“Someday I’d like to be given credit for all the times I have not said something that I could have said.” ‼️‼️‼️

This book is teeny tiny at only 156 pages but boy does it pack a punch. These characters are so incredibly endearing. I am in awe of how invested I was in these characters and their family dynamic in so few words. What a testament to the talent of the author!

The audiobook is *chefs kiss*. This narrator IS the female main character. She just nails her quirkiness and social awkwardness. Love loved it!

Thanks for the free audiobook @PRHAudio and to @netgalley, @aaknopf, and the author for the complimentary ARC.

This book is very realistic. It might be fiction, but it is about true married life. It hit home with me, and I believe it will with other long time married people, especially women, since I do think we see things differently than men.

I was drawn into the plot immediately and loved my time in this world. Even through the difficult parts, I was enjoying the ride waiting to see what would happen.

The characters are exceptionally well developed, and I cared about them so much. Still now, a week after I completed reading the book I am thinking about them.

It is a great feature of reading fiction that you can see the thoughts of people while they live out their lives. I know I hoped for a certain ending and knowing the thoughts, instead of just actions, I was hanging on wishing the ending I wanted would materialize. It did! I ended the book, and I don’t think I did this before, but I just sat and said, SIGH, to myself - well, maybe out loud!

A sincere thank you Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and NetGalley for giving me the immense pleasure of reading the advance reader copy, with no obligation to write a review. My review is written freely as a hobby, and is totally my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC.

Three Days in June is a quiet, introspective novel that unfolds over the course of a long weekend. Told in the first person, we follow Gail Baines, a longtime school administrator who is unexpectedly passed over for a promotion to headmistress—deemed too lacking in people skills for the role. Without much thought, she walks out, leaving her things behind. Meanwhile, her daughter Debbie is preparing for her wedding, and Gail’s ex-husband, Max, arrives with a foster cat. The last-minute addition throws a wrench in plans since Debbie’s fiancé, Kenneth, is severely allergic. As the wedding approaches, a revelation from Debbie forces Gail to confront the past.. She reflects on her failed marriage, her role as a mother, and what this next stage of life means for her.

Tyler has a gift for crafting characters that feel lived-in and real, making even the smallest moments seem warmth and authentic. The dialogue between Max and Gail captured the kind of easy familiarity exes can have when they still have respect for each other, even when they disagree. There’s a mix of humor and heart, but despite its short length, the novel lost some momentum for me around the halfway point. I found my attention drifting, and it took effort to stay engaged. That said, the ending brought things together in a thoughtful and satisfying way, making it a worthwhile read.

A socially awkward mother of the bride contends with her feelings on the day before, the day of, and the day after her daughter’s wedding. Character-driven and reflective, Three Days in June follows Gail as she grapples with her feelings about the past, the present, and possibly, the future.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Anne Tyler is so great at writing authentic characters! I may not always agree with them, but I see them and want to root for them. Three Days in June is a short book with tight prose depicting a slice of life. I really enjoyed it.

I feel like I know these characters personally. Anne Tyler’s ability to zoom in on a snapshot of life and turn it into an incredibly engaging book is unmatched. This book is fairly short on pages, but certainly not on depth. She is able to express feelings and situations so acutely that it is impossible not to identify and emphasize with these characters. If I had a critique, it would be that I want I didn’t want this story to end.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

I loved this book. Gail and Max Baines have been divorced for 20 years. Debbie, their daughter, is marrying a former law school classmate tomorrow. A short story about an ordinary human life event is told with such insight and humor. It is absolutely fascinating and a joy to read. I loved it. Five stars.

Thank you to Knopf through NetGalley for the early read in exchange for a fair review. It was my honor.

Simple, classic, perfect.. I haven’t been so absorbed in the quotidian literary novel since Tom Lake. Gail, Max and Debbie are very much of their decade down to their hair and daily wear choices..without instagram burnishing. The challenges of being sixty something doesn’t get press so having a well articulated portrayal of Gail and her stream of thoughts and actions is illuminating. Celine the cat is memorable. While the three days is totally a standalone read it leaves me wanting more..that the point, I’d say.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is fast read but a charming book. It takes place over three days and features a divorced couple whose daughter is getting married. I also love that the story has an adopted cat.

