This year marks the grim 49th anniversary of the illegal Turkish invasion and occupation of Cyprus. While some of us are perhaps familiar with the history of Cyprus, in general and/or have heard eyewitness accounts from Greek Cypriots who lived through the trauma in 1974, the Turkish Cypriot perspective, however, is likely less well-known in the Greek-American community.

The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak offers a glimpse into the lives of Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, and their trees, as the book bounces between time periods, from 1974 to the 2010s to highlight what the communities shared before Cyprus was invaded and occupied while also recounting a story of forbidden love.

According to the book’s description, “two teenagers, a Greek Cypriot and a Turkish Cypriot, meet at a taverna on the island they both call home. In the taverna, hidden beneath garlands of garlic, chili peppers and creeping honeysuckle, Kostas and Defne grow in their forbidden love for each other. A fig tree stretches through a cavity in the roof, and this tree bears witness to their hushed, happy meetings and eventually, to their silent, surreptitious departures.”

It should be noted that while this is a work of fiction, some readers may be offended by the way certain aspects of the history of Cyprus are mentioned in the book, such as the EOKA struggle and the invasion itself, but it is important in a free country to listen to the perspectives of others even if we don’t agree with them, everyone has a right to express their opinion. It is fascinating to see how the author presents this Cypriot world for the reader.

The years pass, the teenagers lose touch, but then we find Kostas returning to Cyprus as a botanist looking for native species, but really, he is searching for his lost love. A common fig tree grows in the back garden of a house in London where Ada Kazantzakis lives. The tree is her only connection to an island she has never visited, her only connection to her family’s troubled history and her complex identity as she seeks to untangle years of secrets to find her place in the world.

Shafak is an award-winning British-Turkish novelist. She has published 19 books, 12 of which are novels, including The Island of Missing Trees, shortlisted for the Costa Award, RSL Ondaatje Prize, and Women’s Prize for Fiction. Shafak is a bestselling author in many countries around the world and her work has been translated into 55 languages. Among her books, ’10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World’ was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and RSL Ondaatje Prize and was Blackwell’s Book of the Year. The Forty Rules of Love was chosen by BBC among the 100 Novels that Shaped Our World. Shafak holds a PhD in political science and has taught at various universities in Turkey, the U.S., and the UK. She also holds a Doctorate of Humane Letters from Bard College. Shafak contributes to major publications around the world and was honored with the medal of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. Recently, Shafak was awarded the Halldór Laxness International Literature Prize for her contribution to “the renewal of the art of storytelling.”

The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak is available in bookstores and online.