Three Days in June by Anne Tyler. Thanks to @knopfbooks for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Gail has had a bad day. She’s lost her job and her ex-husband shows up unexpectedly with a cat and no place to stay. Her daughter tells them a secret that throws a wrench in her plans of marriage; the wedding is the next day.

This is a novella that certainly has the depth of a novel. I liked stories about older divorced women especially going through a transitional time, such as the daughter getting married. The heart of this one lay within the characters and Anne Tyler is great at writing genuine characters.

Three Days in June comes out 2/11.

I don’t think this book was for me, I loved the synopsis and I was excited to read this one but it was so hard to like the characters and really understand what’s going on. It was really good in the beginning when their daughter came to them with her marital issues and even before that when Gail was having issues at work and was not being considered for a bigger promotion, then after all that I went downhill for me.

This book was amazing.

Anne Tyler's characters are very descriptive, and she always makes them vulnerable as well as very relatable. I always find some similarities to them. For example, the main character is about my age and does not have a lot of social skills or lots of friends, and she’s okay with that. Her daughter is getting married, and his family is uber-rich rich and she just goes with the the flow.

I loved the ending. It alludes to her getting back together with her ex-husband after years of divorce after she cheated on him. The interpersonal relationships are interesting and have similarities to my own life. The only thing I didn’t like was that the book was too short. I wanted more.

For me, the greatest joy of Gail's story in Three Days in June was discovering the heart warming, engaging, important writing of Anne Tyler. I was intrigued by the blurb of this story even though I've not ever read an Anne Tyler work before and it delivered. I cannot wait to read more of her titles in the future. This story though provided a beautiful depiction of the complicated webs families weave no matter how they look. I really enjoyed learning through Gail's perspective and thought it was unique and clever how the author laid this story out over the course of three days with eccentric and interesting characters. I don't read many books told from an older woman's perspective and I found that highly enjoyable as well. Great story for my first by this author!

4.5 stars

Three Days in June is a delightful little story told with wry humor and featuring a tight circle of a family that’s just about to expand. On the eve of her daughter’s wedding, Gail Baines has just been all but nudged out of a job, sort of. Almost. Then, her ex-husband, Max, arrives in town, fairly unprepared for Debbie’s wedding. Having planned to stay with Debbie, he’s defaulting to staying at Gail’s house when, having inexplicably brought his foster cat along, he learns that the soon-to-be son-in-law is allergic to cats.

The rest of this wee novel follows the same kind of rhythms — that bumbling nature that is the hallmark of a family unit…pushing through the couple of days with love and exasperation.

I adored Tyler’s Gail. She struggles with self-awareness, communication, and remaining grounded…and yet her humor aids her with all of these aspects; she just fails to realize it. Max is a delightful bag of side-eye level frustrating and lovable oaf. They are so endearingly human, I think they could’ve walked out of this book to asked if I’d mind if they left through my front door.

When more than cold feet briefly threatens to disrupt Debbie’s wedding, all the effort Gail and Max have put into not talking about their own relationship bubbles up to the surface to simmer on the back burner until after the big day. This was a short but sweet novel that held depth and humor within the frames of these relatable and real characters. Not only can you read this in one sitting, but you’ll want to.

Quirky characters who are divorced come together over the weekend of their daughter's wedding. If you like really quirky older female characters, you will love it!

What a delightful little read! My first Anne Tyler book but definitely not my last. This was so easy to sink into and read for the afternoon. Great characters that were so easy to relate to. Fun and quirky, really enjoyed it.
Thank you NetGalley, Anne Tyler and Knopf for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I was initially excited to read Three Days in June by Anne Tyler, hoping for a compelling narrative. However, the book left me with mixed feelings. While the story attempts to blend humor and emotional depth, it ultimately falls short of truly engaging me.

The novel’s predictability was its most significant drawback. Despite Tyler’s reputation for nuanced storytelling, the plot felt formulaic and lacking in genuine surprise. The characters, while somewhat endearing, seemed to follow a predetermined path that didn’t challenge my expectations.

There were moments of genuine warmth and wit that made me chuckle, and certain emotional scenes touched me. Yet, these bright spots were overshadowed by a narrative that felt superficial and incomplete. The book seemed to skim the surface of potentially profound themes without truly diving deep.

The humor was gentle and occasionally charming, but it couldn’t compensate for the overall sense that something was missing. I found myself wanting more complexity, more depth, more… substance.
Would I recommend it? Perhaps to die-hard Anne Tyler fans, but for readers seeking a truly transformative reading experience, I’d suggest looking elsewhere.

