In "Three Days in June," Anne Tyler once again proves herself a master of finding extraordinary meaning in life's ordinary moments. This slim but potent novel follows Gail Baines through a pivotal weekend as she navigates her daughter's wedding, an unexpected career shift, and the surprise appearance of her ex-husband Max—complete with a mysterious foster cat in tow.

Tyler's genius lies in her ability to craft deeply authentic characters, and Gail Baines stands among her finest creations. Self-described as lacking "people skills," Gail is far more complex than her surface-level awkwardness suggests. Her tendency to speak unfiltered truths and overthink every situation makes her both endearing and frustratingly real. When she loses (or quits) her job at a Baltimore school after being passed over for promotion, we feel both her indignation and her uncertainty about whether she's made the right choice.

The novel's compressed timeline—three days surrounding daughter Debbie's wedding—creates a perfect pressure cooker for examining family dynamics, second chances, and the weight of unspoken truths. When Debbie shares a shocking revelation about her fiancé Kenneth, it forces both Gail and Max to confront their own past while deciding how best to support their daughter. Tyler handles this crisis with characteristic subtlety, avoiding melodrama in favor of nuanced emotional authenticity.

What sets this book apart is Tyler's masterful balance of humor and poignancy. Max's unexpected arrival with a foster cat becomes both a source of comedy and a catalyst for deeper connections. The secondary characters, from the well-meaning but overwhelming mother of the groom to the direct-speaking wedding photographer, are sketched with economy and precision, each adding essential colors to the emotional palette of the story.

At its heart, "Three Days in June" explores how we navigate life's transitions, both planned and unexpected. Through Gail's eyes, we examine questions about second acts in life, the nature of marriage, and whether it's ever too late to take chances. Tyler suggests that sometimes the most significant growth happens not in dramatic moments but in small decisions: whether to keep a cat, return to teaching math, or look at an old relationship with new eyes.

The novel's brevity (under 200 pages) showcases Tyler's ability to pack profound emotional depth into a compact space. Every scene serves multiple purposes, advancing the plot while revealing character and threading through the book's central themes about connection, change, and the courage to begin again.

Minor quibbles might include the somewhat rushed resolution of certain plot threads, but these are overshadowed by the overall emotional satisfaction of the story's conclusion. Tyler demonstrates that even at 82, she hasn't lost her touch for capturing the beautiful messiness of family life and the quiet courage it takes to face each day's challenges.

For longtime Tyler fans, "Three Days in June" will feel like a welcome visit with a beloved author at the height of her powers. For newcomers, it serves as an excellent introduction to her signature style of transforming everyday life into something magical and profound. This is a book that reminds us that sometimes the most extraordinary stories are the ones happening right next door.

Thank you to Net Galley for an early copy. I am a long time fan of Anne Tyler and her slow burn stories full of ordinary people and the beauty of every day life.

This very short novel just didn’t hit for me. This feels like it should have been a short story or novella. I also admit I prefer likeable characters and there weren’t any that I really liked. I am also honestly getting tired of the odd quirky older female character.

The book has high ratings so I am quite certain it will find its audience, but unfortunately I am not a fan of this latest by a beloved author.

When I pick up an Anne Tyler book, I imagine I'll find at least one eccentric character and another who loves that character in spite of-- or because of-- some of those traits. In "Three Days in June," Gail, the overtly eccentric character (in my opinion), is divorced from Max.

Imagine Gail's surprise at seeing him at her house. After all, she knew she would be seeing him that weekend because their daughter was getting married. But why is he at her house? And why is he carrying, of all things, a cat carrier?

I felt so at home in this book. Gail and Max seemed like people I might know. I thought there was probably more to their story than what they were admitting.

Anne Tyler doesn't tell the reader everything. But when in life do we actually find out everything about someone else's situation? We could snoop, or even ask directly (gasp!), but I think most often we just never learn the answer.

