Three Days in June follows 61 year old socially inept Gail Baines for three days: the day before her daughter’s wedding, the day of and the day after. She is passed up for a promotion at work, her ex husband shows up with a cat to stay the weekend and her daughter faces a challenge with her upcoming nuptials. Gail is very aware of her lack of social skills and how it affects her work and personal life. The weekend forces her to re-evaluate her life, the changes and her vulnerabilities.

In under 200 pages Anne Tyler was able to explore well developed thoughtful characters balancing humor and emotional depth with a bittersweet ending.

4 stars!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you @netgalley and @aaknopf for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Three Days in June was a corny, quirky and witty read….
So much family drama!
The story has humor, empathy and realistic situations happening that you can relate too.
A memorial novella from a favorite author Anne Tyler……
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was cute! A novella about a woman whose daughter is about to get married. I liked the storyline and the characters were all very different and enjoyable. I am Not yet at the age where my child is old enough to marry so I do think someone like my own mother would relate to this story more. Overall I liked It a lot. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy.

I do think that Anne Tyler is a beautiful writer, but this book did not work for me. It's extremely slow and there is very little plot. The plot that does happen, which centers around the main character, Gail's, daughter's wedding, fell very flat for me. There is a moment where the reader is led to believe that there will be a climax of sorts, some action that shakes things up in this family, but the moment passes and nothing happens. Gail is not introspective at all, so there is not much character growth from her throughout the short novel, either. There just wasn't much here that I enjoyed besides the writing, which is admittedly excellent.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ (4/5)

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler is a delightful exploration of family dynamics set against the backdrop of a daughter's wedding. Gail Baines, the mother of the bride, is a wonderfully complex character—her social awkwardness and introspective nature make her both relatable and endearing. The interactions between Gail and her ex-husband, Max, are both humorous and poignant, highlighting the intricacies of their past and present relationship. Tyler's writing is sharp and insightful, capturing the essence of human connection with her signature warmth and wit. While the novel is brief, it leaves a lasting impression, offering a heartfelt look at love, forgiveness, and the ties that bind us.

I loved this book SO much. Probably my favorite of the year so far and my favorite Anne Tyler yet. Anne Tyler writes everyday family stories so well. She brings magic to mundane everyday moments.

QUICK GLANCE-
My format- ARC Ebook
Other formats- 📖Physical (176 pages) and Audio🎧 (4 hours and 23 minutes)
Spice: 🚫
Language: 🚫
Publication Date: February 11, 2025

MY THOUGHTS-
Charming, witty, and quirky, Three Days in June is a delightful blend of humor and heart. There wasn’t a lot that happened with the plot, and I don’t often give character-driven novels five stars. But this was absolutely worth the read!

Mother of the Bride
Novella
Three Day Setting
Complicated Family Dynamics
Reflective

Thank you to @netgalley for my advanced copy of this book!

This is a heartwarming story with a bit of humor. It’s a short, “feel good” story. The characters are well developed and relatable. I enjoyed it.

I appreciate her writing, but I realized this author is not for me. I need a little more plot, and I am not a fan of curmudgeons, which the main character is. So while this was not a book for me, I think this quick read will work for many readers!

What is supposed to be a joyous weekend is not going as planned. Gail Baines is not having a good day. She’s feeling a little left out. Her daughter Debbie is getting married tomorrow and is enjoying a spa day. But Gail wasn’t even invited. Is this how it’s going to be from now on. Debbie wanting to do things with her mother-in-law and not Gail?
Plus, Debbie’s father, Max just showed up at the door wanting to stay with Gail for the weekend. One look at Max and Gail remembers why he is her ex. It’s just another day in the life of Gail. Always second guessing herself and always worrying about the next thing to happen, that usually doesn’t. Author Anne Tyler has written a thoughtful book about expectations and sometimes more than not, reality. A book with no killings, finding of dead bodies or shape shifters. Just a nice, enjoyable book. Thank you Netgalley and
Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for an early copy. This review is my honest opinion.

I have not read Ann Tyler before and I just loved this. The story is told over the three days surrounding Gail’s daughter’s wedding. Gail’s ex husband shows up the day before the wedding and has to stay at her small home because of a foster cat. The writing in this book is beautiful. I could identify with Gail on several levels. Her relationships with her mom, daughter and ex were thoughtfully developed. Though it’s a short book, Tyler does a great job of resolving the conflicts put forth in the story. I look forward to reading more from Ann Tyler’s backlist. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Such a wonderful read that gives us a story on life. A simple life, no crazy story, no crazy plot. A story on life. Lesson learned, just be you.
A beautiful example of what words can mean. Anne Tyler is a genius.
Thank you NetGalley!

This is a short and sweet one. It was well written, characters were well developed, kept me reading. I just felt like I wanted a little more from it somehow? I did like the flashbacks to Gail and Max’s past, which helped us to understand how they were dealing with what was happening in the present. There was wedding drama that I don’t think was fully addressed. Maybe it just needed to be a little longer in general - four days? Five?

