Three Days in June is the just released novel by celebrated and beloved author Anne Tyler. This beautifully crafted story peers into the life of 61 yr-old Gail Baines—educator, mother, divorcee—as she loses her job, deals with her daughter Debbie’s wedding, and wrestles with people, memories and regrets from her past.
This novel is masterfully written in Tyler’s beautiful, simple prose, each word carefully chosen for its meaning and impact. The limited cast of characters is fully realized and sympathetic, imbued with great humanity and compassion.
Tyler’s laser focused observations of the human condition and relationships elevate this touching tale. There is much gentle wisdom conveyed in each “snapshot” in time during these three days, which really represent many years of the character’s lives.
This lovely, bittersweet story is to be savored, and reread. Admirers of thoughtful literary fiction and Tyler’s fine prose will be pleased with this new novel.

Thank you to Knopf Publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

This was a good quick read. A weekend wedding is the backdrop for this heartwarming story of a mom who comes to grips with with how she handled her own marriage. The Mom is a quirky character who reminded me of Frederick Backman’s Ove. Very enjoyable! I received this arc from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Three Days in June
Anne Tyler
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘Three Days in June’ follows Gail Baines’s life for three days: the day before her daughter’s wedding, the day of, & the day after.

The novella begins with Gail’s resignation from her job after being passed over for a promotion. She's also feeling like an outsider during the wedding planning. Then her ex-husband, Max, shows up at her house as an uninvited houseguest, bringing a foster cat with him. Then Debbie, the daughter, reveals a secret about her fiancé before the rehearsal dinner, casting a doubt whether the wedding would go forward as planned. As the three days unfold, Gail is forced to face a past incident that impacts her deeply, leading her to re-evaluate her life and make crucial decisions for the future.

Author’s portrayal of everyday life is remarkably understated, exploring the ordinary with a rare depth and sincerity. Despite being a novella, this book has multi-faceted & well-developed characters, making the story feel more expansive than its page count suggests. While reading, one doesn’t feel that she’s reading a literary work, and it’s amazing how the author manages such profound character exploration while writing an account of everyday life. This shows Anne Tyler’s exceptional talent as a writer. Though this was my first time reading her work, I’ll certainly be diving into her backlist.

Despite its short length, Three Days in June packs a powerful punch. This brilliant novella is a must-read.

Thank you Knopf & NetGalley, for my digital review copy. The opinions are my own.
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Well, fun fact about me, I read Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler in high school and loved it so much that I did my junior year AP lit project on her. And she is still one of my favorite authors. And I love that she is still cranking the books out. Three Days In June is the story of a woman at her daughter’s wedding weekend - with her ex-husband as a surprise house guest. It has all the mundane feel of Tyler’s books - she writes about every day people doing every day things but with such character depth and snarky dry one liners. I always find myself guffawing at how she delivers the one line punches. But also full of emotion as the layers of her characters are peeled away to expose flaws and vulnerabilities. The regrets of a middle-aged woman, the uneasiness with what lies ahead and the desire to change course and make up for past mistakes all felt so relatable and so real and raw. This was a short, quick read that stole my heart.

For a short book, I felt like it was incredibly long. The family lacked the ability to communicate well and seemed to just let things go, rather than resolve them as they happen. It seemed that the author was trying to get the reader to understand that there’s lessons learned with acceptance and forgiveness but I don’t really get it I guess. I was left feeling worried about her daughter and the family she was marrying into, and it seemed like her and Max never really spoke “deep” for a couple about to have their daughter be married.

I appreciate the DRC from NetGalley, the author and Knopf.

This is a perfect length of book to read in a day or a weekend. Three Days in June was my first book by Anne Tyler and I loved her writing style! The book was an engaging slice of life of the day before, day of, and day after main character Gail's daughter's wedding--and all the family drama that it entails. Character driven novels can be hit or miss for me, and I'm happy to say that I enjoyed this one.

I don't know how Anne Tyler does it but she can tell a completely satifying story and keep it under 200 pages and not leave you feeling like she could have added 200 more. It's truly a talent that other authors should try to do. I have nothing aganst long novels in fact i love them but when you read an Anne Tyler novel you're like how does she do it!! Three Days in June is a prefect novelto grab a glass of wine or a cup of tea. curl up on your sofa and get lost in the 176 pages of a story about Gail who works at a school and then is passed over for a promtion to another woman and her assistant so decied to quit her job. Her daughter is getting married and her ex-husband decides to stay her house for the weddig with a cat. It all sounds like eeryday life but Tyler takes the ordinary and make it like this story is the most important thing you need to hear. Not a dull page or clunly sentence to be had. Listen times are craxy right now and when I read this book I just forgot about everything for a few hours and was like this is just what my sould needed. Please do the same and read this wonderful book. Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for the read.

THREE DAYS IN JUNE by Anne Tyler may cover three pivotal days in the complex lives of Gail Baines, a taciturn and difficult woman who has just been relieved of her job, her ex-husband Max, and their daughter Debbie, about to be married and sharing a secret about her husband-to-be that breaks the silence and unexamined history of Gail and Max as well as everyone around them. I love Anne Tyler's writing and this book was the ultimate treat in deeply developed characters struggling to make good lives and failing even as they triumph brilliantly. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

Three Days in June, Anne Tyler's latest book, is typical of her work, short on story but blessedly long on character development, the book focuses on three days - the days before, the day of, and the day after Gail and Max's only child Debbie marries Keith. The book opens as 61-year-old assistant headmistress Gail has been relieved of her duties - "You're not a people person." However, she has no time to focus on that because no sooner does she arrive home when ex-husband Max arrives. During the course of the book we learn of the reason for their split and we observe their relationship developing. Tyler's writing is deceptively simple despite its beauty and the insightful nature of her prose. Tyler fans, such as I, will be eager to read the book. Most readers who are unfamiliar with Tyler's work are bound to become fans. Highly recommended.

