TY to Net Galley and Knopf for the ARC. Anne Tyler excels at "slice of life" stories and this is no exception. The days leading up to and following their daughter's wedding allow us a glimpse into the lives of Gail and Max Barnes, how their lives veered off path and how they can possibly be redeemed.

I really enjoyed this little book. I love Anne Tyler’s character work and dialogue, and this was no exception. The relationship between Gail and her ex-husband felt very realistic — their banter and mutual love and respect for each other was refreshing to read about.

I enjoyed seeing these two characters revisit their past through the lens of their daughter and what she was going through. While Gail was imagining her own infidelity, Max was thinking about the bigger picture, as the past repeated itself in a new generation.

I didn’t really pick up on this at the time, but after talking to others, I did find it strange that this book took place in current day. The character names and their behaviors felt very dated, and Gail herself seemed to be much older than the 50-something she was described to be.

Overall, I enjoyed this and am looking forward to reading more from Anne Tyler.

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for a digital advance reader's copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

I have read most of Anne Tyler’s 30 books - she’s one of my must-read authors. So I was excited to have the opportunity to read an early copy of this short (156 page) novel. Like all of Tyler’s stories, this is character-driven with just enough plot to make it compelling.

This is a novel of second chances, forgiveness, marriage, and family. At first the story seems pretty straightforward, but the more I read, the more layers were revealed. Tyler’s writing is skillful and perceptive, both serious and witty. Once again, she has written an entertaining yet observant novel of the lives and loves of everyday people.

Peculiar and quirky, funny and ordinary, Three Days in June was one of the most interesting reads of 2024. Gail Baines is preparing for her daughter’s wedding when she is confronted with information that sends her back in her past. While Gail wants to guide her daughter to make the right decision, she is confronted with what the right decision is for herself, all those years ago. I was drawn into this book for many reasons, but the dry humor in it was really a treat.

Three Days in June is a cute novel about Gail who is 61 years old and has lost her job and is getting ready to go to her daughters wedding. Gail isn't really feeling like she is included in the plans for her wedding and her ex-husband is coming too. He brings his cat which she is highly allergic too. As the weekend goes Gail reflects on life and how she got to where she is and what she wants now. Easy and fund read!

This was a delightful book with some lovely quirky characters where the action takes place over three days before, during and after a wedding. If I had any complaint at all, it was that it was too short! I would have loved to know these characters even better. This was my first book by Anne Tyler and I will definitely be looking to read other books of hers.

Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for an advance copy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Three Days in June by Anne Tyler!

Spend three days in Gail's shoes, three not so good days, as she loses her job, her daughter's life plans are derailed and her nonchalant ex shows up on her doorstep....with a cat. With refreshing humor, Anne Tyler shows us how attitude is everything, how you can control just how much the outside world bothers you, and how much you can learn from being flexible.
Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is 2/11/2025.

In this short novel, a woman, Gail, is at a crossroads. She is 61, divorced, and potentially out of a job. Her daughter, Debbie, is getting married, and Gail isn't sure that the fiancé, Kenneth, is right for Debbie. Max, Gail's ex, has come to Baltimore for the wedding with a foster cat in tow. Since Kenneth is allergic, Gail has Max and the cat stay with her. Gail reflects on her life with Max, and what went wrong with their marriage. Over these 3 days, Gail reflects on a lot - and I enjoyed reading how she analyzed everything and how it ended. Anne Tyler always writes wisely about life. A good examination of a life, how love changes, how we worry about our children, and where we find love.

Perfect length, not a word was wasted. I enjoyed the dynamic between the exes on the eve of their daughter’s wedding. I understand the need to throw a wrench in the plans with the possible infidelity, but it felt a little forced as a device to make the parents face their own betrayals. Feels like a great book to bring on vacation, with more substance than a beach read but not a daunting lengthy novel.

This is a character driven story that takes place over three days. Anne Tyler writes with smooth and flowing prose about Gail Baines and what takes place over three days. That being said, she also returns to some incidents from the past which changed the family. The characters are portrayed so clearly, and they are at the heart of the writing. While there is not a dramatic plot, I loved the pacing and the exploration of these characters - their choices and the path on which life led them.

