The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak

                                              

Ebook:   350 pages

Genre: Literary Fiction 

Publisher: Kindle Edition August 2021

Source: My Kindle Library

First Sentences: Once upon a memory, at the far end of the Mediterranean Sea, there lay an island so beautiful and blue that the many travellers, pilgrims, crusaders and merchants who fell in love with it either wanted never to leave or tried to tow it with hemp ropes all the way back to their own countries. Legends, perhaps.

Favourite Quote: “But if you are going to claim, as humans do, to be superior to all life forms, past and present, then you must gain an understanding of the oldest living organisms on earth who were here long before you arrived and will still be here after you have gone.” 

Setting: Nicosia, Cyprus and London, England

Literary awards: Women's Prize for Fiction Nominee for Shortlist (2022)

Review Quote: 'This book moved me to tears . . . in the best way. Powerful and poignant' Reese Witherspoon

My Opinion:  

This is the first book I have read by Elif Shafak and I certainly hope it won’t be the last.

Based on historical facts and events told as a fictional story with the narrator a fig tree this beautifully crafted novel can not fail to feed your imagination.  Set in troubled Cyprus in the 1970’s  and later in 2010 it is the tale of the forbidden and traumatic love between Kosta and Defne. The later section is set in London where Kosta is now living with daughter Ada who is struggling to understand her identity. 

Magical, original and deeply moving  storytelling.   Highly recommended.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

A rich, magical new book on belonging and identity, love and trauma, nature and renewal, from the Booker shortlisted author of 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World. 

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. The tree is there when war breaks out, when the capital is reduced to ashes and rubble, and when the teenagers vanish. Decades later, Kostas returns. He is a botanist looking for native species, but really, he’s searching for lost love. 

Years later, a Ficus carica grows in the back garden of a house in London where Ada Kazantzakis lives. This 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.

A moving, beautifully written and delicately constructed story of love, division, transcendence, history and eco-consciousness, The Island of Missing Trees is Elif Shafak’s best work yet.

Author Profile:         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

                                                           Courtesy of Wikipedia

Elif Shafak was born in France in 1971, she is an award-winning British-Turkish novelist and the most widely read female author in Turkey. She writes in both Turkish and English, and has published nineteen books, twelve of which are novels. Her work has been translated into fifty-six languages. Shafak holds a PhD in political science and she has taught at various universities in Turkey, the US and the UK, including St Anne's College, Oxford University, where she is an honorary fellow. She is a member of Weforum Global Agenda Council on Creative Economy and a founding member of ECFR (European Council on Foreign Relations). An advocate for women's rights, LGBT rights and freedom of speech, Shafak is an inspiring public speaker and twice a TED Global speaker, each time receiving a standing ovation. 

Shafak contributes to major publications around the world and she has been awarded the title of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres. In 2017 she was chosen by Politico as one of the twelve people who would make the world better. She has judged numerous literary prizes and is chaired the Wellcome Prize in 2019.

Photographs, Trailer and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Wikipedia Profile.   Author Official Website   Elif Shafak - YouTube Channel

Instagram Profile.  Twitter Profile  Facebook Profile

Of Things Gone Astray by Janina Matthewson

Paperback: 291 pages
Genre: Fantasy Fiction
Publisher: Harper Collins 2014
Source: The author's publicists in return for an unbiased review.
First Sentence:Mrs Featherby had been having pleasant dreams until she woke to discover the front of her house had vanished overnight.
Favourite Quote: “That's a very strongly defined term, dear, 'wrong choices' and i'm not sure it's helpful. There are no wrong or right choices, necessarily, just those you make or don't make and the consequences. And by extension, how you deal with the consequences.”
Review Quote: 'I wanted to read this quickly but it kept making me stop to think. I love this stunning collection of quirky ideas, skillfully told and any one of them could happen to any one of us, at any time.' Cecelia Ahern.
My Opinion: Set in the real world but with ridiculous things happening I struggled to read this. Do not get me wrong this a well written and quirky novel dealing with loss. As I am not generally a fan of fantasy fiction this was no great surprise to me, but I do like to take the opportunity to read things outside my comfort zone. Although it did not work for me it will I think  appeal to 'real' fans of this genre.


Précis Courtesy of Goodreads :

On a seemingly normal morning in London, a group of people all lose something dear to them, something dear but peculiar: the front of their house, their piano keys, their sense of direction, their place of work.

Meanwhile, Jake, a young boy whose father brings him to London following his mother’s sudden death, finds himself strangely attracted to other people’s lost things. But little does he realize that his most valuable possession, his relationship with his father, is slipping away from him.


