The Way Through the Woods: On Mushrooms and Mourning
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The Way Through the Woods: On Mushrooms and Mourning Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Litt Woon Long (Author), Barbara J. Haveland (Author), Bernadette Dunne (Narrator),
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 132 ratings
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A grieving widow discovers a most unexpected form of healing - hunting for mushrooms.

“Moving... Long tells the story of finding hope after despair lightly and artfully, with self-effacement and so much gentle good nature.” (The New York Times)

Long Litt Woon met Eiolf a month after arriving in Norway from Malaysia as an exchange student. They fell in love, married, and settled into domestic bliss. Then Eiolf’s unexpected death at 54 left Woon struggling to imagine a life without the man who had been her partner and anchor for 32 years. Adrift in grief, she signed up for a beginner’s course on mushrooming - a course the two of them had planned to take together - and found, to her surprise, that the pursuit of mushrooms rekindled her zest for life.

The Way Through the Woods tells the story of parallel journeys: an inner one, through the landscape of mourning, and an outer one, into the fascinating realm of mushrooms - resilient, adaptable, and essential to nature’s cycle of death and rebirth. From idyllic Norwegian forests and urban flower beds to the sandy beaches of Corsica and New York’s Central Park, Woon uncovers an abundance of surprises often hidden in plain sight: salmon-pink Bloody Milk Caps, which ooze red liquid when cut; delectable morels, prized for their earthy yet delicate flavor; and bioluminescent mushrooms that light up the forest at night.

Along the way, she discovers the warm fellowship of other mushroom obsessives, and finds that giving her full attention to the natural world transforms her, opening a way for her to survive Eiolf’s death, to see herself anew, and to reengage with life.

Praise for The Way Through the Woods

"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)

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  1. Listening Length
    7 hours and 42 minutes
  2. Author
    Litt Woon Long, see all
  3. Narrator
    Bernadette Dunne
  4. Audible release date
    July 2, 2019
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Random House Audio
  7. ASIN
    B07SQBH3DJ
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 7 hours and 42 minutes
Author Litt Woon Long, Barbara J. Haveland
Narrator Bernadette Dunne
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date July 02, 2019
Publisher Random House Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B07SQBH3DJ
Best Sellers Rank #148,218 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#103 in Botany & Plants
#228 in Biology (Audible Books & Originals)
#269 in Mushrooms in Biological Sciences

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
132 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Madame D.
5.0 out of 5 stars I seldom love a book as much as I loved this one!
Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2019
Verified Purchase
I am not currently mourning. I do have an interest in anything nature/science related. I love mushrooms. And I'm at that age where if I'm not mourning now, well, wait a week or two, and I may be. So I actually purchased a hardcover edition of this book, simply because the blurb I read made me think it would be worth reading.

One of my favorite lines is, "Grief calls for muscles for which no fitness center has the right exercise machines."

Long Litt Woon provides an enormous amount of information about mushrooms and mushrooming, and I'm not a bit embarrassed to say that right after I finished this book I ordered a mushroom guide. I spend a lot of time hiking, and I thought I should know what type of mushrooms I'm looking at. But she also has a way of relating her transition from mushroom beginner to mushroom expert to her transition from new widow to one-year widow in such a way that makes me think she's the most insightful writer I've ever read. It's 90% mushroom, and 10% mourning, but oh, that 10% is excellent.

I told my spouse that if I go first, he must read this book. I told my best friend that if my spouse goes first, she must remind me to re-read this book.
12 people found this helpful
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Leda Meredith
4.0 out of 5 stars Perfectly captures the healing power forager’s vision
Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2019
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The author’s healing journey after the unexpected death of her husband through mushroom hunting is a moving read even if you are not interested in foraging. As a lifelong forager, I especially appreciated her exquisite descriptions of the state of profound attention one can find while mushroom hunting or foraging. “Forest bathing “ is trendy now, but this is about something even more essential—and available to each of us if we’re willing to take the time.
2 people found this helpful
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ChristineLavin
5.0 out of 5 stars I'm going to join a local mushroom club after reading this book
Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2023
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This is beautifully written. I'm about halfway through and am taking my time because I'm enjoying the read.
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Shannon
5.0 out of 5 stars Came used but looks brand new
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2023
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Great book. Loved that it was used but it looks like a brand new book.
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Ron
3.0 out of 5 stars Good read for mushroom novices
Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2019
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Good read for anyone unfamiliar with wild mushrooms. Well written, but too academic at times for casual interest. Just enough details in book about how the author worked through her grief without becoming too intrusive.
One person found this helpful
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Cynthia A. Porter
5.0 out of 5 stars Go through the woods.
Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2019
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I’m compelled to thank Litt Woon Long for writing ‘A Way Through the Woods’.
I furthered my rudimentary knowledge of mushrooms. I LOVED the term, ‘chanterelle-ist’; VERY funny.
I thank Woon for the glimpses of Eiolf; beloved, low key and droll. After his loss she kindly lets us in and escorts us along her way to where she is today.
7 people found this helpful
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krissieclvm
4.0 out of 5 stars Mushroom Heavy: Alternative Title
Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2019
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This was more about mushrooms than mourning. This is essentially a field guide to mushrooms with some anecdotes thrown in
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happy reader
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful interweaving
Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2020
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An excellent interweaving of the two stories, mushrooms and mourning. And the title is truly perfect for the book. It would be good for “foodies,” as well as sociologists. I know I will never become a mushroom aficionado, but I was nonetheless fascinated at all the information about mushrooms.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Post enlightenment
5.0 out of 5 stars A magical walk through the anthropology of mycology and of grief
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 25, 2022
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Woon brings a unique perspective to two seemingly unconnected topics weaving them together with fascinating insights. As a keen mycologist I learned many new ways of appreciating my favourite hobby especially in the sections on sme!I and cooking. As a social being a found solace in how she came to terms with grieving for the loss of her life partner.
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Learning to preserve
4.0 out of 5 stars Introduction to grieving and mushrooms not everyone's cup of tea
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 29, 2020
Verified Purchase
Loving this book so far.. Loss and discovery of mushrooms.. How to be healed? Not every one's cup of tea but I am really enjoying it.. A simple read but great knowledge re mushrooms for a beginner! Book is in hard back which is beautifully bound and printed but had a tear mark on back cover and slight debts kinda looked second hand..
2 people found this helpful
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Mrs Harrison
5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful read.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 14, 2021
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A wonderful read.
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