I haven’t read an Anne Tyler book in a long time, but enjoyed the ones I read. When I saw her latest on Net Galley I requested it and was lucky enough to be approved. Three Days in June is typical Anne Tyler full of quirky characters and charm. Gail, who is the main character, is the quirkiest. The story takes place in the three days of Gail’s daughter’s wedding. The reader is taken back in time so you are left with a good picture of Gail and the life she has led. While this is a quiet read there is much to think about how people lead their lives. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This is a delightful story which is laugh out loud funny. It is quick and easy to read with interesting dialogue such as: “Someday I’d like to be given credit for all the times I have not said something that I could have said.” It is such witty dialogue between the characters that make the characters unforgettable. The plot is uncomplicated and easy to understand. This is a story that readers will want to revisit more than once.

I enjoyed Three Days in June. The story is told from the point of view of Gail, and is centered around the marriage of her only daughter. I enjoyed the inner monologues of Gail, and the complexities of her relationships with those around her.

Three Days in June is exactly that - a first person narration by Gail Baines, a 61 year old woman whose daughter is getting married. The book is separated in three parts, no chapters, with each part dedicated to one day. Gail is a divorced woman and the assistant head mistress at a private school, who essentially loses her job on day one. Her ex husband Max shows up with a cat and ends up staying at her house for the weekend.

While the events of the book take place over only three days, we learn the backstory of Gail’s marriage and eventual dissolution. Gail is such a regimented introvert with a good sense of humor and often pokes fun at herself. Max is her complete opposite although also with a good sense of humor. This slim novel is deep on character development and a quick read and not without some surprises. Fans of her previous work will surely enjoy her latest.

Thank you to NetGalley, Knopf and the author for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Anne Tyler is a beloved author, consistent in the quality and readability of her work. Somehow her characters always touch a spot in the reader that we can relate to, even if we are vastly different. I think of this as Tyler’s great talent at finding universal emotion.
The story isn’t complicated. Gail Baines’ daughter is getting married in three days. Gail struggles with her career, her relationship with her daughter and her ex-husband. While the relationships are amiable, but Gail’s feelings are on edge. Her boss finds Gail’s people skills lacking, despite having depended on her for many years. Her daughter, trying hard to impress her soon to be in-laws, fails to include Gail in her pre-wedding activities. And then her ex-husband, Max shows up to attend the wedding, needing a place to stay. Gail reluctantly agrees, and then Max produces a cat!
The book is simultaneously heartwarming and awkward, endearing and full of suspense. It is, delightfully, another Anne Tyler achievement of excellence.
Thanks to NetGalley and publisher Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, for the review copy. Three Days in June will be released February 11, 2025

Three Days in June is a simple, beautifully crafted, quiet story that captures the complexities of love, family, and human connection. From the moment we meet Gail Baines, a mother of the bride whose life is teetering on the edge of chaos, we’re pulled into a world that feels both intimate and universal. The author really makes what seems like a mundane story feel extraordinary as she portrays Gail’s awkward navigation through the emotional minefield of her daughter’s wedding, her ex-husband’s unexpected arrival, and some revelations that could upend everything.

What I loved most of all in this novel is how Gail is written - she has some awkward social missteps but there's such a good balance of humor and goodnaturedness, and Gail's observations had me laughing or relating to her so many times. The supporting characters are also so well done, and it's fun to see them from Gail's perspective and how she interacts with them but also thinks of them in internal observations.

This is a book to savor. It’s not about big, flashy plot twists but about the quiet, transformative moments that make up our lives, and I am so glad to start of my year with this book!

Classic Anne Tyler tells a heartwarming, human story of flawed people and love. Well drawn characters and sensitive story..
Very enjoyable read.

Hadn’t read a book by this author in eons. This has encouraged me to go back and read some of her other recent releases. I thoroughly enjoyed this relatable novel. The characters were well fleshed out and reminded me of people I really know. It is the story of a socially awkward woman who’s at a crossroads in her life. Gail Baines job is in question, for lack of “people skills.”Her only daughter is getting married, she lives alone and she has no one she is sharing her life with. Her elderly mother lives close by, there’s that, but they don’t always see eye to eye, especially about her ex-husband who has shown up on her doorstep for their daughter’s wedding with a cat.

Interspersed throughout the novel to a time when these parents of the bride were married. There were funny moments, serious moments, but not in depth detail. It gives us just enough to have us wondering about these two and what will happen after the wedding. I found the ex-hubs delightful and wise. I so enjoyed their banter, and Gail's reflection of her own actions bringing her to the realization of who she was as a wife, mother and friend.

Recommend this fast read to anyone who loves character driven novels, especially women’s fiction.
Get your copy at your favorite retailer on February 11, 2025.
My thanks for the e-arc to
#NetGalley
#authorannetyler
Publishers: Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor

I like to think of Anne Tyler books as the best friend of Elizabeth Strout books. Or the mother, perhaps? (I'm sure I'm the millionth person to make that comparison). If you're by any chance familiar with one author and not the other, consider this a recommendation for either!