I have not read an Anne Tyler book since I read Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant shortly after it came out. What have I been missing all these years? This puts me in the age range of the protagonist with whom I could identify.for a number of reasons. She can acknowledge her many imperfections and still persist. It was a pleasure to spend three days with her.

Life is not always what we want it to be. Every family has a member that serves as the "glue" that keeps everyone together. Today, Gail Baines is feeling unglued. Her daughter is getting married this coming weekend and the uncertainties just keep piling up. But Gail will find ways to step up for her daughter and the others that look to her for guidance.
Anne Tyler is a favorite author of mine. Her ability to develop an odd assortment of characters into a family reminds me of the real life families you meet everyday. They show the full list of emotions that are part of being a family and convince readers that our lives are as normal as the next door neighbor's. With a few tears, a few sighs and a lot of smiles, Tyler consistently gives me a 5 star read.

I love anything written by Anne Tyler, who has such a magical way of turning a simple story of people living their ordinary lives into something beautiful and profound. “Three Days in June” is no exception! In this novel we follow three days in the life of Gail Baines, who first loses her job (replaced by a person who supposedly has “better people skills”). Then with her daughter’s wedding that weekend, her ex-husband shows up, needing a place to stay. Her bride-to-be daughter is having a crisis of her own, which makes Gail remember what it was that destroyed her own marriage.

This is a very short novel, one that can be finished in just a couple of hours. But it is one that will stay with me for a long time. Many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel. My opinion is my own.

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler was one of the most beautifully written stories I've read for a long time! It was my first book by Anne Tyler, and it was one of those books that makes me want to immediately go out and get all of her other books.

Anne Tyler’s work is always interesting and this one certainly was. Revolving around the three days of their daughter’s wedding, we get to know Gail and Max, the divorced parents of Debbie, the daughter. Gail is the narrator of this book and she is the socially awkward mother of the bride who loses her job as an assistant headmaster of her school by being told that she is not a people person. It took me quite awhile to warm up to her character but that is the beauty of Ms. Tyler’s writing. Max, on the other hand, felt like a warm comfortable character but a little flighty. Within these three days, we learn about their marriage and their life. A good character driven story and one I will be thinking about for some time.

Three Days in June
by: Anne Tyler
Knopf Pantheon; Vintage and Anchor/Knopf
Pub Date: 2/11/25

Pub Week Review:
Anne Tyler is a Pulitzer Prize winning author, and it is always a joy to read her work. Three Days in June is a short book, at one hundred seventy-six pages. It is storytelling at its best, with a tale about two exes and their daughter's wedding. Anne Baines, the mother of the bride, must carefully push through the days before and after the wedding.

Tyler quietly and masterfully draws her readers in with her keen details about family life, love, and marriage as portrayed in the plot. Tyler is sensitive in her writing about the moments of ordinary life.

I received an advance reader's copy from NetGalley and Knopf Pantheon; Vintage and Anchor/Knopf. My review is my own.

There are a handful of contemporary authors who write middle aged women in such a way that you are convinced they’re writing about you, and Anne Tyler is the leader of the pack. This one is about Gail, who is preparing for her daughter’s wedding weekend while dealing with the loss of her job and a reunion with her ex husband. This short book holds a lot of emotional baggage to unpack. I pictured Julianna Moore and Mark Ruffalo as Gail and Max.
*Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for my honest review*

Another wonderful Anne Tyler book. We get to spend three days with Gail, the divorced mother of the bride on the day before, the day of and the day after the wedding. It is quick, delightful read as we get to know Gail, (and her daughter and her ex husband) as she navigates the impending wedding and its aftermath.

Gail is having a very bad day. She gets bad news at her job and storms out - on the day of her daughter's wedding rehearsal dinner. Then her ex-husband, shows up at her house, bearing a foster cat. While they aren't close, Gail and Max aren't really at odds but she's not comfortable. She's very set in her ways. She remains in the Baltimore area, because of her job and her own mother lives nearby.

Then their daughter has news which is upsetting and sends Gail's mind back to when she and Max met, when they got married, and when they split.

The wedding was unusual and more than a bit uncomfortable for Gail, in particular, but Max as well. Then the next day, they spend the last few hours together before Max heads home to Delaware.

The story had the feeling of people who were a generation older, but it is set in modern time. It was enjoyable and a relatively quick read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I did enjoy this book even though I thought it was slow. I felt for the main character and losing her job, I've been there! I would definitely recommend this book.

I can never pass up a book by Anne Tyler. I love her writing. This book opens with our main character. Gail either quitting her job or getting fired and the day just doesn’t get better for her. It’s the weekend of her daughter‘s wedding and she is both excited and sort of nonchalant about the whole weekend. Her ex-husband shows up there’s a long story involved with why he now has to stay at her house. The book looks back on Gail and her ex-husband‘s Max‘s life together and Gail in general as a woman as a wife, a mom and educator. It happens in the course of three days and yet there is a lot going on, but it is written so succinctly that you just move through it seamlessly. I really enjoyed this book 4 1/2 stars highly recommend it was super short under 170 pages grab this one up. The writing and the emotions are brilliant.