Read "Three Days in June" if you'd like to spend time with some wonderfully-written characters, or if you're looking for a home away from home for a while. Goodness, read all the Anne Tyler books! They are worth it.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read "Three Days in June." This is my honest review.

Gail Banes really doesn't have the best luck, does she? This book begins with the reader finding out she has lost her job, and her daughter is getting married. Her ex husband is staying at her place, with an adopted foster cat. This book explores family secrets, expectations, the ways people change and the ways they stay the exact same. This book is simultaneously moving, profound, terse, and easy to digest in one setting. This seemingly small book really packed quite the punch for me. I loved the characters and the subtle humor and the fact that everything got covered without any plot holes.
Thank you very much to the author and the publisher for the eARC!

Three Days in June was a story that took me by surprise. A lot of things can happen in three days, and it was interesting meeting them, get acquainted, and see who they each are. The second day, I saw some changes in them, they were thinking about things, and it was a good day. Day three, is where their thinking brought them too. A lot can happen in three days, but those three days felt like a lifetime. It wasn't a lifetime crammed into three days, it was three days when I really got to know each one, saw the changes in them, and what they decided to do, and it was very nice.
I received an ARC from Knopf through NetGalley.

“Three days in June” by Anne Tyler is a short and charming book. A very relatable story with good character development.
This is the story of Gail Baines who quits her job after being passed up for a promotion before her daughter Debbie’s wedding. The ex husband shows up as the uninvited guest with his cat. Debbie then shows up and shares something intimate about her husband-to-be leading her to question the wedding.
My first time reading Anne Tyler and I found this to be a quick read and a nice break from my usual book genre.

This was my first book by Anne Tyler and I found myself enjoying her storytelling and writing style. Three Days in June is the story of a woman and her ex-husband as they navigate the weekend of their daughter's wedding. I found this story to be serious, fun, and quirky and as a bonus there's a cat!

I liked the way this story was broken down into three chapters: the day before, the wedding day, and the day after. I think this made the book more fun to read instead of just traditional chapters. It just added to the story for me.

I liked the characters. Gail and Max are both serious and quirky and, honestly, I loved the cat. It added warmth when Gail seemed a bit cold and lightness when things seemed to get too serious. Gail and Max seemed authentic and their dynamic seemed very believable as I read the story.

This was a quick and easy read with just the right mix of serious and quirky. It tells a story that I'm sure many can relate to in some way with characters who are completely relatable.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion which I have given.

This was probably a 4.75 for me, but I rounded up.

Anne Tyler never fails to disappoint, she is a genius at her chosen craft, and that is the huminization of the deeply flawed. I love a complex character, capable of both exhausting weakness and immeasurable strength. She treats her characters with so much honesty, yet also with something akin to reverence. I can sense the affection she has for all of them in the way they are depicted.

These are my favorite type of characters, and Anne tyler is one of the best at writing them. Such average human beings dealing with such average things, but yet these can still also be the big infinites of life. I loved this, and Anne Tyler has is still at the top of her game!

Quite the story of how life can change in a heartbeat. Aging isn't for the faint of heart and it's a hard road to travel but we all have to do it.

In 176 brief pages, Anne Tyler gives us the complete lives or ordinary people with depth, humanity, humor, and heart. How does she do it? How is every new book just as satisfying as her early novels from the sixties and seventies?

The three days in June encircle the wedding of Gail Baines' daughter Debbie. Gail is having a crappy time. That Friday, she loses her job (she lacks people skills, she's told,) she wasn't invited to the spa day hosted by the mother of the groom, her ex-husband wants to stay with her (and bring a cat!) and she is generally feeling dowdy and unappreciated. She also receives a shocking piece of information about the groom that brings up her own deceptions in the past.

The story is rich in revelations about completely ordinary people and their mundane lives. Anne Tyler's gift is showing us the wonder and complexity of even the most plain-seeming lives.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for a digital review copy of this novel. This is an honest review.

