The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak is historical fiction set in Cypress during the summer of ’74 when Civil War broke out, as well as in present day London. I didn’t know much about the fighting between Muslim Turkish Cypriots and Christian Greek Cypriots before reading this book. Shafak has crafted a novel that is both sad and hopeful, and told largely from the perspective of a Fig Tree.

Magical, lyrical and beautiful written, Shafak explores love, family, identity, food, botany, exile, grief, loss, myth, history and culture to name a few. This is my favorite type of book, full of wonderful imagery, characters you care about and enough historical truth to make you want to learn more the second you finish the book. A great read.