Gail is socially awkward and not warm, even with her family. The story begins with an incident at the school at which Gail works, after which she quits or is fired—it doesn't seem to be clear which is the case, even for Gail herself. The entire story takes place in the days around/of her daughter's wedding, and is divided into three parts: Day of Beauty, D-day, and The Day After. I couldn't relate to Gail at all. I felt a little sad for her, but not particularly sympathetic. Her social skills are clearly responsible for her sorry life and relationships. Too, Gail sounds much older than 61. None of my friends (whether Gail's age-peers or considerably older) talk or act like she does.

This is only the fourth Anne Tyler book I've read since I've kept comprehensive records, spanning reading years 2012–2024 and publication years 2006–2025. Only the first (both read and published)—Digging to America—earned 4 stars from me; the rest earned 3 stars, which falls somewhere between I'm not mad and I'm glad I read it, but I wouldn't read it again. If you are an Anne Tyler fan, I would certainly encourage you try her latest work. If you've had no or mixed exposure to Tyler, give it a try or skip it. Either way, it's short and flows well, so one doesn't have anything to lose by trying.

“Three Days in June” by Ann Tyler
A Different Read
For me this was a difficult read. Initially caused by the format 3 Parts.. with no easy or convenient breaks in the story within each of the three parts. Thus, I discovered that I truly need chapters to give me convenient places of reference when I need to take a break in my reading. And when I need to swap between my reading media. |
Also, I found this story sad, confusing, and I had only begun to think I might be learning to appreciate the story when it ended. In retrospect it was a good story which I did not enjoy while I was reading it. It was only about 175 pages long but seemed closer to 375.
I suggest you ignore me and give it a try. You just may love it from beginning to end!
Happy Reading ! !

THREE DAYS IN JUNE by Anne Tyler is a LibraryReads Hall of Fame selection for February. Tyler recounts the story of Gail, aged 61 and her ex-husband, Max, on the weekend of the wedding of their daughter, Debbie, to Kenneth. It is a short period of time filled with a surge of emotions. Of course, there are in-law frictions and, potentially more disastrous, concerns about fidelity between the newlyweds. Gail, too, has disrupted her own life by impulsively walking out on her boss when she does not get an expected promotion. Reflecting on her situation, Gail later muses, "What was I supposed to do with the rest of my life? I'm too young for this, I thought. Not too old, as you might expect, but too young, too inept, too uninformed. How come there weren't any grown-ups around? Why did everyone just assume I knew what I was doing?" Her angry, anxious mood is not helped by Max's arrival – he is forced to stay with her because he is fostering a cat and didn't know that Kenneth is allergic. That leads to a rapprochement of sorts as Max and Gail support each other through the festivities. Tyler, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist (for Breathing Lessons), brings these characters to life – especially Gail who finds social situations difficult ("Sometimes when I find out what's on other people's minds I honestly wonder if we all live on totally separate planets") and is repeatedly described as lacking people skills. At 176 pages, the novel offers a relatively short introduction to readers unfamiliar with Tyler's character-focused writing (see also French Braid or Clock Dance or A Spool of Blue Thread which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize), while appealing to Tyler's many fans.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by a favorite, Anne Tyler. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

Gail Baines is having a bad day. She has problems at work, her only daughter, Debbie, is getting married and Gail is feeling left out, and her ex-husband, Max, shows up at her house unannounced with a cat.

As the title states, this story takes place over three days - the day before the wedding, the wedding day, and the day after. In between, we are privy to the backstory of Gail and Max's marriage and divorce. This was the perfect book for me right now - and I love when that happens! Because my son is getting married in a few days and our issues would rival these fictional ones. Anne Tyler is always marvelous at human feelings, with stories that highlight the good and bad parts of life and relationships, with relatability, sensitivity, and humor. I couldn't put this one down and loved every word. Very highly recommended!

Gail Baines, a 60 year old school mid-level administrator, has just been told by her boss that she lacks people skills and will not be considered for advancement when her boss retires, but instead they will bring in a new administrator with a new assistant so Gail will be jobless. Gail leaves the school angry and disheartened as she must prepare for her daughter’s wedding the following day. To make matters worse, her ex-husband Max shows up at her house with a foster cat and he expects Gail to take them in until after the wedding.
Anne Tyler can take the most ordinary, and sometime mundane, occurrences, and make them magical and evocative. Her character development is impeccable and the reader ends up smiling as the characters are so familiar and real. There is magic and sweetness in the ordinary if only one is open to it and even when a cat is involved. Cat lovers will love this book and the humorous and intimate way Tyler has of giving the cat its unmistakable personality.
This is a story of relationships, of forgiveness and love and letting go of self to pursue a better life.
Highly recommended for all readers.

