Life of Pi is the story…no I should explain it as an adventure of a young Indian boy who finds himself moving from India to Canada with a ship load of his father’s zoo animals. Pi has an unusual interest in religion to the point that he starts practicing Hinduism, Christianity and the Muslim faith. This is not the most extraordinary thing about Pi’s life. When the ship travelling across the pacific with zoo animals and Pi’s family is midway between India and Midway it sinks with almost all hands lost except Pi and several zoo animals that end up in the life boat with Pi, including a 300 pound Bengal Tiger. The remainder of the book is about the 227 days that Pi survives on the pacific with the tiger.
Yann Martel weaves an incredible tale of Pi’s adventure of not only surviving two thirds of a year alone on a lifeboat in the pacific and the outstanding metal torment that entails, but he also explores the metal and emotional survival skills that one needs to survive such a situation. Martel examines Pi’s thoughts as he attempts to overcome the pain of the loss of his family, the cool headedness one needs to find food and resources to survive in a lifeboat for so long and the logic and intelligence needed to live with a Bengal Tiger only a few feet away. Some may not consider this a book for young adults, but I feel it is not too difficult for well read young people who don’t mind a good story.
Martel, Yann (2001). Life of Pi. Canada: Knopf.
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