Reading a good novel is a kind of pilgrimage, bringing insight, grace, forgiveness—even moments of connection with the divine.

I love to think about where novels come from, how they’re made—and to talk with readers and writers about them.

I get a kick out of sharing books with readers I know will love them, too, especially those “sleeper” books they might not find on their own.  

Thus, Book Pilgrim, a place to ponder what it feels like to live inside a novel.

How seeing the world through a character’s eyes changes the way we see it, dredging up memories to reconsider and sparking insights that make some of the puzzle pieces in our lives fall into place.

Not to mention our delight and wonder in how words work on the page to create a world as beautiful, terrible, mysterious and real as the world we live in.

And, of course, the pleasure of escaping that real world for a little while.

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A place to celebrate good books and ponder the journeys they spark, both in the real world and in our heads.

People

Barbara Shoup is the author of eight novels and two books about writing. She is the Writer-in-Residence at the Indiana Writers Center and a faculty member at Art Workshop International.