This is “a story that will make you believe in God.”

Our lives can be forever changed by the people we meet. This was the case for writer Yann Martel as he discovers that real life has penned a story far more fantastic and inspiring than he could have imagined.

Armed with newspaper clippings and interviews, he records the events that would change his readers forever - The Life of Pi. The novel tells the story of a 16-year-old Indian who relies on spirituality and the knowledge handed down from his zookeeper father to survive a test of human endurance.

From the beginning, Life of Pi captures the reader’s attention. Pi and his family are aboard a Japanese cargo ship in the middle of the Pacific on their way to a new life in Canada. Then, horror: “The ship sank. It made a sound like a monstrous metallic burp. Things bubbled at the surface and then vanished. Everything was screaming: the sea, the wind, my heart.” Stranded in a lifeboat, Pi finds himself keeping company with a wounded zebra, a hyena, an orangutan, and a 450 pound Bengal tiger. Scared for his life, Pi attempts to deal with his fear and remain in the boat. As the days pass and hunger sets in, Pi finds himself alone with the tiger.

Pi and his feline companion manage to combat the twin demons of thirst and hunger without turning on one another. Pi discovers that he and the tiger must bond in order to survive. The tiger provides him companionship and Pi provides the tiger with food. Though adrift for 227 days, Pi knows he can get through this ordeal, and he does.

On the surface, Life of Pi might sound ridiculous, but by the time Martel throws Pi out to sea, his impulsive, magical, and, at times, hilarious vision, has already taken hold. Pi’s survival through the use of his wit and sheer determination grabs the reader and never lets go. I recommend this work of fiction for anyone who believes in God and His mysterious ways.