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Three Days in June by Anne Tyler

Three Days in June

A Novel

by Anne Tyler

  • Readers' Rating (25):
  • Publishes:
  • Feb 11, 2025, 176 pages
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There are currently 25 reader reviews for Three Days in June
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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!!
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.
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.
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.
Power Reviewer
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.
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.
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.
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.

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