Three Days in June
by Anne Tyler
I have been a very big fan of this author for a long time and this work does not change by mind. It was perfect in itself but I wish it were longer just for my own pleasure.

Three Days in June was such a sweet and intimate character story of a family. Gail's daughter is getting married and the three days in June are the day before, of and after the wedding. Gail starts off the wedding weekend by losing her job. Then her ex-husband, Max, shows up at her doorstep hoping to stay the weekend with a cat in tow. To top off the eventful night before the wedding Debbie, bride-to-be and Gails daughter shows up to confide in her parents something that happened with her fiancé. Told with humor and tenderness the short but sweet story of a family was such a pleasure to read.

I have been reading Anne Tyler books since the early 1980's when a college professor had us read Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant for a modern lit class and I then went and found and read everything she'd written prior to that. You could call me a fan. She captures the extraordinary moments of ordinary people better than anyone else I've read.
Three Days in June is a really splendid tale of human ordinary-ness and how remarkable moments in our lives can stir up the ghosts we'd rather leave forgotten.

Gail Baines, second in command at the Ashton School in Baltimore, learns that not only has she been overlooked for the open headmaster position, but the new headmistress is bringing her own deputy. The news comes only days before her daughter's wedding and the arrival of her ex-husband, who seems to not understand the boundaries of being divorced - making himself at home in her home before the wedding.

The ex-couple try to get along for the sake of their daughter, but the surprise revelation that the intended groom has cheated on their daughter, divides the pair on how she should respond, with Gail defiantly asserting that daughter Debbie should leave him immediately. It comes as a surprise to Debbie to learn that Gail was the one who had the extra-marital affair that separated them.

This is a short novel, but I think it means that Tyler has simply grown more economic with words as the book maintains all the cynical humor and family awkwardness of any of her books. It is sweet and biting, pastoral and harsh, and very satisfying. The unsung hero is Max, the father/ex-husband who goes about these three days being supportive to both the women in his life, if maybe just a little unawares.

Looking for a good book? Read Anne Tyler. Read this book, Three Days in June.

I received digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Such a different and unusual book. I loved it. Unique voice and stick with you characters. It is a simple story but full of truth and wisdom.

Three Days in June is just that. It is the day before Gail’s daughter’s wedding, the day of the wedding and the day after. The book starts with Gail being passed over for a promotion and her subsequently resigning from her position. To make the day worse, her ex-husband shows up at her house with a foster cat to stay for the weekend. Things get worse when the bride discovers something about the groom. Is it enough to derail the wedding? It ends unexpectedly (no spoilers here). The characters are well developed. The book is a quick read. I really didn’t find much depth in the story, but I was invested enough to finish the book.

I've been a fan of Tyler's for more than forty years now. While the past couple of her books that I've read have not had that spark for me that her work once did, they still had more than enough to recommend them and to keep me reading. So I'm always going to be ready to pick up another of her books, which is why I was excited to find this one available.

Guys, Tyler is back for me!

This book is only 176 pages long but it has everything in it that I've come to expect and appreciate from Tyler. Not only that, the compactness of it might very well be what makes it work best. We get the full story of Gail's life as we travel through only three days of her life.

Gail is a bit of a prickly person. She wasn't the greatest mother (which puts her kind of out of the loop when it comes to her own daughter's wedding) and she wasn't the greatest wife. And just on the eve of her daughter's wedding, she finds out that she's also not the greatest people person, which is one of the reasons she's just found herself out of a job. But in just 176 pages, we come to really understand Gail and hope that things will work out for her. Not only that, but Gail comes to really understand Gail, which might seem implausible in such a short time, but with everything that's happening in that period, it's entirely believable.

It is lovely to see Gail reminisce about why she fell in love with Max and to forgive herself. Although there's a big event at the center of the story, it's the intimate details and the mundane that give the book its heart, which is where Tyler is at her best.

Gail's day is not going as planned. When she shows up to work, she's informed that her supervisor will be retiring. Gail has been prepared for this, and has always thought that she would take over the head master job when that day came. Instead, she's told that they've already contacted a younger head master who would be perfect for the job. Except she'll be bringing on her current assistant, which means Gail is... no longer needed. She's close to retirement age, and they thought she'd be happy to get the break.