I was looking forward to reading my first Anne Tyler book, but unfortunately, it didn't quite meet my expectations. Gail's life is filled with crises as she navigates the time before and after her daughter's wedding. The story seemed somewhat mundane to me—pleasant, yet somewhat unexciting. I extend my thanks to NetGalley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for providing an ARC of this book.

This was a beautifully written quirky book by a new to me author.
The characters were well written. The book had clean humor, older characters and a curious foster cat. The book takes place around 3 days of an impending wedding and the family dynamics that come into play. The mc Gail is so giving of herself and finds herself at a crossroads that may lead to new paths.
I really enjoyed reading a clean book but would not have minded reading more of the story. I think it lends itself to having a story told beyond the 3 days.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me a digital ARC to read and review. All opinions are my own and freely given.

To be released in early 2025.

Three days in the life of boring Gail. Her daughter’s getting married and the occasion has her rethinking her life. Her ex shows up and brings all her mistakes to bear. I don’t know what all the hyped Anne Tyler is based on this novel, it was mediocre at best.

I was given the opportunity to read a ARC of this book. Unfortunately, I did not care for this book. I did not feel engaged or invested in the characters.

Anne Tyler is a master storyteller and her. latest work is no exception.

Gail's only child, her daughter Debbie, is getting married and abruptly losing her job at this time is not something Gail expected.

Stung from her employer's remarks suggesting she is socially awkward and not a "people" person, Gail wonders if that is why the mother of the groom has not invited her to the designated spa day with the bridal party and why she feels like an outsider in the wedding plans of her daughter.

As Gail struggles with feelings of inadequacy, the arrival of her ex-husband, Max-who decides to crash at her place without previously asking-and the revelation of a secret about the groom that Debbie shares with her the day before the wedding adds further complications. Gail is prompted to examine her own feelings about love and marriage while reckoning with the missteps she has made along the way.

Tyler creates honest, relatable characters and captures so beautifully the nuances in relationships especially between divorced parents and mothers and daughters. She does an excellent job examining the reflection that comes with mid-life, looking back at your romantic journey and the choices that you have made that have shaped your life. Three Days in June felt like a long phone conversation with a good friend that I haven't talked to in awhile. I highly recommend this novel.

This was my first time reading a book by Anne Tyler and I look forward to reading more of her work! The story takes place over the course of a weekend when the main characters’ daughter is to be married. An easy read without being too simplistic. Such a lovely story that I think a lot of people, especially middle-aged women, can relate to.

Anne Tyler is a no brainer. She writes life stories about regular people so well and this was no different. As the title says it takes place over three days, mainly about Gail's daughter's wedding. But the day before Gail finds out that her boss is edging her out of her position and her ex husband Max shows up with a cat because he was supposed to stay with their daughter but the daughter's fiancé is allergic to cats so Max is to stay with Gail. They are amicable enough but as you can imagine there are a lot of feelings about their only daughter getting married. Tyler has a knack for capturing true characters that are likable despite their flaws. This was a very quick read but so very good, if you like a throw back to a solid well written story.

Really interesting way of writing. It was very enjoyable. I find myself wanting to know what happens after!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I was excited for a chance to read and review “Three Days in June” by Anne Tyler.

Here, the focus is on mother of the bride, Gail Barnes, and three days—the day before the wedding, the day off, and the day afterwards. That first day is not a good day for Gail where she faces being terminated from her position to having to allow her ex-husband (and cat) to stay with her. And if that is not bad enough, her daughter confides a secret to Gail, which brings back painful flashbacks. Can Gail move forward even if it means doing something different?

Anne Tyler is brilliant at creating remarkable characters and putting them in ordinary situations where they shine brilliantly. This is a short read but it is still affecting and memorable. Fans of Anne Tyler and new readers will not be disappointed.

Four stars and a half stars.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this great read.

Wow Wow Wow - I was not sure what to expect as I have not read any previous works by Anne Tyler - but this book is magic. I want to jump into the pages and just give Gail a hug. The writing of this story was warm and capturing, and you felt what the characters felt.