What do readers think of Three Days in June by Anne Tyler? Write your own review.

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.

"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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.