Yiyun Li
Things in Nature Merely Grow
Things in Nature Merely Grow
ISBN: 9780008753849
Couldn't load pickup availability
‘There is no good way to state these facts, which must be acknowledged. My husband and I had two children and lost them both: Vincent in 2017, at sixteen, James in 2024, at nineteen. Both chose suicide, and both died not far from home.’
There is no good way to say this – because words fall short. In this remarkable, defiant work of radical acceptance, Li turns to thinking and searching for words that might hold a place for her son, James. Li does ‘the things that work’: including not just writing but gardening, reading Camus and Wittgenstein, learning the piano, and living thinkingly alongside death. Things in Nature Merely Grow is a testament to Li’s indomitable spirit.
Winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Non-Fiction 2026
Longlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Awards 2025
Finalist for the National Book Award for Non-Fiction 2025
Product details
Product details
Shipping
Shipping
We deliver books islandwide for a flat fee of 500LKR per order. All orders are processed within 1-2 days of receiving your order confirmation. Shipping takes 1-3 business days (excluding weekend and national holidays). Items are packed by Wild & the Sage and shipped by Sri Lanka Post via the Speed Post service. For more information, see our shipping policy
Store pick-up
Store pick-up
You can skip the shipping fees and collect books directly from our bookshop: Wild & the Sage, 311 Peellagoda, Unawatuna. After placing your order and selecting In-store pickup at checkout, your order will be prepared and ready for pick up within 1 business day. Our in-store pickup hours are 9am-5pm on Tuesday-Sunday.

Welcome to Wild & the Sage
Wild & the Sage is an independent bookshop on the south coast of Sri Lanka. We stock a range of local and international titles, available for islandwide delivery. Can’t find your favourite? We’re happy to source books to order. We also host regular workshops and events, as well as a monthly book club. Visit us in Galle to try our kitchen’s incredible menu and sip coffee in our garden courtyard. Everyone’s welcome for conversations over cake.
"The book selection is impeccable, could have wandered around and read for hours."
Susanne T (2024)