This novel accurately captures the nature of relationships and the way we reflect on incidents from our past sometimes with new insight and understanding that comes from living longer.

Thanks to Netgalley and Knopf for an advanced copy! For a novella, it is easy and well-written to get into. Even though it's from the point of view of a mother in her early sixties, she was a well-developed character.

4.5 stars

For a short story this book was packed with emotion for me. This is a story of a divorced woman and her daughter’s wedding. We go through the three days of the wedding while her ex husband stays with her. I was just amazed by how well this story was told in such a short book! So well done.

Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler – February 11th, 2025

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler is for me simply pure magic! Once again I fell in love with her characters, their great heart and the beautiful and honest way that their story unfolds. So many times while reading this story I felt compelled to stop and reflect. Their lives and experiences just struck a chord with me and I didn’t want to let go of that feeling. Their very extraordinary, ordinary lives and their funny and relatable situations left me loving them even more and laughing right along with them. While this book is not lengthy it is definitely not one to be rushed through.

The novel describes the Three Days in June surrounding the wedding of the daughter of main character Gail Baines and her ex-husband Max Baines. Through the telling of their story we discover a portrait of the nature of their marriage, missteps, and the eventual mending of their hearts.
I read Anne Tyler’s books because of the way they make me feel. And this one...is another crowning achievement, filled with characters that are quirky yet relatable, plots that are simple yet complex in their simplicity.

I finished this book full of happy tears and hope. Another favorite read from a favorite author! Highly recommend!

My sincere thanks go to Netgalley and Alfred A. Knopf for the opportunity to read and review an early arc of Three Days in June by Anne Tyler.

A charachter driven novel about a wedding and the book takes place in three days. I didn’t have a strong enough connection to the characters to really feel for them. This one fell a little flat for me.

This was such a moving portrait of so many different things. I loved the family dynamics, the themes of love, forgiveness, moving on, and so many good things! This is a must read!

Wow this quick read will stick with me. I enjoyed this but my one wish is that I was hoping it would be longer

Three Days in June is a charming little slice-of-life novel centered around a family in the three days around the daughter’s wedding. Gail, the mother of the bride, is facing an upheaval at work, then returns home to discover that her ex-husband needs to stay with her since he unexpectedly brought a cat along for the wedding weekend (which the groom is allergic to). Forced into close quarters on an emotionally charged weekend, Gail does the best she can to support her daughter, contend with her past, and keep moving forward.

Tyler’s characters are messy, lovable, and real. Gail can be awkward (at best) and caustic (at worst) and her ex-husband Max is often a big-hearted doofus. As the story unfolds, we learn more about how these two apparent opposites got together and how their relationship ended.

It’s a funny and endearing novel; it packs an emotional punch without ever feeling manipulative. I love short novels when they are done well, and this one is a master class in accomplishing rich, complex storytelling in so few pages.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC to review.

On the eve of her daughter's rehearsal dinner, Gail's ex-husband Max roars into town. Arriving with a cat in tow, the interlopers take up residence in Gail's house. Their arrival threatens her resolve to remain detached.

Worming his way into her routine, Max reawakens a piece of her heart that she locked away after the dissolution of their marriage. Spending three together paves a path to their past. Will she be strong enough to make amends or hide from mistakes? Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of #ThreeDaysinJune in exchange for an honest review.

Anne Tyler masterly weaves together the past with the present. While faded, the framework was once a loving marriage until loose threads frayed the stiches. Will their daughter's wedding 'address' a new beginning?

Such a beautiful story. I love how Tyler’s writing feels simple but she just says so much and can really tell a story. I felt very clear about the person that Gail was when I started the novel and then as it went on, finding more and more about her complexities just made me love her.

Gail’s inner (and not so inner) turmoil about Debbie’s decision to marry her husband after finding out he was (most likely) unfaithful was so relatable and a lovely demonstration of how hard it is for any parent to see a child make a decision they wouldn’t or not listening to their advice. It was great conflict.

I will always reading anything Anne Tyler writes. I feel at peace whenever I’m holding one of her books.