Read Along: Chapters 1-6

Dive deeper into 'Tiger in a Lifeboat'

May 09, 2026

Themes in chapters 1-6: The Breaking // Supporting a limping partner // Life is suffering // Rushing through pain // The Ganges // White-Hot Grief // Riptides

😮‍💨 Phew

We’ve plunged right into the deep end, huh? The Breaking, panic, anger, an up-close look at death…but also some beautiful moments of courage, connection, and chai.

An interesting note that didn’t make it into the final manuscript: as Tim and I prepared for this trip to India, he had us create a will to leave behind in the event that we, you know, died during our trip.

As you can imagine, this was a deeply emotional thing for me to participate in as I wrestled with overwhelming anxiety and fear.

Anyway, I’m excited to hear how these first few chapters are sitting with you. In this post, you’ll find photography from these chapters, a chai recipe, some fun things to click on, and a few questions about you and your story that I hope you’ll answer in the comments.

📸 Gallery

*Inside an auto-rickshaw in busy Varanasi.*

*A woman carries laundry and water from the Ganges up one of the massive ghats.*

*The workstation of our barefoot Varanasi lassi vendor.*

*Another shot over the shoulder of the Varanasi lassi vendor.*

*Candles in sal leaves on the bow of our boat, ready to be released into the Ganges.*

*Tim captured this portrait on the train station platform.*

*Fellow train passenger right before we departed.*

*The women of Tordi Garh celebrating a bride-to-be.*

☕️ Authentic-ish Indian Chai At Home

If all this talk of chai endowed you with a craving, please, whatever you do, don’t settle for Starbucks.

This chai tea kit makes the closest version of authentic Indian chai I’ve found stateside. If you can make it with water buffalo milk, definitely do. 😉 But, if not, regular milk/milk alternatives should work just fine.

🪔 Dig Deeper…

🔥 I’ve written more about anger (specifically regarding spiritual deconstruction) in this Substack article if you’re interested.

🛤️ To give you more of a peek into an Indian commuter train platform, here’s an extreme example.

🎶 On our way to Tordi Garh, we asked Adnan to show us his current favorite Indian song. He played us this.

💬 Discussion Questions

Below are some questions and prompts related to the themes present in these chapters. Answer or elaborate on any, all, or none in the comments below:

Tell me the most unexpected time, place, or occasion when heartbreak hit you the hardest.
What would you tell someone who suddenly finds themselves supporting a “limping partner”?
What is your understanding or interpretation of life is suffering? How does that statement make you feel?
Have you ever felt pressure (internal or external) to rush through pain? How did you respond?
Think of the moment when anger burned hottest inside you. What do you think that anger would’ve told you had you sat it down, bought it a coffee, and listened to it?

Discussion about this post

Ready for more?