The Island of Missing Trees

Cyprus, 1974: two teenagers, one Greek Cypriot and the other Turkish Cypriot, meet at a taverna on the divided island they call home. The tavern is the only place where Kostas, who is Greek and Christian, and Defne, who is Turkish and Muslim, can meet in secret, hidden beneath the blackened beams from which hang garlands of garlic, chilli peppers, and wild herbs. It’s the place where everyone goes to enjoy the best food, wine, and music and where – for a few hours at least – the problems of the outside world can be forgotten. In the centre of the tavern, growing through a cavity in the roof, is a fig tree that will witness their happy meetings and silent surreptitious departures. That same tree will be be there when war devastates the island, reduces the capital to dust, and breaks apart the teenage lovers who vanish in the melee. Decades later in north London, sixteen year old Ada Kazantakis has never visited the island where her parents were born. Desperate for answers, Ada seeks to untangle the years of secrets, separation, and silence. Her only connection to the land of her ancestors? A Ficus Carica growing in the back garden of their home.

Format: Kindle Edition, Hardcover & Paperback

Paperback: 368 Pages

Language: English