The Book That Made Me Question Everything

Any survival story out there is meant to tug at your emotions. That is what makes them great. But this one? This one left me with several sleepless nights.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel is the unforgettable story of a boy named Pi Patel, whose journey of survival becomes a deeply emotional experience. After a shipwreck separates him from his family, Pi ends up alone in the Pacific Ocean. Except he’s not truly alone. A massive Bengal tiger, named Richard Parker, is stranded with him on the lifeboat.

What unfolds is more than a struggle for survival. It’s a profound journey into faith, fear, and the stories we cling to in order to understand the unimaginable. Pi’s bond with Richard Parker evolves into a powerful symbol of the delicate line between terror and trust.

By the end, Pi presents two versions of his ordeal: one fantastical, one brutal and realistic. This is a book that leaves you questioning not just what really happened, but what you want to believe happened. It’s a reminder that sometimes, truth is subjective, because it is often so complex that it lies in the eye of the beholder. What feels “real” can depend on our perspective. Sometimes, emotional truth matters more than literal facts because stories we tell, whether they’re true or not, can help us cope, heal, and make sense of our pain.

It actually reminds me of Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, in the way it leaves the reader to decide for themselves: What version of the truth do you truly believe? Definitely something to think about...

-Lauren