Of Things Gone Astray is a magical fable about modern life and values and finding the things that really matter


Author Profile:

Janina is a London based writer of novels and plays. She is ill equipped to deal with domestic concerns and almost always kills her plants.
Of Things Gone Astray is now available in the UK, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the United States. Published by The Friday Project at Harper Collins.
Her first novella, The Understanding of Women, was released world wide as an eBook in October 2012 and her play, Human and If, had it's first public reading in July 2012.
She will never get used to Christmas being cold as she was born in New Zealand.

The biographical information and photo used in this post are with thanks to the following websites, where you can also find more information about the author and her writing.


Goodreads Author Profile    Amazon Author Page   Janina Matthewson Official Website

Twitter Profile

The Moon Coin by Richard Due - Gold Medal Winner

I have just heard from the author himself the wonderful and well deserved news that he has won a Gold Medal with his début novel The Moon Coin which I reviewed a few months ago. 

The Award is from Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards an annual event, now in its sixth year, designed to bring increased recognition to exemplary children’s books and their creators, and to support childhood literacy and life-long reading. Awards are given in categories covering the full range of subjects, styles and age groups that children’s books are written and published in today.

The contest is designed to honour the year’s best children’s books, authors and illustrators. The 2012 Moonbeam Awards program is open to authors, illustrators, and publishers of children’s books written in English or Spanish and intended for the North American market. 

The judging panel includes experts from the fields of editing, design, reviewing, bookselling and library.

Awards for 2012, will be presented during the third annual Traverse City Children’s Book Festival in Traverse City, Michigan in early November.

Author Profile for Richard Due can be found in my previous post here

The publicity material for this post was all supplied to me by the author, but I discovered earlier today that one of my fellow Book Review Bloggers Fiction Books has already written and published an excellent tribute to Richard Due using the material. Rather than repeat it all here probably almost word for word, I therefore direct you to read her post.

My original review for The Moon Coin can be read here

Warmest Congratulations Richard  on your well deserved success which I hope goes from strength to strength as the rest of the series is released.

The Moon Coin by Richard Due

Ebook: Kindle Edition 297 pages. ( Also now available in paperback)
Genre:  Fantasy Fiction
Publisher: Gibbering Gnome Press 2011
Source: The author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
First Sentence:  'Ebb Autumn stood tall and slender in his coat of many pockets..'
A Favourite Quote:  ‘ as you grow older, you’ll discover a curious thing about the truth it plays by its own rules. It cares not one whit about your or anyone else’s beliefs. The truth just is. There is no stopping or changing it. Further, I would counsel you to prepare yourselves, as the truth can be quite far removed from one’s  expectations.’ 
My Opinion: Magical and Adventurous
Note: Since reading and writing this review I am delighted to report that Richard Due has kindly sent me an autographed paperback edition of  'The Moon Coin'  The paperback edition is lovely to have as this book has beautiful illustrations. I will treasure my copy. You can order yours direct from the author, publisher, or read on an eReader.
Awards : Update October 2012 - Gold Medal Winner - http://www.moonbeamawards.com/about.php

I do not usually read or review books intended for children or from the fantasy genre, but I made an exception for this one when the author approached me as it sounded intriguing and it is illustrated.  In fact the illustrations by Carolyn Arcabascio are absolutely beautiful even viewed on the Kindle, I guess this is a taste of how story book reading aloud to children of future generations may well be. With no children or grandchildren to test my theories on I think that this illustrated fantasy will apeal to anyone who enjoyed  series such as Harry Potter and The Narnia Chronicles. Richard Due has a captivating style of writing and the two central characters of the tale seem very realistic.
This book is now available in paperback I think it may well be even more successful in this format.

I am using the authors own press release instead of trying to précis the story myself as he does a far better job than I would be able to:-

Gibbering Gnome Press Presents a Tale of Epic Fantasy

For Lily and Jasper Winter, the Moon Realm began with a single secret bedtime tale. As the children grew older, Uncle Ebb enthralled them with thrilling tales of the Dragondain riding horse-sized, catlike Rinn; mysterious tales of peerin-wielding lunamancers manipulating the magic that lies just beneath the surface of reality; exciting tales of flying dragons, swimming merfolk, stomping giants, and troublesome faeries. But as the magic of their childhood faded, so too did the tales. Eventually, they were just . . . good stories.

Or were they?

Now, nine years after it all began, Uncle Ebb is missing.

Lily and Jasper search for clues, but their uncle's mansion is full of distractions. A Tesla generator thrums in the basement. Prismatic electrimals flit around walls resembling underwater reefs. Then a most unexpected friend comes to their aid, leading them to a hidden room where they find a mysterious coin—the moon coin. Before the night is out, Lily is transported to the real Moon Realm. But the moons are in trouble. The Rinn of Barreth are under siege, and the lunamancers of Dain are beset by the very dragons they once loved. Most horrifying of all, the moon Darwyth has fallen to a villain named Wrengfoul, whose creeping evil now threatens to overshadow all the Realm.

Are Lily and Jasper too late to save the Moon Realm, or will they have enough time to write an ending of their own?

