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The Island of Missing Trees
- Narrated by: Daphne Kouma, Amira Ghazalla
- Length: 11 hrs and 44 mins
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The Island of Missing Trees
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Publisher's Summary
Brought to you by Penguin.
Shortlisted for the Women’s Prize 2022
A Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick.
A top 10 Sunday Times best seller.
Shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award 2021.
A rich, magical new novel from the Booker-shortlisted author of 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World.
Two teenagers, a Greek Cypriot and a Turkish Cypriot, meet at a taverna on the island they both call home. The taverna is the only place that Kostas and Defne can meet in secret, hidden beneath the blackened beams from which hang garlands of garlic and chilli peppers, creeping honeysuckle, and in the centre, growing through a cavity in the roof, a fig tree. The fig tree witnesses their hushed, happy meetings; their silent, surreptitious departures. The fig tree is there, too, when war breaks out, when the capital is reduced to ashes and rubble, when the teenagers vanish. Decades later, Kostas returns—a botanist, looking for native species—looking, really, for Defne. The two lovers return to the taverna to take a clipping from the fig tree and smuggle it into their suitcase, bound for London. Years later, the fig tree in the garden is their daughter Ada's only knowledge of a home she has never visited, as she seeks to untangle years of secrets and silence, and find her place in the world.
The Island of Missing Trees is a rich, magical tale of belonging and identity, love and trauma, nature and renewal, from the Booker-shortlisted author of 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World.
Critic Reviews
"What a wonderful read! This book moved me to tears...in the best way. Powerful and poignant." (Reese Witherspoon)
"One of the best writers in the world today." (Hanif Kureishi)
"Shafak makes a new home for us in words." (Colum McCann)
What listeners say about The Island of Missing Trees
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- martina
- 01-12-2022
Poetic, inspiring and informative
This book is written in such beautiful language. Evocative and entertaining at the same time, a true page turner, it is also a powerful testimony of war, love, human nature and the mysteries of the natural world.
10 out of 10!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 30-03-2024
Now one of my fave books
A tree giving part of the narrative? Wonderful! Loved everything about this book. The characters, the settings, the time period. Read it.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 10-04-2024
A Gem
Beautifully narrated story of a challenging time of civil war. All of my senses came alive through the intertwined lives of plant, animal and people of the island. A m
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Janet
- 12-02-2022
Imaginative and informative
I enjoyed t this book told in two voices that of the fig tree ,and the other of the characters. The 1st chapter with the fig tree I found a little difficult and wasn't very keen on the narration, but then got used to it. I very much enjoyed the book and particularly enjoyed the story of the daughter father and aunt.
I found the story of Cyprus is history interesting read the Turkish and the Greeks and it made me want to visit Cyprus some day.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 09-02-2022
I absolutey listening to this book. The details are like poetry. What an amazing author/poet. Thank you
I absolutely enjoyed listening to this story. What a gift of an author/poet you are Elif. Thank you
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 30-10-2022
Through the eyes of nature.
A very special story, the worst of humankind, war and atrocity, then the best of human kind: love, acceptance and compassion.
An incredible unfolding through multiple lenses - both people and the fig tree, to understand the history of conflict in Cypress, and its toll on the land, the trees, the creatures and the people over several generations. A must listen.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Carmela Daly
- 10-06-2023
Wonderfully written and narrated.
This story drew me in right from the start. A rich take of love and family. Also imparting such wonderful information on trees as a species and fascinating legends and folklore. Loved it!!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Des
- 07-10-2021
A beautiful and uplifting story.
Another wonderful book written by Elif Shafak. Both narrators were excellent. I looked forward to listening to this book each time I climbed into the car.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sophie
- 06-12-2021
Just lovely!
What a sweet story. I loved so much about this! Once I got through a few chapters and got used to the fig tree being a character I just couldn’t get enough of this story.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- john william bolt
- 07-03-2022
Delightful
delightful. thought provoking and emotional. so beautifully narrated. so much h to think about and ponder.
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