From the Publisher
The son of a zookeeper, Pi Patel has an encyclopedic knowledge of
animal behavior and a fervent love of stories. When Pi is sixteen,
his family emigrates from India to North America aboard a Japanese
cargo ship, along with their zoo animals bound for new homes.
The ship sinks. Pi finds himself alone in a lifeboat, his only
companions a hyena, an orangutan, a wounded zebra, and Richard
Parker, a 450-pound Bengal tiger. Soon the tiger has dispatched all
but Pi, whose fear, knowledge, and cunning allow him to coexist
with Richard Parker for 227 days while lost at sea. When they
finally reach the coast of Mexico, Richard Parker flees to the
jungle, never to be seen again. The Japanese authorities who
interrogate Pi refuse to believe his story and press him to tell
them "the truth." After hours of coercion, Pi tells a second story,
a story much less fantastical, much more conventional--but is it
more true?
About the Author
Yann Martel, the child of diplomats, grew up in Costa Rica, France, Mexico, Alaska, and Canada and as an adult has spent time in Iran, Turkey, and India. After studying philosophy at Trent University, he worked at odd jobs until he began making a living as a writer at the age of twenty-seven. He lives in Montreal.