Things in Nature Merely Grow

In Things in Nature Merely Grow, Yiyun Li turns her luminous prose to nonfiction, blending personal meditation with philosophy and natural history. The book contemplates growth — biological, emotional, and spiritual — through essays that move fluidly between literature, memory, and observation. Li’s writing is tender, intellectual, and quietly transformative. She examines how growth is not always progress but a complex unfolding, often accompanied by pain and uncertainty. The essays invite readers into a contemplative space where time slows and detail matters. It’s a work of wisdom and beauty, deeply human in its scope.