Anne Tylor's Three Days in June is a novella, but even as brief story it is filled with moments that so many long-marrieds will recognize. The 3 days of the title are the 3 days when Gail and Max are reunited, years after their divorce, so that they can attend their daughter, Debbie's, wedding. Max shows up at Gail's home with an elderly shelter cat and no place to stay. He insists he will take the second bedroom in Gail's home. The day before her wedding, Debbie tells her parents about something she has learned about her almost-husband, Kenneth. Her parents respond in a manner true to their nature. Gail is horrified. Max is "so what" in his response. Debbie's information begins to take Gail down a road filled with memories, some of which are very painful for her to acknowledge, but some are beautiful.

Although only 156 pages, Three Days in June is filled with moments from the past, the present, and suggestions of future changes. Gail is rigid, without friends, in need of perfection, even though the world is not a perfect place. Max is exactly the opposite. He loves people and does not care about perfection. Gail has been told she will not receive the promotion she thought was hers. She is not a "people person." The first day is filled with emotion. The wedding happens on the second day, and is filled with memories that engage Gail's attention. Gail and Max have the third day to answer much needed questions. Meanwhile, there is the elderly cat, whose previous owner has died. Anyone who has had a cat, will understand that cats decide their future for themselves.

I loved Three Days in June and I do recommend it. Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC. Like so many Anne Tyler novels, Three Days in June is destined to be read over and over again.
5 stars

I love a slice of life book and I think Anne Tyler does it so well. This short book. that takes place over one weekend, skas a whole lot ofd nothing, but also has so much packed in to it. I very much enjoyed the relationship the parents of the bride have, even though they are no longer together. I very much enjoy a quiet novel about real people and real life situations. Not everything has to be action packed all the time.

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler is a look into one of Gail Baines’ weekends - which happens to be the weekend of her daughter’s wedding. A weekend where her ex shows up with a cat she didn’t particularly care for or want. A weekend where she’s excluded from wedding activities with the bridal party; a weekend of anxiety, insecurity and reflection. Gail isn’t an easy person to like but I found myself wanting /hoping for more for her.. Anne Tyler turned what could’ve been a ho-hum story into a captivating story about an ordinary woman living an ordinary life. Thank you Net Galley for the chance to read this little gem.

This was my first Anne Tyler book, and it won't be my last! I really enjoyed her writing and felt like it had some similarities to Elizabeth Strout, who is a favorite. My only complaint about this novel was that it was over so quickly! Three Days in June takes place over three days and follows the mother of the bride, Gail Baines, on the day before, day of, and day after her daughter's wedding. Gail is a bit socially awkward and I so enjoyed getting to experience her inner thoughts. I highly recommend this if you enjoy a more character driven novel or books about women in mid-life. Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.

Let me start by saying that I would likely read the phone book if this lady wrote it (and yes, I'm dating myself saying that, but I digress)! Tyler is a master at immersing you into her characters lives, even if only for a brief time. In the case of this book, we follow Gail the day before, the day of, and the day after her daughter's wedding. As is usually the case with a wedding, there is a lot of drama surrounding the event, but in this case it's compounded by several factors. Her ex shows up with a cat (and no suit or place to stay), she has been shunned for a job promotion because she lacks "people skills", and her daughter drops some concerning news regarding her future son-in-law. What's a Mom to do? I just loved this character driven study into Gail's thoughts and actions for this short slice of her life (with some musings on her past included). Her ex husband was also a great character and I loved the way they interacted (him being laid back, her being the consummate worrier). And let's not forget how things play out just as you suspected with the cat! I loved the emotions this brought up, it was funny at times, but then melancholy, it felt like you were having a friend relate to you what was going on in her life. The fact that the protagonist was a sixty year old woman was icing on the cake, I love reading stories with women of my age!

As is the case with most of this author's work, you're not going to get a whole lot of plot with this story, but what you will get is a satisfying look into the thoughts and feelings of a mother, soon to be a mother-in-law. I will pick up anything this author writes, and I eagerly wait for what's next!

I love Anne Tyler's prose, and this book continues on the trend. Her story about a socially awkward mother trying to navigate the complicated world of family offers insightful looks into what it means to deal with friends, strangers, and even the ones we know best. Tyler is a master of small moments and making her characters lovable in the hardest of times.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

Readers looking for a quick read will enjoy this second chance story. Gail is struggling with a disappointment at work and her daughter getting married when her ex-husband, Max shows up unannounced at her door. Reflecting on her life, Gail must decide her future path. Okay story with some family drama.

Anne Tyler has once again brought us a cast of characters that practically force the reader to finish this short novel in one sitting. The story brings us to contemporary Baltimore on the weekend of the wedding of the 33-year-old daughter of long-divorced parents. A rescue cat and a feline allergy unexpectedly results in the parents sharing accommodations for the weekend. We retrace their relationship as the wedding festivities occur.

Thanks to NetGalley, Knopf, and Anne Tyler for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Review includes spoilers.

This short book was my very first Anne Tyler.

Told in three parts, Three Days in June follows Gail Barnes, the mother of the bride the day before, of, and after her daughter, Debbie’s, wedding. When Debbie learns her fiance cheated on her, it prompts Gail to think about her relationship with Max (Debbie’s father and Gail’s ex-husband), her role in its failure, and their future as a family.

Three Days in June is a brief novel, around 175 pages, that reads very quickly. While there are scenes that are heartbreaking, Tyler’s novel is well-paced and evenly balanced. There isn’t a great deal of action and the climax of the story is learning what ended Debbie and Max’s marriage.

