There is something about grief and loss that makes people decide to take new chances, to pursuit new hobbies, to try out new things. As much as a loss can rupture someone’s life, I find it beautiful that it opens up space to walk a new path. Long Litt Woon lost her husband of thirty plus years unexpectedly, and what she found was mycology, or the study of mushrooms. Yes, you read that right: mushrooms. Fungi.
The way through the woods: overcoming grief through nature is written by Malaysian born Long Litt Woon – Long is her surname, Litt Woon her first name as per Chinese naming tradition- and translated from Norwegian by Barbara J. Haveland. Before I had even started reading I liked two things about Long; she is a fellow anthropologist, and she also found love in the Nordics. The book is a source of aspiration, at least for me, a glimmer of hope that in 30 years I might have mastered the Finnish language well enough to write a book (she wrote hopeful, with feelings of despair and disbelief).
Sudden death is a very particular form of death, which prompts different grief responses compared to, for example, a death in later life or a death after a long illness. In those cases people often experience anticipatory grief, as they already start grieving for the person whilst they are still alive. Long’s husband died quickly and without warning, leaving her suddenly alone.
Norway and Malaysia have differing ways of responding to death and loss. Long describes how the death of her husband Eiolf highlighted the different cultural approaches in marking a death and arranging funerals. The outfit that Long chose for Eiolf to wear for his burial beautifully reflected both cultures; he wore both a white Norwegian smock as well as a colourful batik Sarong from Malaysia. But Long does note the absence of ritual and commemoration in Norway, which stands in sharp contrast to her Malaysian upbringing:
“There are so many rituals associated with death [in Malaysia]. These include the Malaysian Chinese custom of marking, for seven weeks, every seventh day after a person’s death. Then the hundredth day of passing and then the actual anniversary of their passing”
— The Way Through the Woods page 90
After her husband’s death Long finds comfort in mycology, or the study of mushrooms. What starts with innocently signing up for a mushroom course for beginners, ends with Long being a mushroom-expert, licensed to recognize different species. Mushrooms offered an myriad of things Long needed whilst grieving for her husband: a new thing to focus on, lots of time spent in nature, and a new group of friends:
“As we sat there round the table it struck me that Eiolf didn’t know any of my new mushroom acquaintances. To these new dinner-party friends I wasn’t a widow with a large ‘W’ – as I was to our old mutual friends”
— The Way Through the Woods page 91
Long shows how navigating old and new relationships whilst grieving a loss is not always straightforward. ‘Old’ friends did not always know how to respond and some rarely got in touch. The mushroom community offered space to be and connect with people over a mutual interest. Here long wasn’t a Widow, but just another mushroom-enthusiast. Grief and loss could be put on the back burner during those interactions.
The way through the woods can be read as a memoir, a journey trough grief, a biological guide to mushrooms, but also as an anthropological enquiry into the people interested in mycology. Long outlines how geographical and social contexts determine which mushrooms are considered to be ‘good’, ‘smelly’, ‘tasty’ or even ‘edible’. I found it especially interesting to read about the reluctance of Norwegian mushroom experts to discuss the existence of hallucinogenic, or ‘magic’ mushrooms, perhaps as in my native country, the Netherlands, the consumption of magic mushrooms was legal until 2008. Mushrooms are biological entities, but people in different places attach differing social and political meanings to something so seemingly innocent (but potentially lethal) as fungi.
Both people interested in loss and grief as well as people interested in mushrooms will find The Way through the Woods a compelling read. But if none of the above has convinced you to read the book, perhaps the knowledge that Long shares various recipes, including a recipe for chanterelle ice-cream (yes, you read that right!) might do the trick…
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