Just so Ann Tyler!

A beautifully crafted novel centered around a divorced woman, her ex, and their daughter who’s to be married.
Gail is an assistant principal. Prior to this she’d been a math teacher. She’s just been told the new principal won’t need her. (Gail is not a people person!) This is all very unexpected to Gail because last time she’d heard, she was supposed to be the next incumbent.
Her daughter’s marriage is happening and there’s no time to do anything.
Her ex husband Max was originally staying with their daughter. Unfortunately Max had had to bring an unnamed cat he’s minding for an animal shelter. Apparently the Groom is super allergic to cat dander so that’s how Max and the cat are suddenly shifted to be at Gail’s. There’s some hilarity over the naming of the cat. Pearl, umm…Ruby…Carol?
We are then treated to a look back at Gail’s life, her mistakes, her fears, her hopes, all done in a slightly manic, quirky, self deprecating manner with a strong sense of how did I get ‘here’, wherever ‘here’ might be.
Delightfully rendered with a burst of sunshine heralding a new day!

A Knopf ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

Anne Tyler's latest, THREE DAYS IN JUNE, is richly textured, full of raw emotions, humor, and complex family dynamics. The story unfolds over three days, each day playing a significant role in the narrative, particularly around a wedding.

About...

Gail Baines is in a bit of a pickle. She's lost her job, her daughter, Debbie, is getting married, and she's not invited to the spa day arranged by the groom's mothers. And when she thought things couldn't get any worse, her ex-husband Max shows up unannounced with a cat. With nowhere else to stay since Max is allergic and has no suit.

Then, when Gail thinks she has a handle on things, her daughter drops a bombshell about the groom. Is the wedding still on, or is it off?

My thoughts...

THREE DAYS IN JUNE is charming, funny, and full of hope. It beautifully captures the complexities of family, the challenges of marriage, the joys and struggles of parenthood, and the messy, unpredictable nature of life.

Anne is a pro at delving into the lives of her characters, making them authentic and alive. Readers will resonate with Gail, a funny heroine who speaks her mind and gets lots of laughs from an ex-husband and her daughter's struggles. With lots of wisdom and insights from a natural-born storyteller.

Told from a socially awkward mother of the bride navigating the days before and after her daughter's wedding.

Recs...

THREE DAYS IN JUNE is for fans of the author and those who enjoy stories by Liane Moriarty, Elizabeth Strout, Fredrik Backman, and Elizabeth Berg.

Thanks to Knopf and NetGalley for a digital advanced review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: Feb 11, 2025
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Gail Baines quit her job today. She didn't clear her desk or collect her personal belongings. She simply said goodbye to her boss after a brief discussion, walked out the front door, and drove straight home.

It wasn't the ideal way to begin the weekend of her daughter Debbie's wedding. The big day is tomorrow, and the mother of the bride is already foggy about the details.

Gail is surprised when she sees her ex-husband, Max, approaching her front door unannounced. He has no accommodations or proper attire as the father of the bride, but he does have a cat.

When the bride tearfully shares a secret with her parents concerning the groom, it could impact the impending nuptials and begins to put Gail into a bit of a spin...

"Three Days in June" is divided into three 'longish' chapters: Part One: Day of Beauty, Part Two: D-day, Part Three: The Day After. It is narrated in the first-person voice of Gail, allowing readers to learn what makes this main character tick. I found her honesty and frankness refreshing, albeit not for everyone. With Gail, what you see is what you get, and I like that. Not so true with most of the other characters, I'm afraid, but isn't that what makes Family Fiction so gosh darn interesting?

Anne Tyler's first novel "If Morning Ever Comes" wasn't a book for me. I am glad I took a second look at her work with her new novella "Three Days in June". I found the characters to be realistic, diverse, and interesting. Topics that center around family, love, and marriage, with the addition of subtle humor, show a true understanding of family life through the author's writing. What I like most about this story is that it feels like real life.

4.25⭐

Thank you to Knopf and Anne Tyler for the DRC through NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Short novel set over three days about family, motherhood, and love. Gail is socially awkward and unprepared when her ex-husband arrives to stay with her for their daughter's wedding. It's a delightful read, fraught with misunderstandings but funny and touching at the same time.

"Gail Baines is having a bad day. To start, she loses her job—or quits, depending on whom you ask. Tomorrow her daughter, Debbie, is getting married, and she hasn’t even been invited to the spa day organized by the mother of the groom. Then, Gail’s ex-husband, Max, arrives unannounced on her doorstep, carrying a cat, without a place to stay, and without even a suit.

But the true crisis lands when Debbie shares with her parents a secret she has just learned about her husband to be. It will not only throw the wedding into question but also stir up Gail and Max’s past."

