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Rated 
of 5
by Kathy W Appleton, WI
Three Days in June I loved this book despite not especially liking the main character at first.Gail Baines didn't seem like someone I would want to know. But I found her story compelling and I wanted to learn more about her.
The story unfolds through the details of a pivotal 3 day period of her life, combined with memories and glimpses back into her past. This gives the reader insight into how she became the person that we meet on page 1.
The writing is excellent and the story is well crafted.
Her voice reminded me of Lucy Barton in Elizabeth Strout's novels.
Rated of 5
by 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.
Rated of 5
by 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!!
Rated of 5
by 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.
Rated of 5
by 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.
Rated of 5
by Susan R. (Greensboro, NC)
Fantastic If you are a fan of Anne Tyler, you're going to love this book and it may become your favorite of her books like it did mine. If you haven't read Anne Tyler before, you need to read this. You'll find out how wonderful her storytelling is with wonderful and insightful looks at people - both the good and the flaws.
Gail Baines is having a rough day. Her normal quiet life is imploding. She works at a private school and believed that she would get the job as head of the school when the current one left. When she's informed that she was passed over due to being socially awkward, she leaves her job and goes home. Another problem is that her only daughter is getting married in three days and she hasn't been invited to the spa day with the bridesmaids and the mother of the groom. On top of all that, her ex-husband shows up from out of town with no where to stay plus he has a cat with him that he is trying to get adopted. To say that her placid life has changed to one of confusion and anxiety is putting it mildly. Then things get even worse - her daughter shares a secret with her parents about the groom and insists that she is going to cancel the wedding. Gayle wants to be helpful to her daughter but not intrusive and she agonizes over her daughter's decision as she compares it to her personal reasons for the end of her marriage.
Gail's real decision comes down to what to do with the rest of her life. She's 60 - is it too late to change her career and her life in general?
Gail is a fantastic main character -- quirky, a bit or a worrier - well maybe more than a bit - and a person who likes her life to be calm and planned. Her ex husband is just the opposite - very spontaneous and free. Some of their conversations made me smile and other times I felt like they were being very insightful. This was a fantastic new book by a Pulitzer Prize winner and you don't want to miss it.
Rated of 5
by Susan L. (Alexandria, VA)
Three Cheers for Three Days in June Anne Tyler does it again. This spare novel reveals deep characters with flaws and depth. In just three days, Tyler reveals the most important parts of their lives. The struggles, regrets, pivots, moments of forgiveness, and hope. It has it all. Tyler, known for her attention to detail and ability to make the mundane compelling, is at the top of her form. Three Days in June gives us a glimpse into a woman's life on the eve of her daughter's wedding and on the edge of her own happiness.
Rated of 5
by 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.
Rated of 5
by Susan W. (Berkley, MI)
Like getting reacquainted with old friends I loved this book, not just because I'm an Anne Tyler fan, but also because I enjoy quirky characters and observing how they interact with each other. Tyler packs a lot into three days, and a wedding certainly brings up a lot of emotion. I did wish for more. It felt a little like the stage was being set for a sequel. Gail certainly could be the main character of another book.
The characters were believable and felt familiar to me; I could have easily been one of them. In fact some of the emotions made me a little uncomfortable. Tyler is good at that, in a good way.
Rated of 5
by Barbara B. (Evansville, IN)
Realistic Marriage Fiction A wedding and marriage story so realistic, I honestly felt I was at the wedding with the Baines family. Gail and Max are the parents of the bride, Deborah. They both are very complete characters in this novel, nearing retirement age and divorced. The sibling spats, work relationships, job changes, the cuddly cat, and even the proper attire for the wedding all blend together nicely for a practical and likable story. For those who want a quick engaging novel, this is ideal.
Rated of 5
by Nancy L. (Staunton, VA)
Short But Sweet "Three Days in June" by Anne Tyler is a very sweet story but way too short for my taste. It takes place in suburban Maryland as Gail Baines is preparing for her daughter, Debbie's wedding. The three days in June refer to the day before, the day of, and the day after that wedding. There is a certain amount of emotional distance between Gail and Debbie, and the arrival of Max, Gail's ex-husband, ramps up the tension of the plot. I really liked these characters; the bumbling, quietly hopeful Max, and Gail who is not quite comfortable in her skin, her place in her family, and her work environment. But there is so much more I want to know about these characters. How does Gail and Debbie's relationship evolve? Does Gail move to the Eastern Shore? Will Max ever change? This. Short novel definitely needs a follow up.
