A few days ago, when someone asked what I was reading, I mentioned this book and added that my reading session was supported by a box of tissues and a tub of ice cream. Of course, that humorous quip was just to highlight how emotionally captivating this novel is.

I want to keep the same stance on its impactful storyline and emotional power, played out across this tragic love story set across two ends of a continent.

It’s the story of Kostas (Greek Cypriot) and Defne (Turkish Cypriot), teenage sweethearts who fell in love in the seventies, then tragically drifted apart, only to rekindle their romance two decades later and find their way back to each other’s hearts. What happened to break their bond and what happened in between has stayed with Defne but not so much with Costas.

Although he is the more sensitive of the two, he still couldn’t fathom the broken pieces tearing at Defne’s heart. His work as a naturalist and botanist perhaps allowed him to hear the muted voices of trees and nature surrounding them, but not the silent cries of his beloved wife’s shattered mind. This creates a rift in their bond that cannot be bridged until the very end of Defne’s life.

Unfortunately, their only child, Ada, becomes the silent witness to this gossamer bond. But even she fails to understand the complexity of her parents’ relationship and how their relationship’s identity and fate are tied to their homeland- Cyprus.

Thus, the story takes readers to Cyprus in the 1970s, torn apart by ethnic tensions between Greeks and Turks, while the island also witnessed the blooming romance between Kostas and Defne. The author fills in so many tiny details of their daily lives against the growing strife on the island that the story becomes all the more distressing to read.

Then there is the fig tree. She (yes, she) is the principal narrator of this complicated cross-continental sad love story. She has witnessed their budding romance; she has also witnessed their tragic loss, then moved along with them to their new home and witnessed their individual attempts to fill their lives with Ada, but only to break apart in the end.

This delicate treatment of a typical teenage story set amid a complex ethnic upheaval makes this book unique. Of course, all credit goes to Elif Shafak’s accomplished prowess in creating such intricate characters against real historical backdrops without losing focus on the main story, while maintaining the authoritative tone and engaging narrative style that adds extra notches to reading this novel.

I would absolutely recommend this fantabulous book for an exciting albeit emotional reading experience.