Things in Nature Merely Grow

Things in Nature Merely Grow is a profound and defiant memoir by acclaimed author Yiyun Li, reflecting on the tragic loss of her two sons, Vincent and James, who both died by suicide seven years apart. Moving beyond traditional narratives of grief and mourning, Li embraces a philosophy of 'radical acceptance' and explores the limitations of language when articulating experiences of extreme loss. Through a series of essays, she chronicles her life in the aftermath, finding a way to exist 'thinkingly' alongside death by engaging in 'things that work'—gardening, learning the piano, and reading the works of Camus and Wittgenstein. This work serves as a testament to her children’s lives and a rigorous meditation on the 'fact' of their existence, asserting that while death is an instant, the bond between parent and child remains an eternal present.

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