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Pantheon Vintage and Anchor for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

This novel is a quiet reflection of a woman during the three days surrounding her daughter's wedding. Tyler cleverly uses the wedding as a backdrop/framing device for Gail as she navigates her ex husband, Max, staying with her and potentially alarming news that Debbie shares about her husband to be. Gail is very human, being a stubborn, funny, concerned, and thoughtful narrator. Her relationship with Max is refreshing in that the two don't have the typical vitriolic ex spouses with lingering sexual tension that appears in most stories. My only complaint is that the book was over too quickly.
Thank-you to Netgalley and Alfred A. Knopf for an advanced reader copy of this book.

A story that takes place during a wedding weekend sure had a lot going on and it was all good. A quick read with great, quirky characters, and engaging dialogue. I enjoyed this very simple but wonderful story about ordinary and relatable people.

Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for the review copy.

Gail Barnes’ only child, Debbie, is getting married. The morning of the rehearsal dinner, Marilee, the headmistress at the private girl’s school where Gail has worked as Marilee’s assistant for eleven years, informs Gail that she has chosen someone else as her successor, explaining, “social interactions have never been your strong point.” Infuriated, Gail storms out and drives home to find her affable ex-husband, Max, waiting at her door along with a cat that he is fostering. Max had intended to stay with Debbie for the wedding festivities, but Debbie’s fiancé, Kenneth, is allergic to cats and Max thinks that Gail should adopt this one: “But you love cats!” Max says. “And this one’s accustomed to older women.”

The novel traces the three days surrounding Debbie’s wedding: the day prior to the event when Gail, bruised from being sacked, is also hurt that she had not been consulted about the bride’s Day of Beauty (although Gail concedes that she hadn’t known such thing existed); the wedding where Gail questions whether Debbie should proceed with the nuptials after an indiscretion is disclosed; and the day after the wedding when secrets are revealed that help to explain why Gail is so prickly and, as her mother remarked, lacks “a romantic bone in her body.”

Tyler is a master at depicting ordinary people. The reader immediately understands who Gail is when Tyler describes her home outfitted with TV set so old that it stuck out a good foot and a half in the back and a crocheted afghan to hid the spot on the couch where the upholstery had been worn bare or her refusal to buy a new dress for Debbie’s wedding, because she “didn’t see the point in paying a lot of money for something I’d wear only once.” The novel really shines when it focuses on Gail and Max’s conversations who, long divorced, have an amiable repartee punctuated by the exasperation that befuddles long relationships.

This may not be the best Tyler novel — it is her 25th and several are considered classics — but it is a joy to read about her ordinary people and marriage, divorce, and family in all its modern complexity. Thank you Knopf and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this deeply entertaining depiction and sensitive of family.

Thank you Netgalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a very short read (only about 150 pages), so I was able to finish very quickly. It is told in three parts (Day Before Daughter's Wedding, Day of Wedding, Day After Wedding) and it flows well. If it wasn't so short, I probably would've set it down and not come back for it. It wasn't really boring but I didn't feel anything really while reading. The person telling the story had a very monotone thought process that didn't make me fall in love with her or any character for that matter. I have never read a book by Anne Tyler so I didn't know what to expect. This was not bad but it wasn't amazing either. Just ok....

One thing is constant, Anne Tyler has mastered the craft of character building. As long as she writes, I will read.

Now in her 60s, Gail spends the days leading up to and after the wedding of her daughter in deep reflection. She explores past relationships as well as what her future will hold.

Sometimes I need quick, and simple reads with a dash of comfort. Three Days In June was exactly what I was looking for.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for allowing me to read Three Days In June by Anne Tyler.
Publishing: February 11, 2025.

This is a lovely read. It's short, takes place in three days and man does a lot happen! Loss of a job, daughter's wedding and ex-husband suddenly staying over. Not to mention a foster cat who plays quite a role. A fun read with a lot of heart.

Anne Tyler has a way with relatable characters and situations that only a storyteller like Tyler can make you genuinely feel for the plight of those characters.

I recommend picking this condensed Anne Tyler read up. Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for an early copy.

Three Days in June is a very vanilla story that will give you plenty of irrelevant details but no real meat. This book would be a good pallet-cleanser after a very intense read.
Gail and Max (divorced) are celebrating their daughter Deb's wedding. Neither have a particularly close relationship with her or each other. Gail has also just found out that she may be fired and Deb suspects her fiancé of being unfaithful. Sounds like quite a story right? What will happen? Will there be drama? Nope, all is fine. From start to finish all is perfectly ok. Short and sweet. Maybe this is the type of book you were looking for?

4.25* This book is such a quick read that I could have tried to read it all in one sitting. It so reminded me of Elizabeth Strout's novels about the thoughts of an older female protagonist. It follows Gail for three days: the day before her daughter's wedding, the day of the wedding, and the following day. This happy event makes Gail extremely introspective. She starts analyzing everything she says to her daughter, the advice that she gives her, and the confessions she makes.
I really enjoyed this story, even more than past Anne Tyler novels, perhaps because I am old enough to relate with her character. I will be highly recommending this to my friends and followers.
Many thanks to #Knopf for providing me with an early digital copy of #ThreeDaysInJune in exchange for my honest review.

