The Way Through the Woods
of mushrooms and mourning
by Long Litt Woon
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Pub Date 6 Aug 2019 | Archive Date 30 Oct 2020
Scribe UK | Scribe
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Description
One woman’s journey to overcome grief by delving into an overlooked wonder of nature.
‘As the world of mushrooms opened up to me I began to see that the path back to life was easier than I had thought. It was simply a matter of gathering delights that flash and sparkle. All I had to do was follow the mushroom trail, even though I still didn’t know where it would lead. What would I find in the great unknown that lay ahead of me? What lay beyond those hilltops and mists and turns in the road?’
When Long Litt Woon loses her husband of 32 years to an unexpected death, she is utterly bereft. An immigrant in his country, in losing the love of her life she has also lost her compass and her passport to society. For a time, she is stuck, aimless, disoriented. It is only when she wanders off deep into the woods with mushroom hunters and is taught there how to see clearly what is all around her, and learn how to make distinctions, take educated risks, and hear all the different melodies in Nature’s chorus, that she returns to life and to living. And it is mushrooms which guide her back. In this book, she describes how they saved her, and how they might save you.
Advance Praise
‘Long’s book, in which she recounts how mycology helped her to recover from the death of her husband, could hardly be better timed ... People talk, in these fractious times, about mindfulness. They wonder how to shut out the din, and get back to the important, elemental things in life. Mushrooms, here only fleetingly and easily damaged, do this effortlessly.’
Rachel Cooke, The Observer
‘A moving and unexpectedly funny book … Long tells the story of finding hope after despair lightly and artfully, with self-effacement and so much gentle good nature … seeing Long’s capacity for wonder and even contentment in the midst of her sadness feels like seeing tiny shoots of grass peeking from the ash in a landscape stripped bare by fire.'
Sarah Lyall, The New York Times
‘A thoughtful meditation on bereavement … full of intriguing detail.’
Sara Hudston, TLS
Available Editions
| EDITION | Ebook |
| ISBN | 9781925693850 |
| PRICE | US$37.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 304 |
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Featured Reviews
Rosemary S, Librarian
Long Litt Woon loses her husband unexpectedly and her life comes completely apart. She is devastated and rather than medicate her pain away, vows to fight through it as a tribute to her husband. Her turning point comes when she enrolls in a class about mushrooms and mushroom harvesting. Being with a group of diverse individuals, all set on learning about mushroom foraging and the natural world, eases some of Long Witt Loon’s pain. Being outside in the fresh air. seeing the cycle of all living things, from birth to death comforts and grounds her in a way she never expected and allows her to come to terms with her loss. This memoir is a beautiful story of grief, acceptance and hope
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