I really wanted to love this book but I just couldn't get into it. The main characters were a bit strange and I found it to drag on a bit at times

1⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for an advanced copy of Three Days in June.

Gail is in her 60s and she is content with her life. Then one day her boss is trying to fire her so she quits. Then her ex husband shows up at her home with a cat to stay with her for their daughter’s upcoming wedding.

This was honestly one of the most boring books I have ever read. Thankfully it was a short book but it was still really difficult to get through. The main character was basically miserable and the book was kind of depressing and also really had no plot to it.

Anne Tyler is an absolute artist when it comes to capturing simple moments in life on page. Her characters are a perfect example of what normal people and families look like and how they react to the world around them.

Three Days in June follows Gail Baines, a divorced mother in her sixties who is about to attend her daughter's wedding. When the fiance's loyalty comes into question, Gail revisits her own failed marriage and what brought it to an end, while at the same time hosting her ex-husband during the length of the wedding festivities. I cannot say that Gail is a particularly likeable character. She reminded me greatly of Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout and if you like the blunt sort of personality Olive has, than you will enjoy reading Gail's story.

Even though I didn't particularly like the characters, the plot moved along at a decent enough pace and the mundanity of the wedding was a much needed distraction, I did have one glaring issue with the novella. The names. Now, I understand that Anne Tyler herself is 83 years old and most likely not up to date with modern naming conventions. However, that doesn't excuse any editor from pointing out the fact that no one born in the early-mid 1990s would be named Debra or Debbie. Her friends would certainly not be called Bitsy (I just can't), Cindy, Darleen, and...Spofford? Really, Spofford? The severely dated names kept making me go back and check that yes, this was in fact taking place post-Covid, and yes, her daughter is supposed to be 30 years old. So, in essence, it really distracted me from immersing myself in the story.

Regardless of a town that insisted on sticking to 1960s naming conventions, I did find myself invested in the story, however I thought the ending was a bit too neatly tied up with a bow and would have liked to have seen a different outcome (without giving away any spoilers) given some teaser material near the end.

Short, quick, clean and somewhat cozy read that any fan of Anne Tyler and Elizabeth Strout would devour in one sitting. Your grandmothers will love this one if you are looking for something for them to read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Knopf, and Anne Tyler for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! Gail has a lot going on in these 3 days in June! This is the first time I've read a book by this author, and I'm actually surprised by this, looking at her long history (20+? books)-- but also not surprised, as they seem to touch on women of a certain age or time in her life. My life just didn't match up with her works until now ;)

I was pleasantly surprised at the love, humor, loss and forgiveness (and that of herself) and chaos that has been her life. When her ex-husband shows up on her doorstep with a foster cat, after quitting her job, you know this is going to be a ride ;)

We weave back and forth a bit to catch readers up on how she got to where she is today, and it's just the right amount.

I really enjoyed this short, romantic book! (156 pages) Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy to review before pub day this coming week!

I went into this lovely book sight unseen. I didn’t read the blurb, I had never heard of the author, I barely looked at the cover— someone just said “hey, requested this and we will read it together!” And I did. And I’m so glad I did!

I was delighted by this story. An older heroine, a life change (her daughter’s marriage), processing the past, navigating an unexpected house guest… it made for such an interesting, introspective tale. I loved the main character because she isn’t perfect, she’s really the sort of person many people know, and seeing her navigate issues of change and forgiveness felt really familiar.

If you want something medium paced, cozy, and reflective, this is the book for you. It was a quick read, and I loved the ending.

Truly a delightful read! What a way to come out of the winter blues with Three Days in June! I can’t wait to recommend this to readers diehard fans, and Tyler rejoice!

What is it about weddings that brings out the best and worst in people? This is classic Anne Tyler-a story about a family moving into a new era on all fronts. Gail storms out of the private school where she works when she's told she won't be getting the head of school job to discover that her ex-husband Max (and the rescue cat he's brought) plans to stay with her for the weekend of their daughter Debbie's wedding. And Debbie arrives in distress having been told that her fiance cheated on her. A lot happens in the day before, the day of, and the day after the wedding. Gail, who narrates,, is an incisive observer of others, less so of herself. The characters could step off the page (especially Gail), their dialogue rings true, and there's enough tension that you're not sure what's going to happen. If I have a quibble it's that this has less Baltimore atmospherics than usual (although I suspect that doesn't much matter to most). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A slim volume that packs a punch.