Table Talk: Elif Shafak

The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak is a novel that weaves together the stories of multiple generations affected by the turbulent history of Cyprus. The narrative is partly told through the voice of a fig tree, which observes the lives of a young Greek Cypriot and a Turkish Cypriot couple, Kostas and Defne, who are separated by war. The story also follows Ada, a teenager in London, as she seeks to understand her family's history and ancestry. The novel explores themes of war, division, love, loss, and the search for identity and healing, highlighting the resilience of both human and natural life in the face of trauma and conflict.

The novel, written by Elif Shafak, centers around Asya Kazancı, a nineteen-year-old woman living in Istanbul, and Armanoush Tchakhmakhchian, an Armenian-American who travels to Istanbul to discover her roots. The story delves into the violent past of Turkey, particularly the 1915 Armenian deportations and massacres, and how these events impact the lives of the characters. The narrative is set in both Turkey and the United States, highlighting the complex relationships between the characters and their cultural identities[1][3][4].