Anne Tyler is one of those authors who are able to reveal, through their exquisite story and character development, the complexity juxtapositioned with the simplicity, the wonder countered by the ordinary, the exalted joys and the deep, deep sorrows that form the foundation of this thing we call life.

In her newest novel entitled "Three Days in June," we meet a fractured family meeting after much emotional estrangement and some geographical distance, for the three days (before, of, and after) the wedding of their thirty-something daughter. What a treat it is to be the proverbial "fly on the wall," so to speak, as mother and father (long divorced) and adult daughter (long cast in the role of "go-between" for her parents) as they all attempt to navigate (and survive!) this very long wedding weekend.❤️

This is a charming, funny, sad, and serious little gem of a novel. I guarantee that you are in excellent hands with my beloved Anne Tyler, and I highly recommend this lovely book.

The "Three Days in June" was published on February 11, 2025. I am very grateful that NetGalley allowed me an advanced galley proof, and the review provided reflects my heartfelt opinion of this and all works by Anne Tyler.

#annetyler
#threedaysinjune
#netgalley
#quietlyextraordinary

Three Days in June is the just released novel by celebrated and beloved author Anne Tyler. This beautifully crafted story peers into the life of 61 yr-old Gail Baines—educator, mother, divorcee—as she loses her job, deals with her daughter Debbie’s wedding, and wrestles with people, memories and regrets from her past.
This novel is masterfully written in Tyler’s beautiful, simple prose, each word carefully chosen for its meaning and impact. The limited cast of characters is fully realized and sympathetic, imbued with great humanity and compassion.
Tyler’s laser focused observations of the human condition and relationships elevate this touching tale. There is much gentle wisdom conveyed in each “snapshot” in time during these three days, which really represent many years of the character’s lives.
This lovely, bittersweet story is to be savored, and reread. Admirers of thoughtful literary fiction and Tyler’s fine prose will be pleased with this new novel.

Thank you to Knopf Publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

This was a good quick read. A weekend wedding is the backdrop for this heartwarming story of a mom who comes to grips with with how she handled her own marriage. The Mom is a quirky character who reminded me of Frederick Backman’s Ove. Very enjoyable! I received this arc from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Three Days in June
Anne Tyler
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘Three Days in June’ follows Gail Baines’s life for three days: the day before her daughter’s wedding, the day of, & the day after.

The novella begins with Gail’s resignation from her job after being passed over for a promotion. She's also feeling like an outsider during the wedding planning. Then her ex-husband, Max, shows up at her house as an uninvited houseguest, bringing a foster cat with him. Then Debbie, the daughter, reveals a secret about her fiancé before the rehearsal dinner, casting a doubt whether the wedding would go forward as planned. As the three days unfold, Gail is forced to face a past incident that impacts her deeply, leading her to re-evaluate her life and make crucial decisions for the future.

Author’s portrayal of everyday life is remarkably understated, exploring the ordinary with a rare depth and sincerity. Despite being a novella, this book has multi-faceted & well-developed characters, making the story feel more expansive than its page count suggests. While reading, one doesn’t feel that she’s reading a literary work, and it’s amazing how the author manages such profound character exploration while writing an account of everyday life. This shows Anne Tyler’s exceptional talent as a writer. Though this was my first time reading her work, I’ll certainly be diving into her backlist.

Despite its short length, Three Days in June packs a powerful punch. This brilliant novella is a must-read.

Thank you Knopf & NetGalley, for my digital review copy. The opinions are my own.
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Well, fun fact about me, I read Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler in high school and loved it so much that I did my junior year AP lit project on her. And she is still one of my favorite authors. And I love that she is still cranking the books out. Three Days In June is the story of a woman at her daughter’s wedding weekend - with her ex-husband as a surprise house guest. It has all the mundane feel of Tyler’s books - she writes about every day people doing every day things but with such character depth and snarky dry one liners. I always find myself guffawing at how she delivers the one line punches. But also full of emotion as the layers of her characters are peeled away to expose flaws and vulnerabilities. The regrets of a middle-aged woman, the uneasiness with what lies ahead and the desire to change course and make up for past mistakes all felt so relatable and so real and raw. This was a short, quick read that stole my heart.

For a short book, I felt like it was incredibly long. The family lacked the ability to communicate well and seemed to just let things go, rather than resolve them as they happen. It seemed that the author was trying to get the reader to understand that there’s lessons learned with acceptance and forgiveness but I don’t really get it I guess. I was left feeling worried about her daughter and the family she was marrying into, and it seemed like her and Max never really spoke “deep” for a couple about to have their daughter be married.

I appreciate the DRC from NetGalley, the author and Knopf.

This is a perfect length of book to read in a day or a weekend. Three Days in June was my first book by Anne Tyler and I loved her writing style! The book was an engaging slice of life of the day before, day of, and day after main character Gail's daughter's wedding--and all the family drama that it entails. Character driven novels can be hit or miss for me, and I'm happy to say that I enjoyed this one.