus in 1970s on the brink of civil war as revealed through the story of Kostas and Defne. The second in London 2010, focusing on their 16 year old British born daughter Ada who is struggling to cope with the loss of her mother, her father’s overwhelming grief and the secrecy he harbours about what happened to the couple in Cyprus and thus her heritage. This is powerfully evoked in the first chapter by Ada’s “scream.” These narrative sections are beautifully written and at times heart wrenching. Effectively exploring the intergenerational trauma of terrible sectarian violence and, for many, loss of their homeland and identity. However, I felt the narrative from the fig tree odd; lengthy musings on the natural world and as an awkward device to impart historical context including through conversations with other creatures! I found myself skimming through these sections. Having said that I would recommend this book as I have found it long lastingly thought provoking and sadly so currently relevant.

Lesley Hall

The Island of Missing Trees is a beautiful book. The lyrical prose skilfully unwraps a fragmented paradise. The book centres around several love stories, liaisons forbidden for various reasons, brought into focus by the partition of Cyprus. Just as gently as the narrative describes the beauty of the island and wonderful natural interactions between species, does it detail the tragic consequences of human intolerance and thoughtlessness, both towards its fellow man and the environment. The story, told by a variety of narrators, ranging from the teenage daughter of the central protagonists to a fig tree, weaves its way through Cyprus’s recent history, local legends and customs and mystical beliefs, to climate change, and the effects on a people of civil war across generations. I really enjoyed this book, and found it hard to put down. Its conclusion is very satisfying, with each loose end - even those I had not realised were still hanging – being tied off in the gradual manner in which they were introduced, but leaving one with a feeling of hope for the future.

Patricia Shayler

Absolutely loved this book. I am always fascinated by trees and to use the fig tree as a character in the book was an absolutely brilliant idea. A powerful novel that covers war between neighbours, which seems to be a permanent part of our world. The history of Cyprus and the troubles that still leave a scar on the country was so well described. A truly sad and moving story, I was gripped from start to finish.