Pilgrim at Tinker Creek is a philosophical book oscillating between science, natural observations and existential questions. Dillard, the narrator, chronicles her observations and meditations throughout the four seasons at Tinker Creek in the Appalachian Mountains.

The book begins in winter and ends in winter, coming full circle in image and tone. Likewise, the book is symmetrical, with the first half of the chapters extrapolating on the wonders of the natural universe and that of a divine creator. The second half of the book focuses on the darker side of nature, as perceived by human morality, and whether or not God, or the creator, is one that is wondrous and positive, or all-powerful and fearful—with each “positive” chapter mirroring a “negative” one. Dillard never explicitly answers the questions she poses, but rather writes concentric circles around them, with the essays often coiling and collapsing within themselves.

Amidst the philosophy and philosophizing, the book is anchored by her acute descriptions of the natural world at Tinker Creek and her research and extrapolations about Eskimos on the arctic tundra.