Sometimes you just need a 'hug of a book' and Anne Tyler's newest 'Three Days in June' just might be it. This was a four star for me, and comes out on February 11th.
The story of 61-year-old Gail, her ex-husband Max, their daughter Debbie who is just about to be married, and all the characters who come in and out of their lives.
But Debbie may have a secret, and this throws Gail for a loop. It brings up much of her past with Max, and a secret of her own.
This is a quick, slice-of-life read that has some deeper lessons for just about anyone who has been in love, and who has loved deeply.
I was able to read this early thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for an Advance Reader Copy. This review is my own opinion!

Anne Tyler’s newest release follows the life of Gail, the mother of the bride, over a three day weekend. For Gail, the marriage comes at pivotal point in Gail’s life. Facing the possibility of a new job, Gail puts that topic on the back burner in order to get through the weekend.

Gail’s ex-husband shows up for the wedding and ends up having to stay at her home, forcing them into close proximity for three days. This may of may not be a good thing, Gail is not quite sure.

This is a character driven story and one that grew on me as I read. Over the weekend many feelings are examined and considered and by the end of the story, I was completely satisfied.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor/Knopf for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to recommend this to readers and give my honest review.

One of the things I thought was pretty cool is it takes place in Baltimore County (and Delaware), which is where I live. I loved hearing about different places I’ve been and frequently visit. I of course loved the Orioles reference (because YES we will be on top again on day!).

The breakup between Gail and Max made my heart sad. Their characters slowly grew on me as the story progressed. I was so rooting for them to find their way back to each other. I was very invested in their relationship as it became the focal point of the book.

This story explores the complexities of relationships and the comfort you find in that one special person…the one that feels like home.

I was not impressed by this story. I was slightly confused the whole time behind the purpose of the story.

Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, Anchor, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I adored this story and couldn't believe it was my first time reading something from Anne Tyler! The slice of life that we are dropped into is endearing, a little bit heart-wrenching and so true to life. This book made me laugh out loud with her characterizations of aging parents and the growing pains of their adult only child. I recognized so much of what I feel with my parents along with recognizing how they're feeling. I was sad to leave Gail, Max and Debbie behind. I will most definitely pick more of Anne Tyler's work up.

Following Gail on the days before, during, and after her daughter's wedding, her life has been upended when she loses her job and her ex-husband has to stay at her house out of necessity. This character-driven novel forces the reader to look deep into what it means to be at the mature stage of life when your children no longer need you and you're not sure what the path forward looks like.

This story follows Gail on the weekend that her daughter is getting married. Gail is a bit of a mess, her ex-husband shows up on her doorstep, and her daughter is questioning if she should get married. This short book is happy yet sad; hopeful yet somewhat depressing. A quick choice for a book club.

Anne Tyler writes about families of all types and does so intelligently and with apparent care for her creations. In Three Days in June, Gail Baines, a 61 year old woman awaiting an expected promotion in the administration of the school where she works, finds her expectations dashed at the beginning of her daughter’s marriage weekend. She has largely been left out of the preparation and planning for this event and then her ex husband Max unexpectedly shows up to stay at her house for the weekend!

Gail is a prickly person, one I found interesting and endearing though I might have wanted to shake her at times. This is a story of family in its various forms and frailties and what better time to show them than at a wedding! This is a compact novel; it fits a lot into these three days. I recommend it to all who enjoy Anne Tyler and those who enjoy good writing featuring “real” people.

Thanks to Knopf and NetGalley for an eARC of this book.

I thought this book was an interesting look at a relationship over time. While the story itself took place over three days, the flashback storytelling filled in needed detail from the past and made the book feel much longer than it actually was. I liked this format. I also liked the indepth character study this seemed to be, and how it really did a good job of looking at the complexities of a relationship.

Three days with Max and Gail who have come together again for their daughter’s wedding. I loved the quirky, real way these characters are portrayed. The retrospective into their lives as they spend these days together tells how they got to where they now are. Great situations and emotions, that I could relate to. This was a wonderful read. Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC.

I’m new to Ann Tyler’s work, previously only reading French Braid. I really enjoy her character dives and family dynamics, and readers should know that is what you will get with her stories.

Gail is the mother-of-the bride, divorced for 20+ years and the book starts off with a threat to her career. She is not terribly likeable, and socially awkward. That and her atypical behavior around her daughter’s wedding makes her fascinating to read about. We see her interact with her daughter and her ex husband and by the end of the three days we rejoice in her slight growth.

Perhaps weddings can bring out the best and worst of people. Anne Tyler does it again with rather quirky but sympathetic characters. A divorced couple comes together to celebrate their daughter’s wedding. Some things go badly, at work and at home. The parents aren’t completely involved in the wedding planning or even the actual wedding. They are perceived as the awkward relatives who are beloved but also kind of just tolerated. Their daughter shares a secret that stirs up the present and the past. Tyler writes with good humor and sensitivity, a balance between joy and sorrow and coming to terms with who we are and our expectations. Thanks to NetGalley and Alfred A. Knopf for an advanced readers copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.