Gail is socially awkward and not warm, even with her family. The story begins with an incident at the school at which Gail works, after which she quits or is fired—it doesn't seem to be clear which is the case, even for Gail herself. The entire story takes place in the days around/of her daughter's wedding, and is divided into three parts: Day of Beauty, D-day, and The Day After. I couldn't relate to Gail at all. I felt a little sad for her, but not particularly sympathetic. Her social skills are clearly responsible for her sorry life and relationships. Too, Gail sounds much older than 61. None of my friends (whether Gail's age-peers or considerably older) talk or act like she does.

This is only the fourth Anne Tyler book I've read since I've kept comprehensive records, spanning reading years 2012–2024 and publication years 2006–2025. Only the first (both read and published)—Digging to America—earned 4 stars from me; the rest earned 3 stars, which falls somewhere between I'm not mad and I'm glad I read it, but I wouldn't read it again. If you are an Anne Tyler fan, I would certainly encourage you try her latest work. If you've had no or mixed exposure to Tyler, give it a try or skip it. Either way, it's short and flows well, so one doesn't have anything to lose by trying.

“Three Days in June” by Ann Tyler
A Different Read
For me this was a difficult read. Initially caused by the format 3 Parts.. with no easy or convenient breaks in the story within each of the three parts. Thus, I discovered that I truly need chapters to give me convenient places of reference when I need to take a break in my reading. And when I need to swap between my reading media. |
Also, I found this story sad, confusing, and I had only begun to think I might be learning to appreciate the story when it ended. In retrospect it was a good story which I did not enjoy while I was reading it. It was only about 175 pages long but seemed closer to 375.
I suggest you ignore me and give it a try. You just may love it from beginning to end!
Happy Reading ! !

THREE DAYS IN JUNE by Anne Tyler is a LibraryReads Hall of Fame selection for February. Tyler recounts the story of Gail, aged 61 and her ex-husband, Max, on the weekend of the wedding of their daughter, Debbie, to Kenneth. It is a short period of time filled with a surge of emotions. Of course, there are in-law frictions and, potentially more disastrous, concerns about fidelity between the newlyweds. Gail, too, has disrupted her own life by impulsively walking out on her boss when she does not get an expected promotion. Reflecting on her situation, Gail later muses, "What was I supposed to do with the rest of my life? I'm too young for this, I thought. Not too old, as you might expect, but too young, too inept, too uninformed. How come there weren't any grown-ups around? Why did everyone just assume I knew what I was doing?" Her angry, anxious mood is not helped by Max's arrival – he is forced to stay with her because he is fostering a cat and didn't know that Kenneth is allergic. That leads to a rapprochement of sorts as Max and Gail support each other through the festivities. Tyler, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist (for Breathing Lessons), brings these characters to life – especially Gail who finds social situations difficult ("Sometimes when I find out what's on other people's minds I honestly wonder if we all live on totally separate planets") and is repeatedly described as lacking people skills. At 176 pages, the novel offers a relatively short introduction to readers unfamiliar with Tyler's character-focused writing (see also French Braid or Clock Dance or A Spool of Blue Thread which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize), while appealing to Tyler's many fans.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by a favorite, Anne Tyler. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

Gail Baines is having a bad day. She has problems at work, her only daughter, Debbie, is getting married and Gail is feeling left out, and her ex-husband, Max, shows up at her house unannounced with a cat.

As the title states, this story takes place over three days - the day before the wedding, the wedding day, and the day after. In between, we are privy to the backstory of Gail and Max's marriage and divorce. This was the perfect book for me right now - and I love when that happens! Because my son is getting married in a few days and our issues would rival these fictional ones. Anne Tyler is always marvelous at human feelings, with stories that highlight the good and bad parts of life and relationships, with relatability, sensitivity, and humor. I couldn't put this one down and loved every word. Very highly recommended!

Gail Baines, a 60 year old school mid-level administrator, has just been told by her boss that she lacks people skills and will not be considered for advancement when her boss retires, but instead they will bring in a new administrator with a new assistant so Gail will be jobless. Gail leaves the school angry and disheartened as she must prepare for her daughter’s wedding the following day. To make matters worse, her ex-husband Max shows up at her house with a foster cat and he expects Gail to take them in until after the wedding.
Anne Tyler can take the most ordinary, and sometime mundane, occurrences, and make them magical and evocative. Her character development is impeccable and the reader ends up smiling as the characters are so familiar and real. There is magic and sweetness in the ordinary if only one is open to it and even when a cat is involved. Cat lovers will love this book and the humorous and intimate way Tyler has of giving the cat its unmistakable personality.
This is a story of relationships, of forgiveness and love and letting go of self to pursue a better life.
Highly recommended for all readers.

