This week, Modern Mrs. Darcy is hosting a carnival in which writers link to their articles about The Book That Changed My Life.  Check it out to find some great new things to read!  I, of course, can’t pick just one book but linked to my list of Books That Blew My Mind.  However, there’s another excellent book I recently reread for what must be the 6th or 7th time–I can’t say that reading it changed my life in any huge way, but it’s such a very enjoyable and well-written novel that I think everyone should read it!

Saint Maybe by Anne Tyler is a very warm, real story about a 17-year-old boy named Ian who makes a selfish, impulsive decision that triggers his big brother to commit suicide. Ian then winds up joining a church (of an interesting fictional denomination) and finds healing by raising his brother’s stepchildren. The story covers 25 years and is told from the perspectives of various family members. The dialogue, sensory descriptions, and Christian insights are just wonderful!

Maybe it didn’t change my life, but Saint Maybe is one of my favorite books.  This time through, I learned it’s a great choice for reading in the waiting room when the future of one’s own family is in question, because this is a story in which love shines through and stuff works out for the best, even when it didn’t look that way at first.