What does 'it' refer to in this writing?

"We get pleasure by reading a book. When we read a book about the people who have a lot in common with us, it doubles the pleasure, leading us beyond our own lives and allowing us to understand those of others. But this is not the only reason for the pleasure we derive from books. In everyday life we are so involved in what is happening-so much affected by our emotions that we can not appreciate them properly. Of course, our own lives would be a novel worthy of Dickens or Hemingway, but we get no pleasure from our lives-quite the contrary. Therefore, the writer’s task is to give us a faithful picture of life, but to keep it far enough away
for us to be able to appreciate it without fear or confusion."

What does refer to 'it' in this writing?

(I think 'it' refers to a faithful picture )