Long Litt Woon (born 1958 in Malaysia) is an anthropologist and
Norwegian Mycological Association–certified mushroom professional.
She first visited Norway as a young exchange student. There she met
and married Norwegian Eiolf Olsen. She currently lives in Oslo,
Norway. According to Chinese naming tradition, ‘Long’ is her
surname and ‘Litt Woon’ her first name.
Barbara J. Haveland (born 1951) is a Scots-born literary translator
resident in Copenhagen. She translates fiction, poetry, and drama
from Norwegian and Danish to English, and has translated works by
many leading Danish and Norwegian writers. Her most recent
published works include new translations of The Master Builder and
Little Eyolf by Henrik Ibsen and the first two volumes of Carl
Frode Tiller’s Encircling trilogy.
‘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.’
*The Observer*
‘An inspiring page-turner.’
*Jokha Alharthi, author of Celestial Bodies*
‘An incredible story of pain and loss and grief.’
*On Your Farm BBC Radio 4*
‘An ode to resilience, humour and change.’
*Simple Things*
‘In her search for new meaning in life after the death of her
husband, Long Litt Woon undertook the study of mushrooms. What she
found in the woods, and expresses with such tender joy in this
heartfelt memoir, was nothing less than salvation.’
*Eugenia Bone, author of Mycophilia and Microbia*
‘A thoughtful meditation on bereavement … full of intriguing
detail.’
*TLS*
‘It is poetic, warm and moving, and steeped in life wisdom’.
*Sissel Gran, Norwegian psychologist and author*
‘The Way Through the Woods will make a lovely gift for the
curious bushwalker, recently bereaved person, or even the niche
hobbyist in your life.’
*Readings*
‘This is one of the most surprising and original books I have read
in a long time — so much to learn and reflect about the human
condition and about a natural phenomenon.’
*Knut Olav Åmås, Norwegian critic, commentator and writer*
‘Anyone with an interest in the natural world will delight in
Long's sharp-eyed descriptions (and line drawings) of fungi and her
therapeutic rambles through Norwegian woods. A wonder-inducing dive
into the unique kingdom of fungi.’
*Kirkus*
‘This thoughtful, touching account explores Woon’s experience
learning mushroom foraging in the aftermath of tragedy ... With
charming sketches of the various mushrooms Woon encounters, this
moving memoir explores one woman’s journey through grief and will
please fans of personal narratives as well as those who may be
interested in mushroom foraging.’
*Library Journal*
‘[A] heartfelt and honest account of overcoming loss that will give
hope to readers in a simple, yet profound way. In her beautifully
written first book, Long shares a way to feel anew by setting foot
on a different path, discovering a spark of joy, and finding
meaning again. Readers who appreciate the journeys through grief
found in memoirs like Cheryl Strayed's Wild (2012) or Shannon Leone
Fowler's Traveling with Ghosts (2017) should pick this up.’
*Booklist*
‘One of the most beautiful books of the year. A touching and funny
story which also is familiar because it touches on one of the most
common and dreaded experiences. A scholarly and literary work to
embellish your life.’
*Bookstore Le Square in Grenoble*
‘Among the 20 “utterly engrossing” non-fiction books for the summer
of 2019.’
*Bookbub*
‘Long Litt Woon delivers, in addition to an accurate mycology, a
little lesson in wisdom.’
*Hebdo Books*
‘Poetic, moving, original. One of the books we talked about this
year.’
*L’Escapade Bookstore*
‘Like mushrooms themselves, The Way Through the Woods is
surprising, comforting, and completely engrossing. Woon takes us
foraging not just through the fascinating world of fungi but also
through her personal grief. Like The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating
and H is for Hawk her gorgeous, intimate encounter with unfamiliar
species teaches us that observing nature carefully is both
inspiring and healing.’
*Juli Berwald, author of Spineless: the science of jellyfish and
the art of growing a backbone*
‘Existential questions as tasty as morels.’
*L’Obs*
‘An informative and playful book, sensitive and without pathos.
Long Litt Woon’s enthusiasm is highly contagious.’
*Tela Botanica*
‘A jewel.’
*La revue numérique de l’alca*
‘She can make her subject captivating by pressing all the buttons
of the curious reader of nature.’
*Cri de l’ormeau*
‘Remarkable, pedagogical, original, delightful.’
*Voyage dans les lettres nordiques*
‘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.'
*The New York Times*
‘The Way Through the Woods is a personal view of the world of
mushrooming though the eyes of an anthropologist who took up
mushrooming to move forward through grief after the sudden death of
her husband. It was great to see how Norway mushrooming culture was
similar and different from that of the United States culture, while
cheering for the author as she struggled to accept and embrace her
new life. Anyone interested in these subjects will enjoy this book
as much as I did.’
*‘Wildman’ Steve Brill, naturalist, environmental educator, and
author of Foraging New York*
‘When Malaysian-born anthropologist Long Litt Woon’s husband of 32
years dropped dead at work one summer’s morning, she lost not only
the love of her life but her passport to society in her adopted
home of Norway. Numb with grief, she had only platitudes to
navigate her way through the wilderness of bereavement — until she
found unexpected joy and a new tribe of friends who shared an
offbeat interest: picking mushrooms in the Norwegian woods.’
*Courier Mail*
‘A Malaysian woman mourns the death of her Norwegian husband by
foraging for mushrooms — from morels to Yellow Knights — in this
singular memoir in which the author becomes a “traveler in the
fungi kingdom”.’
*The Oprah Magazine, ‘10 August Books You Should Read Right
Now’*
‘There’s something of the really life fairytale about the way
mushrooms guided Long Litt Woon through the woods of grief after
her husband’s sudden death ... “To feel the flow is to find
meaning, and to find meaning is to quiet and transform the storm
inside.” In this way, mushrooming becomes an apt and mysterious
metaphor for mourning’s “fieldwork of the heart” and the unexpected
consolations it can yield.’
*The Age*
‘[W]ritten by an exceptional woman who deigns to let us in on her
unusual way through grief ... you will learn a lot about how she
perceives people (indeed they appear to be her favourite subject
second only to fungi) and her notes on human existence will delight
and humour you ... you will also learn more about mushrooms than
you ever knew you needed. [Woon] balances hefty scientific
antidotes with the truly fantastic places her mushroom research has
taken her. From perfumers to poison guides, there is nothing Woon
will describe that won’t leave you hungry for more. A truly
wonderful book about life and grief and mushrooms, The Way Through
The Woods deserves all the praise it has been reaping and
more.’
*The Seattle Book Review*
‘Woon writes about meeting new friends happy to wander through the
Norwegian woods with her, spellbound by the hunt. As peculiar as
that may sound to most people, mushroom hunters will understand
immediately the peculiar joy of discovering fungi, especially rare
ones, deep in the beautiful and mysterious woods ... Long is a
poetic writer who melds what at first seem to be the most disparate
possible topics into a profound and beautiful memoir, and one that
is not at all just for mushroom enthusiasts.’
*Newsday*
‘The Way Through the Woods was enchanting, made me want to go
mushroom picking and learn how to do it properly!’
*Megha Majumdar, author of A Burning*
‘A gorgeous meditation on love, loss and belonging, The Way Through
the Woods stayed with me for weeks after I finished it. Long Litt
Woon has written a book that will reaffirm your belief in the
strength and beauty of the human spirit.’
*Tash Aw, author of We, the Survivors*
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