This book centers on Gail, whose cynicism often leads to her picking at people and situations in unkind ways. Her daughter, who is getting married, and her ex-husband are well-practiced at dealing with it. I appreciate how the book shows her negativity as coming from her genuine perspective, though her justifications often made me roll my eyes!

As someone who is often saying books went on too long, I appreciate that this was only 176 pages, yet painted a full picture of Gail's life.

Three Days in June by Anne Taylor, follows Gail through the day before, the day of, and the day after her daughter’s wedding. The reader learns of Gail’s past and present life, dreams, and failures. Gail learns to forgive herself and look at the possibilities of the future.

This was so good! It's on the shorter side so I wasn't sure I'd have enough time to connect to the characters but it was the perfect length!
I loved getting to know Gail and her family. She's funny but hurting inside. I loved how this is laid out. It's told over 3 days with little past scenes thrown in to give the background story some substance. The character development and growth really drives this story. This will be a perfect summer read!

I don’t know how I feel about this one. Quick read. Very quirky and strange characters. It kept me reading which I guess is a good thing but I don’t know how I feel about the story as a whole. 3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Three Days in June by Anne Tyler. I enjoyed the fact that this was a quick and engaging book, broken down into three chapters, each representing a day. I also enjoyed the setting of my home state of Maryland.

However, I could not relate at all to the main character, Gail, whose daughter was getting married. She has virtually nothing to do with the wedding, which just seemed so odd to me. Even if she felt pushed aside by the groom's mother, it just felt so sad. I couldn't get a good read on her ex-husband either. They are both quirky characters, and as we get a look back into their earlier life, they seemed like a happy family at one point. That changed with the divorce, but I would have liked to have learned a little more about their lives from the point of the divorce to present day. I just couldn't reconcile where they were at this point in their lives with the life that was depicted earilier.

I understand that Tyler has a unique writing style, which I like. I enjoyed the snippets of humor, but overall this one felt depressing and flat to me.

Gail is having a really bad day. After getting fired Or did she quit her job? Either way, she is now jobless, and getting ready to celebrate her daughter’s wedding. When her ex shows up on her porch expecting to stay, WITH a cat as well, she is not pleased. When Debbie shares what she just found out about her husband to be, Gail is reading to grab her and run…

This book takes place over three days, hence the title. This was a short and sweet book, and there isn’t a TON happening, but I found it so enjoyable! I mean Debbie….why you believing Kenneth? I seriously was so mad at her. I’m a sister, and I can tell you I would never tell one of my brothers significant others something like that without it being 1000000% true! This book may be short, but it certainly packs a punch!

Thank you to @aaknopf for my gifted copy of this book!

I hadn’t read Anne Tyler in years so I thought it was time to revisit. Three Days In June is just that. Gail essentially quits her job (thus avoiding being forced out), frets about some disturbing circumstances that may affect her daughter Debbie’s wedding. Which is the next day. Oh, her ex-husband Max shows up for the wedding without any place to stay. Gail now has a houseguest. Gail isn’t morose. She is socially awkward. She is stuck. I’ll save day 3 for the reader. This is a quick read. It just really didn’t move me. No crying. No laughter. Insights into human emotion? Every character in this book smacks the reader in the face with their flaws, but because the book is so short, and with maybe the exception of Debbie, we don’t know anything about them. She has written far better.

While I enjoy Anne Tyler’s glorious writing skills, this book was not for me. I felt it slow and the characters were a bit boring. That being said, just not for me, but think fans will enjoy. Thank you for the ARC.

Loved the flow of the story! Knowing it was going to take place in three days was interesting. Family drama was in full force, it easily moved from current day to the past and I never felt left out. Read it in one day because I couldn't put the book down. Books like this don't come along too often. Recommend.

This character driven novel told with humor, joy, and heartbreak was such a delight! It’s short and quick-paced with interesting characters struggling with various situations of family life, crisis and emotions that all take place on a timeline of before, during, and one-day-after our main protagonist Gail Baines (loved her) daughter’s wedding. Not to be missed! ❥ 5 stars — Pub. 2/11/25

I received an arc copy from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Three Days in June is my first novel by Anne Tyler. The story takes over the course 3 days in June as the title tells you. Gail is in her 60's and her daughter is getting married. During this time, Gail starts to reflect a lot on her own life, past, current and future as she is worried about her daughter's future. The story flip flops in time and easy to follow. As a parent who's child recently married, I felt I could relate to Gail at parts. Thank you # NetGalley for a invitation to preview this story in an exchange for an honest review..

Short character-driven book. Not a huge amount happens but it explores Gail's past and current relationship/feelings with her ex-husband, Max. Gail is in her 50s, lacks people skills, and is being let go from her job when Max comes to town for their daughter's wedding. We learn about how they got together, why they divorced, and how she starts to explore her feelings for him again. Tyler did a good job making Gail's interactions and inner monologues awkward.