"Saint Maybe" centers around Ian Bedloe, the youngest of three children. Ian's brother, Danny, marries Lucy, and shortly thereafter Ian suspects Lucy is having an affair. Ian shares this information with his brother who then committs suicide. Ian's life begins to spiral downward even further when Lucy also committs suicide. One day, after these events, Ian stumbles into The Church of the Second Chance, and from then on he begins the process of atoning for his percieved sins. He drops out of college and moves back home with his parents to take care of Danny and Lucy's children, Agatha, Thomas, and Daphne. Throughout the novel Ian struggles with his sacrifice, as well as the guilt he carries in his heart.
Like almost all of Anne Tyler's novels this particular story is driven by the characters, most notably Ian Bedloe. In Ian one can see that there is a very fine line between guilt and compassion. Ian makes the decision to care for the children because he feels guilty about Danny's death. However, there is no doubt in the novel that Ian truly does love Agatha, Thomas, and Daphne. Both emotions seem to drive the character.
One of the other things I really appreciate about Ian is his faith. Being a minister I enjoy the faith aspect of this book. Ian manages to live his faith without throwing it in the face of those around him. To be sure he lives his faith and encourages others to do the same. However, he does not force his faith on anyone, which especially evident when he 'allows' Agatha to stop attending church.
Tyler is a master of the novel. She manages, perfectly, to capture real life situations and people and put them on the page. This novel, in particular, fits that description. It is human nature to sometimes feel guilt and to allow that guilt to be a driving force in life. It is also in human nature to feel compassion, to reach out to those in need. Ian Bedloe is a real person, and his story is real as well, which is one of the things that makes 'Saint Maybe' so touching.
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