The Island of Missing Trees: Shortlisted for the Costa Novel Of The Year Award

I had to stop myself and pace myself, as I couldn't put this book down. Elif Shafak has a unique way to tell her story and breathe life into it. Loved it!

After a slow start, I was completely bowled over by this novel. It's about humanity, love, history, loss, hope and renewal. It's about ecology, interconnectedness and trees. It's about female strength too, I think and love that breaks the boundaries of life and death. The writing is simultaneously sublime and down to earth and difficult concepts handled with such wisdom and lightness of touch. I adored it.

Loved the story however can someone help me out with the last pages of the book, I’ve had to return as the last three sections of the book was not included so don’t even know if the final page printed in the book is in fact the final page. If you read this please add the final page to your review

Read the blurbs about this book ,and as I have visited Cyprus and loved it thought I might learn more from this book.Although It does cover the basics of the islands division…it left me disappointed.

I think this is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. The language, the descriptions, the characters - just beautiful. An unusual narrator choice for part of the book, that of the tree but it helped add to the sense that memory is so important. I'm ashamed to say I know very little about the history of Cyprus, and this book gives you glimpses of the shared pain of the Islanders. This book covers themes of love, grief, and memory and the importance and power of all three. Overall this is a wonderful story and it will stick with me, just like a "deep sea love".

I am a big fan of the author and this novel confirmed my high opinion of her talent. The novel started a little slowly but then built into a compelling tale and, in addition, educated me about certain plant life and of the tragedy that was Cyprus in the 1970s. One of those books that I was sad to finish.