The Way Through the Woods: Overcoming Grief Through Nature by Long Litt Woon

The Way Through the Woods: Overcoming Grief Through Nature, by Long Litt Woon

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.

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Our review

“Grief grinds slowly; it devours all the time it needs.”

The Way Through the Woods by anthropologist and certified mushroom expert Long Litt Woon, tells a symbiotic tale of the process of grief and one of the most inscrutable organisms on Earth: the fungus Switching between the author’s reflections on the sudden loss of husband, Eiolf, and her more practical explorations into the fascinating world of fungi, this book is intelligently written and deeply observational.

Filled to the brim with eccentric mushroom-obsessed people, delightful accounts of fungi and emotional prose, The Way Through the Woods emphasises the importance of the connections between fauna, flora and funga.

Wild Reads Book Choice

The Way Through the Woods is part of our Wild Reads project in partnership with Suffolk Wildlife Trust, celebrating the connection between the natural world and the written word.

Enjoyed this title? Let us know what you think on Twitter by tagging @SuffolkLibrary and @SuffolkWildlife and using the hashtag #WildReads.

Supporting booklist

Inspired by The Way Through the Woods by Long Litt Woon, this month's Wild Reads theme is about how the process of grief is reflected through nature, particularly the fungus. Explore our supporting titles on the world of fungi and the importance of mushrooms in our ecosystem.

Suffolk Wildlife Trust has shared a list of stunning woodland reserves inspired by The Way Through The Woods, as well as spotter guides for fungi and other Autumn wildlife.