Rated of 5
by Deborah G. (Black Mountain, NC)
Three Days in June and Many Lifetimes! I love Anne Tyler's books--that hasn't changed over the 50 years I've been reading them. I especially love the way she portrays her characters' feelings and frailties as she does in "Three Days in June," which focuses on the day before, of, and after Gail's daughter Debbie's wedding. Although more novella than novel in length, Tyler conveys many details of not only Gail and Debbie's lives, but Gail's ex-husband, mother, and employer; the groom, his parents and sister; other assorted significant others; as well as neighbors and seemingly incidental characters, including a cat. Tyler's greatest gift may be how she describes her subjects' feelings, which feelings they want to share with others, and the dialog they use to do so, ultimately revealing how people become who they are and behave the way they do. The expertly handled themes here include betrayals and the complexities of reconciliation across the lifespan.
Rated of 5
by 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.
Rated of 5
by Donna C. (Pismo Beach, CA)
Ordinary Family, Complicated Lives I loved this book, as I do all of Anne Tyler's work. This story is not a deep or complicated read, but instead a focus on the everyday lives of a family working through an important event. The setting was an ordinary one, but as happens in life, the day to day stuff gets tangled and what begins as ordinary gets complicated with choices large and small. The characters were so well drawn, always a beautiful part of Tyler's talent, that I could relate to each one's situation and feelings. For fans of the movie Groundhog Day as a metaphor for real life, readers can enjoy the themes of change and maturation and appreciation during the three days in this family's life.
Rated of 5
by 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!
Rated of 5
by Jennifer B. (Oviedo, FL)
Three Days in June Anne Tyler has a magic touch for writing stories. Her ability to make daily life with her characters interesting and meaningful astounds me! She turns the most ordinary occasions into events that are far from mundane. Three Days in June centers around a small family celebrating a wedding. That's all I will say to avoid spoiling the plot. This book will definitely get a recommendation from me for my book clubs! Thank you, Bookbrowse, for the opportunity to review this book before it is published.
Rated of 5
by Wendy K. (Rising Fawn, GA)
I loved "Three Days in June This book drew me in and kept my attention until the very end. In fact I didn't want it to end. Thoroughly enjoyable. Gail Baines' interior dialogue came across as real and true. The writing is tight, engaging, and funny. Anyone who wants an absorbing, entertaining and light read would enjoy this. Moreover, I think any woman would find Gail incredibly relatable.
Rated of 5
by Connie H. (Sachse, TX)
Having bad days There is nothing like a stressful event (like say a daughter's wedding for example) that can awaken both past and present memories, anxious thoughts and hidden secrets that we might wish to keep buried. This is what is happening to Gail Baines as she struggles through time with her thoughts in these "three days in June." I loved all the characters. They were well-developed, truly wonderful, funny and relatable. This book was an easy, fast read and I enjoyed every minute of it. I think it would be a great book for book clubs, due to its relatable content, as who hasn't had bad days. It provided me with a respite from my own anxious thoughts, just to be able to sit down in my favorite chair with a nice cup of tea and to be transported into a place that offers a look at family life, with all its quirkiness, a bit of messiness, and a connectedness.
Rated of 5
by Karen R. (Columbus, OH)
Anne Tyler does it again In typical Anne Tyler fashion, she makes the ordinary characters in Three Days In June very interesting. The three days in June are the day before, the day of, and the day after a wedding. I found myself thinking of these characters even when I wasn't reading this book. This is a delightful character driven book. I highly recommend.
Rated 
of 5
by Cathie D. (Pelham, NH)
A realistic, quick read This book covers three days in June and tells the story of Gail Baines. It starts with Gail walking into work as the assistant headmaster only to find out that she is being replaced so she quits or is she fired? She arrives home and shortly afterward, her ex-husband, Max, arrives (uninvited) on her doorstep with a cat and announces that he will be staying with Gail for the weekend due to their daughter, Debbie's, wedding.
Debbie, meanwhile, is participating in a spa day for the ladies which Gail was not invited to. Just before the rehearsal dinner, Debbie confides in Gail and Max that her husband-to-be, Kenneth, acted questionably and she questions whether or not she should continue with the wedding.
This revelation brings back to light an incident that ended Gail's own wedding. This is a quick read and the characters are realistic and the storytelling his honest. The interchanges between Gail and Max are quirky and they are total opposites.
