The Way Through the Woods: On Mushrooms and Mourning

In this enchanting debut memoir, anthropologist Long tells of her life in Norway after the sudden death of her 54-year-old husband left her “alone in the world.” A beginner’s course in mushrooming was an unexpected life raft, leading her to find community and a sense of meaning while wandering the woods: “It was out in the open woodland, on moss-covered ground, that I stumbled on what I was searching for.” Long depicts the bleak lows she felt while mourning (“I went willingly into inner exile”), as she went deeper into her study of mycology. Along the way, she relates debates among mushroomers—such as ones regarding which fungi are actually toxic, which have simply fallen from favor in certain countries, and what are the best ways to cook mushrooms. It’s clear that mycology gave her a path out of despair, and her passion for mushrooms is evident as she describes the many varieties that are “luminescent and can light up a forest path when darkness falls” and the ancient true morels, with their “scent that can arouse powerful longing even in those who have forgotten where it comes from.” This unique tale of rebirth after loss doubles as a riveting foray into the world of mushrooming. (July)