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There are currently 9 member reviews
for Three Days in June
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Judith C. (Lake Oswego, OR)
Three Days In June
Three Days In June is actually more of a slice of life novella. But during the brief three days: the day before, the day of and the day after a small family wedding Anne Tyler's characters come alive. I very much enjoyed my time with the Baines family, especially the maternal grandmother of the bride. As always, Anne Tyler doesn't disappoint. I loved this book and highly recommend it.
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Anita R. (Boca Raton, FL)
From the 1st page on you will be captivated!
In 2 readings I finished this delightful but sad novel. Gail Baines was quite an incredible woman, both deeply insecure yet not afraid of expressing her opinion. Anne Tyler captivates us with her wonderful style of writing. A great read!!
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Kathy S. (Holladay, UT)
Three Days in June by Anne Tyler
Three Days in June is the latest book by Anne Tyler. Those three days immerse the reader in the days around the wedding of Gail and Max's daughter Debbie.
Gail isi a great worrier. As Max, her now ex-husband says,..."good grief! Do you keep an itemized list of things to worry about?" Will she make it through those three days, especially after also losing her job?
And then there is Max, almost the complete opposite of Gail. He sees the best in people and believes people can change. Will those three days change Gail? Change Max?
As with her other books, Anne Tyler shows us characters that are so succinctly described, you feel you know them personally (or wished you did). As well, her characters are shown to us through her descriptions with a wonderful sense of humor and tenderness.
If you like character-driven books, especially by Anne Tyler, I believe you will love this one too.
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Joselle K. (Saratoga, CA)
Loved it!
Anne Tyler has always had a way of capturing characters so that you feel like you've known them for a very long time. And with Three Days in June, she's absolutely done it again.
Even though this book's is not long and it covers just a short time frame, it packs an emotional punch. The events described and the interactions of the characters during those three days stayed with me for many weeks.
There's so much for book clubs to discuss here so I think it would be an ideal choice.
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Cynthia D. (Cuba, NY)
Anne Tyler Wins Again
To learn of the publication of a new novel by Anne Tyler is cause for celebration. To have it in your hands is pure joy! And that's how good it is to read "Three Days in June," the story of a failed marriage during the preparations for a new marriage, that of the couple's daughter.
The bride's mother, Gail, always ever competent and in charge, had a tough day at work when the school's headmistress suggests a promotion is not in the works because of Gail's "weak social interaction skills." This follows other recent difficulties in Gail's life caused by the parent's of the groom who seem to be usurping her duties as the bride's mother. Gail leaves work early and finds that her ex-husband Max has arrived unexpectedly to stay at her home during their daughter's wedding festivities. And he has brought a cat! Gail has never wanted a pet!
The stage is set for the events of the next three days: Max surprises her with his helpfulness as the minutia of life unfolds: a trip to the dry cleaners, eating out, taking a walk…he seems much nicer and more interesting than when they were married. As the daughter's wedding events unfold, we learn why her parent's marriage ended.
This slim novel about marriage is Tyler's 25th book, published 20 years after "Amateur Marriage," her ninth novel. Tyler's characters are always wise and amusing, warmly human as they wander through life, exhibiting the same good points and faults that we all can relate to. As always, they become like family to the reader. They teach us how to "get through life." "Three Days in June" is another Anne Tyler novel that those of us in middle age can all relate to.
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Darrell W. (Clackamas, OR)
Love and Forgiveness
Can one small novel reveal complex relationships, show love's powerful hold on suspicion, expose career choices, in a three day whirlwind of a wedding and its aftermath? Anne Tyler's THREE DAYS IN JUNE can. She sets the scene, develops characters, moves the plot with sensitivity, economy of language and a generous amount of realistic dialogue. The characters seemed to rise from the page and enter my heart and mind. I began to think of them as acquaintances or friends or relatives. What goes on in the complexity of bringing two disparate families together for a wedding? Anne Tyler knows and informs us with her deep understanding of humankind and her unmatched writing skill. She brings the novel to a stopping place, but I choose to believe the story does not end.
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Gloria M. (Los Gatos, CA)
Didn't Want It To End!!
Readers who enjoy a great family saga that ventures a bit deeper into the depth and substance and ensuing drama of human interactions will definitely want to add Anne Tyler's latest, "Three Days in June," to the top of their TBR pile. Tyler is a consummate master of this genre; one must note that she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1988 for her novel, "Breathing Lessons," and was on the 2015 Man Booker prize shortlist for "A Spool of Thread."
Tyler writes with humor and an uncanny sense of observation - akin to holding up an imaginary magnifying glass to the thoughts and behaviors of her creations and taking the reader along for the ride. Her relatable style always makes this reader feel all the emotions and think about the hidden motivations and the beneath the surface meanings of the events occurring in the narrative. Even the tiniest action like who prepares what for lunch has relevance. For me, reading Anne Tyler's books is as comforting as a great, gooey grilled cheese sandwich.
In this story, the protagonist, Gail Barnes, is experiencing three terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days. The first of the days surrounding her only daughter's wedding begins with the end of her employment as an assistant headmistress, quite quickly followed by the nagging truth that the mother of the groom was not including her in the wedding planning (in particular not consulting her on the day of beauty at a local spa) and then her ex-husband unexpectedly appears on her front doorstep with a cat!
Gail does not posses much in the way of people skills, so navigating all these (and more) unpleasant events leaves her feeling anxious, annoyed and exhausted. Then the final straw - a secret is revealed that could cancel the wedding! I found myself immediately engaged and invested in all the characters - even the cat!
"Three Days in June" is first and foremost a tale of family and marriage and Anne Tyler is quite adept at this. But as the many layers are peeled back, larger questions arise - such as how much each individual's perspectives and expectations (our own personality and history and accumulated psychological baggage) colors how we view the reality right in front of us. We often assign our friends and family members and even ourselves certain roles to play and this may not match the truth of who everyone actually is.
I thoroughly enjoyed every page and heartily recommend it and am very grateful to Alfred A. Knopf Publishing and BookBrowse for providing me with this Advanced Reader's edition. The book is scheduled to be released on 2/11/2025 so be sure to make a note in your calendar. You won't want to miss this one!
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