Featuring twenty-two stunning full-color illustrations by Carolyn Arcabascio. Volume One of the young adult fantasy adventure series The Moon Realm.

So what do I personally think?

A beautiful story from this début author that even I who readily admits that fantasy is far from my favourite genre has to say that I liked it, possibly because of the authors talent in the way he tells the story.  Lily and Jasper have an Uncle like no other in Uncle Ebb and they have grown up enthralled by his truly amazing bedtime stories. When he disappears for longer than normal it seems natural that they should be concerned about this. Whilst they are searching for clues as to his whereabouts the reader is whisked off to The Moon Realm and the land of fantasies. I am too much of a realist as an adult to fully let myself go but I do appreciate that this sort of fantasy is good for children, there is plenty of time to discover the real world as an  adult.  In conclusion I think this is a magical and adventurous fantasy that will appeal to fans of this genre from all age groups and I wish the author every success with the series.

Do take three minutes to watch this delightful video made by the authors daughter.

                                                                      Uploaded by TheMoonRealm on 17 Sep 2011

Author Profile

Richard Due was born on April 2nd 1964 in Baltimore, U.S.A. He first imagined the Moon Realm while telling bedtime tales to his children. He now lives in Southern Maryland, where he and his wife have owned and operated Second Looks Books since 1991. The Moon Coin is the first novel in the Moon Realm series. Visit  for The Moon Realm  for more information.

Illustrator Profile

I felt the illustrator  Carolyn Arcabascio also deserved a mention so I have included a Profile and an interview with her kindly provided by Richard Due.

Carolyn hails from Massachusetts, where she lives and works as an illustrator. At any given time you'll find her reading/writing/doodling - a result of her lifelong fascination with words, images, and the magical places where they meet.

From Sketch to Chapter Art, an Illustrator at Work Interview with Richard Due.

For me, getting to work with Carolyn Arcabascio was a dream come true. On The Moon Coin, we worked from a master list of scene options, with Carolyn picking out scenes she liked and making sketches. For the prologue, Carolyn drafted three options. All three were great, but two in particular were spectacular. I first went with option 3 (one of my scene suggestions). I think we spent more time on this sketch and subsequent color drawing than on any other piece. But it never seemed right. At the eleventh hour, I asked Carolyn how hard she’d hit me if I suggested scrapping the thing and instead going with the pinky promise scene you see below (one of her scene suggestions).  Carolyn responded: "There would be no hitting involved!" and told me it wouldn't be a problem. You sure can't ask for better than that.

From the Prologue: Bedtime Tales.

Click on image to enlarge.

Richard: Did you make all these sketches in the same location, Carolyn?

Carolyn: Yes, I do all of my work at a drafting table that's situated in a little nook of my apartment in Acton, Massachusetts. There's a bookshelf to my right and a wall of "inspiration" to my left, where I hang prints of other artists' and illustrators' work. On either side of my drafting table are drawers of supplies, and stacks of sketchbooks and old paintings. The drafting table faces a window overlooking a quiet street and the woods beyond it.

                                                From Chapter Two: A Coin of the Realm.

Click on image to enlarge.

Richard: Do you use models when you're sketching?

Carolyn: I use a combination of models and photo references. If I need to work out the nuances of a character's posture and really understand the perspective of it, I'll ask whatever friend or family member is handy to pose for a sketch. Often, I'll get into the position myself or mimic the facial expression I want to portray in order to get the feel of it. And sometimes, if there's a character being portrayed multiple times across scenes, I'll make a rough model of their head out of clay so I'll have it to refer to.

From Chapter Four: To Barreth.

Click on image to enlarge.

Richard: When drawing fantastical creatures, do you use bits and pieces of real animals for inspiration, or have you actually seen a wirtle and you're just not telling us? ;)

Carolyn: No wirtles native to Massachusetts, fortunately! When figuring out the look of fantastical creatures, I use photo references of different animals to understand the way the anatomy might work, and then combine features as I see fit and as the story calls for. To understand the wirtle's legs and paws, for example, I referred to a series of photographs of show dogs leaping over hurdles. The severely arched, scruffy back was influenced by photos of hyenas on the prowl. The bone-structure of the face ended up being something of a cross between a cow and a warthog, and I wanted the snout to be bare—kind of gross and raw-looking. Add it all up and, voila! We have a wirtle.

The author also kindly provided the following links to tempt you further.

Free sneak preview: http://themoonrealm.com/2012/05/16/sixchaps/

Here's a free audio version of the first two chapters: http://themoonrealm.com/2011/10/23/free-audiobook-sample-of-the-moon-coin/

The biographical information, photos and video used in this post are with thanks to the author himself and the following websites.

 The Moon Realm Website    Carolyn Arcabascio Illustrator    Goodreads Author Profile - Richard Due

YouTube