This was a very quick read. I don't know if I would call it a novel, more of a novella?
Gail, the main character is the mother of the bride, and this book is basically her everyday life, for three days. The day before, the day of and the day after her daughter's wedding. The characters were interesting and quirky. The book was full of humanness and authenticity, however a bit slow at times. There was a lot of story written into this short little novel. I did enjoy it, and I thought the ending was cute. The cat was my favorite character.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy, as I said, it was an enjoyable read. :)

This story packs a punch as a lot happens to socially awkward Gail in three days. Her daughter Debbie is getting married after divulging a secret to her parents, Gail loses the job that she thought that she had and her ex husband shows up unexpectedly to stay with her and brings a foster cat. I really enjoyed how Tyler weaves ordinary tales of a life into a complicated narrative without making it feel overwrought. It was kind of a cozy story, all things considered.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Told over the span of 3 days, Gail has multiple life events happen in a short period of time; she’s on the outs at her job, her daughter is getting married, and her ex husband shows up on her door step with a random cat to stay the weekend. With twist and turns abound, Gail has to navigate old feelings, new feelings, and the ever changing landscape of that is her life.

This was an enjoyable novel! I didn’t find myself falling in love with the characters right away, but they grew on me. I’ve never read this author’s books before, but I am a fan now. If you are looking for a low key, reflective literary fiction book, I vote to pick this one up! The character study parts of the book is incredibly interesting, and I find now, even 24 hours later, I’m still thinking about the characters. A lot happens in this short book, so pick it up if you want to see how Gail navigates the craziness of 72 hours of her life.

Thank you to the publisher for a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

I read the book (novella) but really didn’t find it interesting. I won’t be reviewing this on my public instagram book account because I realize my not liking the book doesn’t at all mean others won’t.

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler is a lovely gem of a book. A very easy read, it covers the day before the wedding of Debbie Baines and her fiance Kenneth Bailey, the wedding day and the day after. Gail and Max, Debbie's parents are amicably divorced, yet Gail is taken back when Max arrives at her home the day of the Rehearsal Dinner, and has a cat he is fostering with him. Apparently Kenneth is allergic to cats so Max is unable to stay at Debbie's as planned. In addition to Max's surprise arrival, Gail had a difficult morning at work where she is the Assistant Headmistress at a private girls school. She is confused and unsure about the future direction of her career. Three Days in June is about family, secrets, regrets, reconciliation, forgiveness, yet most of all a story about the grace and wonder of love. I read the book in one sitting; it isn't long, yet it is a very entertaining. and heartwarming. Thanks to NetGalley, Knopf Publishing and the author for the opportunity to read an ARC of Three Days in June;my review reflects my honest opinion. 4 stars.

Although I have lived all her books, I found this to be insipid and boring. The characters were really not interesting nor was the storyline. No one was well developed. I’m glad it was a short book as I was able to finish it quickly.

Even a short novella by Anne Tyler is worth putting everything on hold in order to read it. Three Days in June is no exception. In her inimitable style, Tyler pulls you right into her characters' minds. Gail's day begins with a meeting. Her Head of School tells her about a procedure she will soon be absent for, and then goes on to tell Gail that her job as Assistant Headmistress will no longer be hers the following year because she lacks conversational skills.

Gail leaves the school upset, to prepare for her daughter's wedding that weekend. Enter Max, Gail's ex-husband with rescue cat in tow who needs to spend the weekend with Gail since Kenneth, daughter Debbie's fiancé, is allergic to cats. In those three short but full days, we learn everyone's backstories. Why did Max and Gail divorce? Did Kenneth betray Debbie? Why does Max want Gail to adopt the cat? And how cute is that cat?

I finished this novella in one day, holding it in my hand as I went about my business, totally unable to stop reading until I came to the perfect ending. The book itself is just about perfect, wry, funny, touching, introspective, warm. In other words, a typical award-winning Anne Tyler book. Thanks so much to Net Galley and Random House/Knopf for an early copy to read and review.

Back in Baltimore with Ann Tyler! I never get tired of Tyler's close examination of the everyday lives of her characters. Gail Baines is a socially awkward mother of the bride. Always on the edge of the action, Gail is faced with losing her job, having to get through a wedding weekend, and then her ex-husband, Max, and his cat show up on her doorstep for the weekend.

Gail and Max are lovely characters, and their weekend together is an opportunity for them to reacquaint themselves, and re-examine their relationship in the light of their new lives.

Tyler is all about the characters, and this novel was full of great ones.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.