The three main characters of Three Days in June are lost, a little helpless, and somewhat difficult to empathize with and somewhat unlikeable. Gail is fired (rather than earning a leadership role), hosting her ex-husband and his cat, and excluded from wedding festivities. Max shows up for his daughter’s wedding with nowhere to stay, not properly attired, and lacking ambition. Debbie, seemingly ungrateful and embarrassed by her parents, forces her father to wear a new outfit to the wedding that she picks out for him, favors her new in-laws, and refuses advice from her parents.

Readers who enjoy quiet stories of family and portraits of fifty-something women will enjoy Three Days in June. Ultimately, Tyler’s latest is a story of forgiveness.

I read "Three Days in June" by Anne Tyler on NetGalley. I couldn't put this book down! I started it and finished it the next day. The main character, Gail, is having work trouble and the next day her daughter is getting married. And then her ex-husband shows up at her door. This story spans three days. The day before the wedding, the day of the wedding, and the day after the wedding. A short span of time that covers a lot of things.

The day before Gail’s daughter gets married, Gail’s boss tells her that her people skills are lacking and that her job is in jeopardy. After she gets home, her ex-husband and his new cat unexpectedly come to stay with her for the rest of the wedding weekend. While Gail is shown to be blunt and inflexible, her relationship with the easygoing Max also shows her to be vulnerable and possibly open to change. As the title suggests, the short book takes place over three days (before, during, and after the wedding) with flashbacks to the disintegration of Gail and Max’s marriage.

This quiet, character-driven novel somehow read as a page turner that I flew through in a matter of days. Tyler is a master at writing about cantankerous characters who, while they have their limitations, quickly make their way into the reader’s heart. Much like Ann Patchett, Tyler can write about small moments in a way that feels very big and true. I would strongly recommend this book.

This story was okay. At just 176 pages it was a quick read and entertaining enough. The story revolves around Gail, an aging school administrator who has just been forced out of her job in favor of a younger candidate. Her only daughter is getting married and her ex-husband shows up with a foster cat to stay for the festivities because their future son-in-law is allergic so he can't stay with them. Things get further complicated when their daughter shares a secret about her fiance that may ruin the whole wedding. Basically, it's three days of Gail not having the best time and struggling with conflicting feeling of getting older and being an empty nester.

While I'm not young, I'm also not quite Gail's age so I may not have been the right demographic for this one. My kids are both young so I couldn't quite feel connected to Gail and her feelings. This book may be better appreciated by parents who are, or preparing for an empty nest.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf for providing me a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Three Days in June was my first book by Anne Taylor. While it was an ok book I despised the characters. Think I would of thought differently if it was a bit longer and you had time to fall in love with the characters but it was just a short throw me into the middle of a book type of story.

Three Days in June was my first book by well respected author Anne Tyler. The premise sounded great, so I was eager to read. It was a quick and easy read, but I was disappointed. I kept thinking, "What am I missing?" I'm seeing so many great reviews.
The story revolves around the Mother of the Bride (along with her ex-husband) over the course of the Wedding Weekend. Mom is basically a dull and grumpy woman, completely disconnected from the wedding preparations and festivities, although she and her daughter appear to have a good relationship. The whole scope of the wedding event(s) were minimized and unrealistic.
A potential crisis arose between the bride and groom the day before the wedding, but it was just glossed over.
Perhaps the author could have taken time (and another 100 pages) to develop the storyline a bit more. The potential was there.
I felt the writing was good, but the storyline was not well developed.
I received an advance copy from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

4 stars

Gail Baines, 61, is having a stressful couple of days. She has just been informed she won’t be getting the promotion to headmistress she has always counted on (and, in fact, is losing her job as assistant headmistress), her daughter, Debbie is getting married this weekend and, naturally, bringing a son-in-law and his parents into her orbit and as if all that weren’t enough, her ex-husband, Max, shows up at her door, unannounced, expecting to be able to stay for the weekend, along with the cat he is fostering. It’s a lot.

The Debbie and Kenneth, the potential son-in-law are having issues and Gail wasn’t even invited to the pre-rehearsal dinner spa day. Yep. Not her weekend.

Tyler writes this as only she can. I didn’t relate to Gail in the same way I have to some of her other protagonists, but this is still an engaging, interesting look at life and love after midlife and I thoroughly enjoyed it….it’s quite short, too. Recommended.

This charming short novel/novella is told from the perspective of a slightly grumpy woman in her 60s named Gail as she navigates her daughter’s wedding weekend, including her ex-husband unexpectedly staying with her for the weekend and bringing his cat. It’s more of a character study, but Gail is really a great character.

My first read by Anne Tyler and I’m immediately eager to check out her backlog. A short and well written story of a socially awkward mother thinking about her past over three days as her daughter is getting married. This was a smooth and slow read and I really ended up liking it.

Anne Tyler is gifted at making ordinary and flawed individuals completely relatable and intriguing. In her latest offering, Gail Baines with her limited social skills, starts off the wedding weekend of her daughter Debbie by quitting her job and reluctantly hosting her ex-husband, Max (and a cat he is fostering). Debbie's impending nuptials bring past transgressions, current doubts, and Gail's uncertain future to the forefront. Told with wit and compassion, Gail's story is as compelling as it is honest. Anne Tyler is still a must-read author for me after over twenty novels.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review. I haven’t read much Anne Tyler over the years, but I enjoyed this compact novel. Any writer who can develop quirky characters and tell a full story in under 200 pages has my utmost respect. I am also grateful for stories that center older characters. More of all of this, please! I will definitely be checking out Tyler’s backlist this year.