The Island of Missing Trees (Authentic Verified) by Elif Shafak

"On the island of Cyprus, torn by division, two teenagers?Kostas, a Greek Cypriot, and Defne, a Turkish Cypriot?meet in secret at a humble taverna, a place where their forbidden love blossoms amidst garlands of garlic, chili peppers, and creeping honeysuckle. Beneath the shelter of a fig tree, which stretches through a gap in the roof, their love grows quietly, tenderly, and in defiance of the bitter conflict surrounding them. This tree, a silent witness to their hushed meetings, watches as war descends upon the land, as the capital is laid to waste, and as Kostas and Defne vanish without a trace.

Decades later, Kostas returns to the island. Now a botanist in search of native plants, his true mission is to seek out the lost love that has haunted him through the years. In the interim, a Ficus carica has taken root in the back garden of a London home, where Ada Kazantzakis lives. This tree, a living connection to a homeland she has never visited, symbolizes Ada?s link to a fragmented past and her family?s troubled history. It is through this tree that Ada embarks on a journey to unearth buried secrets, attempting to reconcile the fractured pieces of her identity and find her place in the world.

A poignant and exquisitely woven tale of love, division, and the inexorable passage of time, The Island of Missing Trees is a meditation on the intertwining of history, memory, and eco-consciousness. Elif Shafak?s narrative prowess reaches new heights in this moving work, her finest yet.

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