The Island of Missing TreesThe Island of Missing Trees
What it's about
Two teenagers on the island of Cyprus, a Greek Cypriot and a Turkish Cypriot, fall in love in secret as the island is torn apart. Decades later, their daughter tries to understand her family's silence, in a rich, magical novel about belonging, identity, love and trauma, nature and renewal.
Why it's worth reading
It was a finalist for the Women's Prize for Fiction and a Reese's Book Club pick. It's a lush, magical novel about love, grief and belonging.
You'll love it if you liked
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World
There Are Rivers in the Sky
The OverstoryGood to know
It deals with the trauma of civil war and has magical elements.
By the numbers
- Readers66 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics25 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller22 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz26 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #73 of the 116 historical novels we rank
- #149 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #227 of the 481 new books we rank
- #1275 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
More by Elif Shafak
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Quick answers
Is The Island of Missing Trees worth reading?
Yes. It was a finalist for the Women's Prize for Fiction and a Reese's Book Club pick. It ranks #1,275 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 70.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Island of Missing Trees about?
Two teenagers on the island of Cyprus, a Greek Cypriot and a Turkish Cypriot, fall in love in secret as the island is torn apart. Decades later, their daughter tries to understand her family's silence, in a rich, magical novel about belonging, identity, love and trauma, nature and renewal.
How long does it take to read The Island of Missing Trees?
About 8 hours (320 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Island of Missing Trees?
If you liked it, try 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak, There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak or The Overstory by Richard Powers.