Oprah Daily has named Yiyun Li’s National Book Award–nominated memoir “Things in Nature Merely Grow” one of the best books to help readers feel less alone in grief — a raw, philosophical, and ultimately survivable journey through profound loss.
Grief is an experience that cannot be shared. It lives behind glass — untranslatable, unshareable, fundamentally lonely. For those who are mourning, knowing they are not alone can offer solace beyond measure. That’s why Oprah Daily chose to spotlight Yiyun Li’s 2025 memoir Things in Nature Merely Grow, naming it one of the “best memoirs that make grieving feel less lonely.” Published just months ago, the book earned both critical acclaim and widespread reader praise.
Writer Charley Burlock, contributing to Oprah Daily, called Li’s memoir “a vision of maternal grief that is both unvarnished and, ultimately, survivable.” Burlock wrote, “Written in the aftermath of losing both of her teenage children to suicide, Li’s memoir strides confidently through a territory we are told to tiptoe in and fills a void of language with booming insight.” The piece adds that the book is “refreshingly absent of platitudes, false optimism, or an ounce of self-pity,” offering instead clarity, candor, and language for emotions often left unspoken.
Awards, Recognition, and Critical Praise
Things in Nature Merely Grow, released May 20, 2025, was a finalist for the 2025 National Book Award for Nonfiction and also named a finalist for the 2026 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Nonfiction. The New York Times called the book “a memoir unlike others, strange and profound and fiercely determined not to look away,” naming it to its Best Books of the Year list. Annabel Gutterman wrote, “Transcendent . . . In sparing prose that cuts deeply, Li examines the relationship between language and loss, honoring the sons she carries with her, always.”
Li is no stranger to literary acclaim. Her previous works include Wednesday’s Child, The Book of Goose, Must I Go, Where Reasons End, Kinder Than Solitude, Gold Boy, Emerald Girl, The Vagrants, and A Thousand Years of Good Prayers. She has won multiple awards, including the PEN/Faulkner Award, PEN/Malamud Award, PEN/Hemingway Award, and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. She is also a MacArthur Fellow and Windham-Campbell Prize winner. Currently, she teaches at Princeton University.
In a social media post, Oprah Daily wrote, “Grief has a way of shrinking the world. In its early days especially, loss can feel like a private catastrophe unfolding behind glass—untranslatable, unshareable, fundamentally lonely.” One fan simply replied, “Love this.”
Synopsis and Themes
Things in Nature Merely Grow is a deeply personal memoir in which Yiyun Li reflects on loss, memory, and the persistence of love. Rather than following a traditional narrative of mourning, the book explores how life continues after profound grief through philosophical reflection — offering clarity, candor, and language for emotions that are often left unspoken.
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide or struggling with suicidal thoughts, help is available 24 hours a day through the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
For fans seeking more emotional depth, read Yiyun Li’s other memoir, Dear Friend, from My Life I Write to You in Your Life, which offers similar themes of resilience and love.
This story was originally published by Parade on Jan 3, 2026. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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