Book Review: Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard

One of the more impactful books I’ve read recently is Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard. Published in 1974, Pilgrim is an account of an author who, “like the bear who went over the mountain … went out to see what [she] could see.” To me, Annie Dillard’s writing is primarily impactful in the area of attentiveness. Her observations of nature stem from a remarkable ability to pay close attention to the world around her. The attentiveness that comes through the pages is inspiring, and something that can be applied to subjects other than nature as well (although, honestly, many of us ought to apply it to the natural world itself far more often than we do).

Dillard’s writing style is delightful, comparing flooded creeks to dragons and making such quips as “Must everything whole be nibbled?” When she writes about stalking muskrats, I found myself on the edge of my seat (oddly enough) when she finally found herself within arm’s reach of one of the elusive mammals. Throughout the book, Dillard seamlessly blends observation of the natural world with philosophy and theology, to the point that the reader often doesn’t know when one started and the other began. Or perhaps the whole point is that, for Dillard, they’re not separate at all in the first place…

“I suspect that the real moral thinkers end up, wherever they may start, in botany. We know nothing for certain, but we seem to see that the world turns upon growing, grows towards growing, and growing green and clean.”

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek models to its readers how to stop and look. It illustrates how attending to Creation can yield more than just pleasure. And it shows that enjoyment itself is, nonetheless, often reason enough to listen.

Especially recommended for: 

Nature lovers, lovers of good prose, those looking for a unique philosophical/theological perspective on Creation. A willingness to really sit with the text will also be handy to have in your toolkit—Dillard’s writing can be dense (which, interestingly, means the very act of reading Pilgrim trains the reader to be more attentive).

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek can be found in the “QH” section of the library.

Darius Mullin’s reviews reflect his personal opinions and not necessarily those of the library or university.