Rated of 5
by Dotti A. (Ames, IA)
Three Days in June This novel is a light-hearted look at three days in the life of Gail Baines (a 61 year old assistant administrator in a private school). She's divorced from Max, and their daughter, Debbie, is getting married.
The story is character-driven. Who are these characters and what is their history?
Day 1: A Day of Beauty: What kind of crisis can come from that?
Day 2: D-Day: Is that a hint that something will happen at the wedding?
Day 3: The Day After: What comes next?
I was intrigued by the presence of the cat throughout the three days. Why did the
author add the cat to the story? Do her antics parallel the storyline?
I would not choose this book for my discussion group. Though I would recommend
reading it in front of a fireplace, with a warm beverage, on a snowy night.
An enjoyable 'light' read.
Rated of 5
by Juli B. (Prosper, TX)
Spinning the mundane into a delightful story. Delightful storyline which is so very relatable as the main character wrestles with life choices; past experiences that have shaped her personality, and decisions that may alter the day-to-day moving forward. Anne Tyler crafts a believable, bittersweet, humor-filled scenario over the course of 3 days that readers will immediately embrace and debate; perfect for book clubs. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy to review. Another gem from a proven talented author.
Rated of 5
by Margot P. (Mandeville, LA)
Ordinary is Extraordinary I have never read an Anne Tyler novel that I did not enjoy. This one is really a novella describing 3 days around a divorced couple's only child's wedding. It wrestles with all the day to day issues average people in their sixties deal with, but in Tyler's hands, it makes for a very poignant and interesting tale. I particularly enjoyed the self-analysis that Gail if finally able to do by the story's end.
Rated of 5
by MaryJane B. (Lynch Station, VA)
A wedding reunion A wedding ceremony offers a family a time to pause and look at what went wrong and what is good about their lives at the moment. Gail, the mother of the bride must navigate the loss of a job she thought she was due, the arrival of her X with a cat to stay with her for the wedding and a secret she thinks she needs to share with her daughter, the bride.
The book moves at a fast clip and the reader is right there while the wedding unfolds . It all happens in s few days, the rehearsal, wedding and the feelings afterwards. Now what? Is the question for the parents of the bride when the ceremony is over. A good read with well developed characters.
Rated of 5
by Joan A. (Redondo Beach, CA)
Three Junes by Anne Tyler I have been a fan of Ann Tyler forever and have read a lot of her books.
The dialogue between characters is always interesting to me. They are so honest and real. You can actually imagine meeting these people at a social gathering, in the grocery store.,etc. She does not disappoint.
Rated of 5
by Rebecca M. (Gulfport, FL)
A Slow & Thoughtful Story As soon as I started reading this book, I felt like I had reconnected with an old friend who I was comfortable with. In this case, Anne Tyler is the old friend. There's such a feeling in her books & it was very much here in Three Days In June. Each person in this short novel have their quirks, their history, their short comings. I felt that even though several of these people could be viewed as difficult or odd, there was no judgement & over the course of the story we find out more of their back stories. I loved that there seemed to be empathy, even though at times it was slow to show itself. This was a true Anne Tyler story & I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Rated 
of 5
by Phyllis R. (Rochester Hills, MI)
Anne Tyler Again I had previously read many Tyler novels and was surprised to see her recent fiction! I had read several of her earlier books so knew her style of writing and I was not disappointed. Her theme of an older woman and recently divorced on the three days around her only daughter's wedding were well conceived. Tyler stayed on this theme, but introduced her ex husband, Max, who brought some alternatives to their relationship and then there was the cat for comical relief!! If you are a cat lover, you will certainly like this book!
Rated of 5
by Linda S. (Milford, CT)
Three Days in June We are invited to the wedding of Debbie, only child of Gail and ex husband Max, and Patrick. It will be a very low key, if lovely, wedding. The groom's parents are affluent and assume most of the planning and financial end. Gail had just had an interview with her supervisor at the private school she is an administrator at and was told in essence, maybe you should look for another career. Right, at age 61. Poor timing. Then Max shows up at her doorstep, expecting to stay with her for the wedding events. He even has a cat in tow. They manage to live amicably for the time and she even becomes fond of the cat. Debbie has a minor crisis pre-wedding, but it comes off without a hitch. It was a delight to see a long-divorced couple so amiable, so able to talk about anything and everything. Tyler fans will be delighted; me not so much. I'm happy to have had the opportunity to review this novel.
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