In the heart of a divided island, where the echoes of a love as forbidden as it is profound reverberate, Elif Shafak weaves a tale of enduring passion and the silent witnesses of nature in "The Island of Missing Trees." Kostas and Defne, a Greek Cypriot and a Turkish Cypriot, find solace and sanctuary in a hidden taverna, their love blossoming in the shadow of a fig tree that stretches through the roof, its branches a testament to their secret meetings. As their world is torn apart by war, leaving behind nothing but ashes and memories, the fig tree stands as a silent custodian of their love and the brutal history of their island. Years later, the resonance of this past love story finds its way to a fig tree in London, where Ada Kazantzakis grapples with her family's legacy and her complex identity, seeking to unravel a web of secrets that stretches across generations. Elif Shafak's "The Island of Missing Trees" is not just a narrative about love's triumph over the harshest divides but also a poignant reflection on identity, belonging, and the healing power of nature. Through the life of a single tree, Shafak explores the deepest wounds of human conflict and the possibility of renewal, making this novel an exquisite ode to the resilience of the human spirit and the unbreakable bonds that connect us to our history and the natural world. This masterful story invites readers on a journey of discovery, love, and reconciliation, proving once more why Shafak is one of the most compelling storytellers of our time.