I really wanted to love this book but I just couldn't get into it. The main characters were a bit strange and I found it to drag on a bit at times

1⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for an advanced copy of Three Days in June.

Gail is in her 60s and she is content with her life. Then one day her boss is trying to fire her so she quits. Then her ex husband shows up at her home with a cat to stay with her for their daughter’s upcoming wedding.

This was honestly one of the most boring books I have ever read. Thankfully it was a short book but it was still really difficult to get through. The main character was basically miserable and the book was kind of depressing and also really had no plot to it.

Anne Tyler is an absolute artist when it comes to capturing simple moments in life on page. Her characters are a perfect example of what normal people and families look like and how they react to the world around them.

Three Days in June follows Gail Baines, a divorced mother in her sixties who is about to attend her daughter's wedding. When the fiance's loyalty comes into question, Gail revisits her own failed marriage and what brought it to an end, while at the same time hosting her ex-husband during the length of the wedding festivities. I cannot say that Gail is a particularly likeable character. She reminded me greatly of Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout and if you like the blunt sort of personality Olive has, than you will enjoy reading Gail's story.

Even though I didn't particularly like the characters, the plot moved along at a decent enough pace and the mundanity of the wedding was a much needed distraction, I did have one glaring issue with the novella. The names. Now, I understand that Anne Tyler herself is 83 years old and most likely not up to date with modern naming conventions. However, that doesn't excuse any editor from pointing out the fact that no one born in the early-mid 1990s would be named Debra or Debbie. Her friends would certainly not be called Bitsy (I just can't), Cindy, Darleen, and...Spofford? Really, Spofford? The severely dated names kept making me go back and check that yes, this was in fact taking place post-Covid, and yes, her daughter is supposed to be 30 years old. So, in essence, it really distracted me from immersing myself in the story.

Regardless of a town that insisted on sticking to 1960s naming conventions, I did find myself invested in the story, however I thought the ending was a bit too neatly tied up with a bow and would have liked to have seen a different outcome (without giving away any spoilers) given some teaser material near the end.

Short, quick, clean and somewhat cozy read that any fan of Anne Tyler and Elizabeth Strout would devour in one sitting. Your grandmothers will love this one if you are looking for something for them to read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Knopf, and Anne Tyler for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! Gail has a lot going on in these 3 days in June! This is the first time I've read a book by this author, and I'm actually surprised by this, looking at her long history (20+? books)-- but also not surprised, as they seem to touch on women of a certain age or time in her life. My life just didn't match up with her works until now ;)

I was pleasantly surprised at the love, humor, loss and forgiveness (and that of herself) and chaos that has been her life. When her ex-husband shows up on her doorstep with a foster cat, after quitting her job, you know this is going to be a ride ;)

We weave back and forth a bit to catch readers up on how she got to where she is today, and it's just the right amount.

I really enjoyed this short, romantic book! (156 pages) Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy to review before pub day this coming week!

I went into this lovely book sight unseen. I didn’t read the blurb, I had never heard of the author, I barely looked at the cover— someone just said “hey, requested this and we will read it together!” And I did. And I’m so glad I did!

I was delighted by this story. An older heroine, a life change (her daughter’s marriage), processing the past, navigating an unexpected house guest… it made for such an interesting, introspective tale. I loved the main character because she isn’t perfect, she’s really the sort of person many people know, and seeing her navigate issues of change and forgiveness felt really familiar.

If you want something medium paced, cozy, and reflective, this is the book for you. It was a quick read, and I loved the ending.

Truly a delightful read! What a way to come out of the winter blues with Three Days in June! I can’t wait to recommend this to readers diehard fans, and Tyler rejoice!

What is it about weddings that brings out the best and worst in people? This is classic Anne Tyler-a story about a family moving into a new era on all fronts. Gail storms out of the private school where she works when she's told she won't be getting the head of school job to discover that her ex-husband Max (and the rescue cat he's brought) plans to stay with her for the weekend of their daughter Debbie's wedding. And Debbie arrives in distress having been told that her fiance cheated on her. A lot happens in the day before, the day of, and the day after the wedding. Gail, who narrates,, is an incisive observer of others, less so of herself. The characters could step off the page (especially Gail), their dialogue rings true, and there's enough tension that you're not sure what's going to happen. If I have a quibble it's that this has less Baltimore atmospherics than usual (although I suspect that doesn't much matter to most). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A slim volume that packs a punch.

This book takes place the day before, day of, and day after the wedding of Gail's daughter Debbie. It's essentially three days of Gail's life as she plays host to her ex-husband while he's in town for the wedding. This is a very quick read that offers a glimpse into Gail's life as she reminisces about the past and deals with unexpected changes occurring in the present. If you're looking for a well written book with emotion, humor, and typical life situations, I highly recommend this.

