BookBrowse Reviews Three Days in June by Anne Tyler

BookBrowse:

A compelling, slice-of-life novel that follows a woman struggling with her circumstances and choices as her daughter's wedding approaches.

Beloved by readers for her detailed, character-rich fiction, Anne Tyler is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of many novels published over an impressive writing career spanning more than 60 years. Unsurprisingly, our First Impressions reviewers enjoyed Three Days in June, awarding it an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars.

What the book is about:

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 nowhere to stay, plus he has a cat with him that he is trying to get adopted…Then things get even worse... (Susan R).

Readers were drawn into the story by its complex characters…

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…Her voice reminded me of Lucy Barton in Elizabeth Strout's novels (Kathy W). 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 (Joselle K). This spare novel reveals deep characters with flaws. In just three days, Tyler reveals the most important parts of their lives. The struggles, regrets, pivots, moments of forgiveness, and hope…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 (Susan L).

…and found the book to be an easy, comforting read.

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 (Connie H). Tyler writes with humor and an uncanny sense of observation…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 (Gloria M).

Reviewers praised Tyler's ability to paint an intriguing picture of ordinary life…

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 is 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 (Donna C). 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 (Jennifer B).

…and some even ended up clamoring for a sequel!

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 (Susan W). 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 (Nancy L).

This review first ran in the February 26, 2025 issue of BookBrowse Recommends.