icle ▁that ▁celebr ates ▁family ▁life ▁without ▁er asing ▁the ▁pain ▁and ▁b ored om ▁that ▁families ▁almost ▁necessarily ▁inf lict ▁upon ▁their ▁members . ▁Ian ▁Bed lo e , ▁for ▁his ▁part , ▁s its ▁near ▁the ▁top ▁of ▁M s . ▁Ty ler ' s ▁fine ▁list ▁of ▁hero es . ▁Ex actly ▁how ▁she ▁makes ▁us ▁care ▁so ▁much ▁about ▁him ▁remains ▁a ▁mystery ▁to ▁me . ▁That ▁is , ▁perhaps , ▁the ▁mystery ▁of ▁art ." ▁ ▁In ▁her ▁review ▁in ▁the ▁Christian ▁Science ▁Mon itor , ▁Mar il yn ▁Gard ner ▁summar izes , ▁" In ▁Saint ▁Maybe , ▁as ▁in ▁her ▁other ▁nov els , ▁Ty ler ▁dram at izes ▁a ▁debate ▁about ▁the ▁pros ▁and ▁cons ▁of ▁family ▁life . ▁Is ▁the ▁family ▁an ▁anchor ▁in ▁the ▁storm ? ▁Or ▁is ▁it ▁a ▁sh ack le ? ▁Do ▁duty ▁and ▁dev otion ▁hold ▁together ▁the ▁members ▁who ▁make ▁up ▁a ▁family ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁family ▁itself ? ▁Or ▁do ▁families ▁become , ▁not ▁support ▁systems , ▁but ▁bur dens ▁of ▁gu ilt , ▁leading ▁to ▁dam aging ▁sacrific es ▁of ▁personal ▁freedom ? ... As ▁she ▁expl ores ▁the ▁my ri ad ▁ways ▁in ▁which ▁dream s ▁get ▁de ferred ▁and ▁hopes ▁re vised , ▁inf using ▁the ▁pro sa ic ▁details ▁of ▁domestic ▁life ▁with ▁honor , ▁humor , ▁and ▁deep ▁affection , ▁it ▁is ▁Anne ▁Ty ler ' s ▁achiev ement ▁to ▁raise ▁ord inar iness ▁to ▁an ▁art ▁form ." ▁ ▁In