The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Shafak, Elif. The Island of Missing Trees. Penguin Books, 2021.

Elif Shafak’s novel is divided into six sections. There are 50 chapters in total.

Ada is 16 years old and lives in London. Her Greek father Kostas is a botanist. Her Turkish mother Defne died a year before. Her parents were both born in Cyprus. There is a fig tree from Cyprus in the backyard of their London home.

One day at school, Ada has a mental breakdown. When her teacher asks her a question, she stands up and screams in front of the class. Someone films it and the video goes viral.

Ada’s aunt Meryem, her mother’s sister, visits London for the first time. She is the first extended family member Ada has ever met. Meryem decided to come once her last parent died. Before that, she had sworn to never visit Kostas or Defne. Ada starts asking Meryem questions about her parents’ past and learns the following story.

Defne and Kostas were together as teenagers, in secret. They feared their parents’ disapproval, as political and communal tensions were at an all-time high during the 1970s in Cyprus. They used to meet at a tavern called The Happy Fig, ran by a gay couple, Yusuf and Yiorgos.

Ada recalls bits and pieces her mother told her about her past when she was drunk. Ada once found a secret box of her mother’s pills. When she tells Meryem about this, Meryem is shocked. She did not know Defne was an alcoholic.

One night, The Happy Fig was bombed. Ada and Kostas survived. They had sex for the first time that night. A few weeks later, Kostas’ mother sends him to London. He intends to return in a week, but as violence in Cyprus escalates, he is forced to remain indefinitely. Defne is heartbroken.

Meryem brings Ada to an exorcist to rid her of the djinn that she believes is possessing Ada. Ada’s sadness remains.

Kostas returns to Cyprus in the early 2000s. He meets with David, a mutual friend of his and Defne’s. David brings him to meet Defne at an archaeological site, where they both work. Defne seems guarded. When they all get dinner that weekend, Defne gets drunk and accuses Kostas of abandoning her.

Kostas keeps coming to Defne’s work. Eventually, she asks him out. They go on a walk for their date. Kostas tells her he received a phone call from a doctor recently who told him Defne was pregnant years ago. He tells her he is sorry she had an abortion. They kiss.

When Kostas cannot sleep one night, he leaves his hotel and goes for a walk. He finds songbirds trapped. When the police refuse to do anything, he frees the birds himself. When he returns the next night to free some more, he is ambushed and beat up. Defne visits him at the hotel. They have sex. Afterwards, she tells him the truth about their child.

Defne gave birth to a boy named Yusuf Yiorgos. She gave him up for an adoption. Prior to that, she did try to have an abortion. The doctor came to The Happy Fig. Before they could begin, young men came to attack Yusuf and Yiorgos. She hid in the back with the doctor, and never saw the two men again. Yusuf Yiorgos ended up dying of malaria.

When Defne and Kostas visit the baby’s grave, he proposes to her. They decide to move back to London. Defne’s depression makes it difficult for her to adjust. She is happy when Ada is born, but then continues to drink.

After Meryem returns to Cyprus, Ada makes an effort to bond with her dad. One night at dinner, she brings up Defne’s suicide. It is the first time they speak of it. Kostas says it was no one’s fault.

Back at school, Ada’s classmates are kind to her. Her crush even approaches her. Ada calls Meryem. Ada and Kostas plan to visit Cyprus sometime soon.

Defne’s spirit lives on in the fig tree. She enjoys watching over them all.