Far from being happy, she heads home. Only to soon find that her ex-husband will be staying with her for a few days, due to their daughter's upcoming wedding. He's brought a cat along with him. Max has always been laid back, but this is taking it too far. Expecting to stay with his daughter over her wedding weekend, only to find that her fiancé is allergic to cats. Needing a place to stay, Gail grudgingly invites him (and the cat) into her home.

When their daughter comes to them in tears, having just heard that he fiancé had cheated on her, her parents are of different minds. Gail encourages her to stop the wedding, if she's having doubts and doesn't think she can rely on him 100%. Max urges her to hear his side of the story and stay the course.

This brings up the past for Gail, for the many ways her life has taken unexpected turns. Now, she has a chance to once again choose her path, to be active in her life and not just following the course that's been set.

Insightful and restrained, these three days offer a look into Gail's life with an intimacy and understated humor. This isn't a genre I normally read, but I was eager to try something a little off the usual path. A pleasant read, simple and poignant, a nice break from more intense reads that still kept me captivated.

Quiet, introspective, life-affirming, Three Days in June by Anne Tyler demonstrates the author’s ability to breathe so much into a short space as well as giving the reader so much to think about well after The End.

The first thing Gail Baines learns on Friday morning is that the head of the school to whom she’d been an assistant is leaving due to health reasons. Obviously her first conclusion would be that she would be next in line. It goes to figure. However, she’s informed that the job needs diplomacy and Gail just doesn’t dance around facts in a tactful manner. Not only are they bringing someone new in; they are bringing in the person’s assistant as well. So Gail does what a person who feels taken for granted does. Leaves. When she returns home, her ex-husband, Max, shows up with a cat. The weekend is their daughter’s wedding and Max just learned that his soon-to-be son-in-law is allergic to cats. So now he has to stay with Gail. And then, since things always go in threes, their daughter, Debbie, tells them something that her fiancé has done. Something that is a game changer.

The developing situation invites Gail to reflect on her own life, her choices, everything that has brought her to the point of being divorced, now, perhaps unemployed, and of being misunderstood.

I called this a quiet novel. People moving through life, their courses altered frequently by choices, sometimes not of their own making. Even the dramatic moments in Gail’s life seem to happen quietly, perhaps because that is Max’ manner. But in all of this quiet, there is so much. These characters are introspective, not self-absorbed. They consider their choices, wonder if they should have done things differently, wonder if there is an opportunity to change course, even in their sixties.

There is so much to like in Three Days in June, from the multi-layered characters of Gail, Max, Gail’s mother et al. to a situation that develops in the series of flashbacks that has us view Gail through a different lens but not one that has us judging her. Tyler shows us the humanity of these people, of all of the people here. We are human, foibles and all, make mistakes, sometimes find it difficult to even forgive ourselves. I love that she shows that life doesn’t end when a person turns 60. There is still living to do.

Unfortunately I had some nitpicky quibbling nitpicks solely concerning cultural references, many of which were a decade or more behind as Gail reflected on her teenage years. And despite the fact that I thought, “ugh” regarding some of the incorrect references, I’ll leave it there. If you read it, which I highly suggest you do, and you’re of a certain age, you will understand what I’m talking about. Most readers won’t.

Lastly, I am grateful to read another Anne Tyler novel. I recognize that introspective character-driven novels are not for everyone, but this one possesses so much charm and humanity, not to mention a sweet, almost surprising end, that I recommend it for anyone who enjoys reading literary fiction. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, and let me know if you do read it.

Many thanks to Knopf for sending me a copy.

The writing was stunning and I loved how deeply flawed Gail was. I thought it was so expansive for such a short book, however, it did leave me wanting more detail about its peripheral characters.

This novella, just over 150 pages, is a quick read that can easily be finished in one sitting. It follows the story of a socially awkward mother of the bride as she navigates the day before, the wedding day, and the aftermath of her only daughter’s wedding.