I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really enjoyed this story. Its a story about a woman In her early sixties trying to navigate life. She's trying to deal with her daughter getting married, her ex husband showing up at her door, losing her job, and adopting a new cat. A fun read.

I wanted to love this book. I loved the idea of a woman who was facing a job change and the marriage of her only daughter trying to deal with all the comes with both major life occurrences. I just could not get into the story to feel anything for the characters. The story was over three days and I just felt like I couldn’t wait for the wedding to be done. I also felt like the relationship between mother and daughter seemed so distant to even the point when a secret was shared the daughter didn’t see to have much to say.

This wasn’t a bad story by any means but not one I fell in love with. Thank you to Netgalley and to the publishers for allowing me to read this advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love a good novella. Three Days in June is a reflective look at one's past, when we get to be the age that we've lived a lot our life and begin to wonder what else does it hold.

Main character, Gail Baines, receives some rather blindsiding news on the eve of her daughter's wedding day. At 61 years old, she is going to be released from her current job, an assistant to the head of a private school. Her boss casually tells her that she is retiring and the person being hired to be the new head mistress is bringing her own assistant. To add insult to injury, her boss adds lackadaisically that Gail has never really been a "people person."

This news somewhat (and rightfully so) sends Gail into a tailspin. She leaves school to head home to prepare for her daughter's wedding rehearsal dinner only be unexpectantly surprised by her ex-husband, Max. Not only has Max arrived in town early, he arrives with the news that he'll be staying with her the next two nights because he's also brought a foster shelter cat. Conveniently, his daughter has told him he cannot possibly stay at her and her fiancé's house because Kenneth (her fiancé) is extremely allergic to cats.

The three days in this novella's setting cause Gail to contemplate not only her own life but also her marriage (which ended in divorce more than 2 decades ago), her daughter's impending nuptials, and her relationship with her ex-husband.

Three Days in June was both tender and humorous at the same time and a quick, enjoyable read. Thank you, NetGalley and Knopf, for this pensive and engaging ARC.

A quick read and what I assume is pretty relatable to many people. I enjoyed the glimpse into her life.

Three Days in June is the first Anne Tyler book that I’ve read, but it won’t be the last. What a beautiful, spare novel that paints a picture of main character Gail Baines’ lifetime based on events that take place over a three-day period before, during and after her daughter’s wedding.

Reminiscent of Eudora Welty, Tyler’s novel is a moving character study of a crusty 61 year-old woman with “people skills” problems who learns that she is going to lose her job as a school administrator the day before her daughter’s wedding. She has also been excluded from her daughter’s spa-day festivities, and to make matters worse, her ex-husband Max turns up on her doorstep with a cat looking for a place to stay for the wedding.

Under her cool exterior, Gail is quite funny and self-aware, confronting the question of what she is going to do with the rest of her life in the midst of so many changes. She wonders why she is so “bottled up,” and knows that she is like the cat — she only appears cold-hearted in order to protect her dignity in case she gets rejected. She can make different choices or keep doing what she’s always done, and her process is all too human and comprehensible. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Borzoi Books/Alfred A. Knopf for providing me with a complimentary advanced copy of this lovely book.

Anne Tyler is back with another slice-of-life story that feels like a warm but bittersweet memory. In Three Days in June, she captures family dynamics, quiet regrets, and the unexpected beauty in everyday moments with her signature wit and emotional depth.

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler: A Novel of Love, Loss, and Unexpected Revelations

Anne Tyler, the Pulitzer Prize-winning master of family dynamics and quiet drama, returns with Three Days in June, a novel that blends her signature warmth and humor with deep emotional insight. This latest work is destined to be an instant classic, capturing the fragile yet enduring threads that hold families together—especially in moments of upheaval drama.

Spanning just a few days, Three Days in June is a novel about the inevitable complications of love, marriage, and family life. Tyler, known for her nuanced character studies and quietly profound storytelling, expertly captures the bittersweet humor of middle age, the ache of nostalgia, and the unpredictability of human relationships. With moments of poignant introspection and sharp, witty observations, she reminds us that even the most carefully laid plans can be undone in an instant.

Through Gail’s journey—from a mother feeling pushed to the sidelines to a woman rediscovering her own voice—Three Days in June explores what it means to let go, to embrace uncertainty, and to find grace in life’s imperfections. Fans of Anne Tyler will recognize her signature blend of heartache and hope, her keen eye for the subtleties of human behavior, and her unmatched ability to turn the everyday moments of life into something unforgettable.

Perfect for readers who love introspective, character-driven fiction, Three Days in June is a poignant and deeply human novel that lingers in the heart long after the final page is turned.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.