In his introductory note Yann Martel says, " This book was born as I was hungry." What sort of emotional nourishment might Life of Pi have given to its author?

Much of Life of Pi is rooted in religion. Pi flirts with many different types of religions in his quest for enlightenment. As an adult Yann Martel travelled to India hungry for meaning and spiritual connection. Martel found both myth and meaning in India. It is in India that he was inspired to write Life of Pi. I'm attaching a link to an article that you might find helpful.