The author turned to mushrooming while grieving her husband; I read this book while grieving my mushroom-foraging&loving mother. There was more disconnect than I initially expected! I really enjoyed the author's perspective as a Malaysian person commenting on Norwegian society through the lens of mushrooms - that alone, and then combined with the linguistic elements, was more than enough to hold my interest. I also liked the commentary on societal reaction to mushrooms, from what different cultures consider good or bad smelling, to how descriptions of mushrooms smells might become outdated or reference now-unfamiliar smells.