Yiyun Li explores double grief in new memoir

In her memoir, ‘Things in Nature Merely Grow’, Chinese American writer Yiyun Li uses logic and reason to process the loss of her two sons to suicide. The book explores the aftermath of the death of her son James, which occurred six years after the suicide of her older son, Vincent.

Li adopts a philosophy of radical acceptance to navigate her grief, choosing to face facts directly rather than retreating into denial. The memoir examines her evolving understanding of parenting and the distinct personalities of her children—one described as feeling too much, and the other as being analytical and rational.