Gail is dealing with a lot: she loses her job, her daughter Debbie is getting married, and she hasn’t been involved in any pre-wedding activities. To make matters worse, her ex-husband shows up unexpectedly with a cat, needing a place to stay for the wedding. Meanwhile, Debbie reveals a secret about her fiancé that could potentially change the course of the wedding.

This brief, slice-of-life novella captures Anne Tyler’s signature humor, the complexities of family and marriage, and offers a glimpse into Gail’s past and relationships. It focuses on the mundane yet beautifully explores ordinary moments, with Anne Tyler’s keen observations tying everything together perfectly.

This is a quietly-told story taking place over the course of three days. I didn’t particularly care for the main character in the first half of the book, but she did grow on me over time. Overall, a 3-star read for me

This is a short, sweet and charming novella about the nuances of familial relationships and I thoroughly enjoyed every little bit of it. It felt rather refreshing and hopeful and I'll take as much of that as I can get these days.

Another Anne Tyler bullseye. She drops you right into her main character's life in progress and, thanks to her mastery of the form, you go along for the ride, discovering things as she does, and in perfect time. Great characters. As always, a detailed view of Baltimore (as a former Baltimorean), and a simple but emotionally complicated trip through three days, plus a cat. Nothing is ordinary. And it's a quick read, too. Pure delight.

Read this book.

This novella was just ok. It was a quick read due to its length. The story was not gripping & I did not connect with the characters. I was hopeful with the premise, the book was structured over 3 days of a wedding, but the story was so ordinary it was boring. I thought there would be a big twist at the end or a big revelation but it never came. It also seems geared toward a specific age range. The descriptions and word choices were somewhat vague in the beginning. It took me a while to decifer the time frame the story was set in (it was contemporary but the references all seemed old) & the region/country (it's set in Baltimore but everything seems so different at first I considered the UK). The story didn't really seem to align with current culture.

I felt this book had a lot of good hype, but the style was just not for me.

3 stars- my first Anne Tyler book. The plot follows a woman 3 days in June. Thanks netgalley & the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review

This is what Anne Tyler does best; what she does is write lovely, intimate character portraits.

A socially awkward mother of the bride contends with her feelings on the day before, the day of, and the day after her daughter’s wedding. Character-driven and reflective, Three Days in June follows Gail as she grapples with her feelings about the past, the present, and possibly, the future.
However… this felt like a very old fashioned book… what 30 year old is named Debbie and what couple who’s in their 30’s pick Ann Murray for their first dance lol.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC! Three Days in June felt more like three months. Despite its short length, it took me over a month to finish because it was so hard to stay engaged. The plot meanders, the details were mundane, and the story lacked momentum. I kept waiting for something to happen and by the time I finished, I was left wondering where my time went.

Such well-drawn characters for such a short book. Really a little gem.



Review copy provided by publisher.

This was my first time reading an Anne Tyler book. Her writing does a great job of making you feel all the emotions of her characters and showing all the relationships and family dynamics in the story. Some of the things that happen with the "secret" Gail learns still feel unsettled at the end of the story, but I believe the intention there was more to show what it's like to be the parent of an adult child. You have to be involved and supportive without actually having any say in the choices your children make. It was interesting to see how Gail and Max approached the situation differently and how they related to each other in this pivotal moment of their daughter's life.

Gail Baines is having a very bad day. Her daughter is getting married and she isn’t invited to her Spa Day hosted by her daughter’s new mother in law. She realizes the school she works at has no plans on giving her the promotion she deserves and her ex Max shows up at her house, for the wedding with no hotel of his own, no suit and a cat. Debbie seems so sure about her future and her parents are beyond happy for her. Yet, she comes over to tell them, something she has learned about her husband to be and everything gets confusing. Gail wants to be supportive, without being too judgmental. Mac seems to not be too concerned, which is so frustrating, to her. This story touches on so many honest points between families, husbands & wives and husbands and wives to be. Families can be the biggest blessing and the biggest pains in the neck. Yet, where would we be without them and most times things work out the way they should. Anne Tyler did an excellent job with the characters and with the story. There was so much depth in such a brief amount of time. I want to thank Netgalley & the author for my copy of Three Days in June, for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review this story.