Gail’s life is not what she thought it would be at this point in her life-she may or may not be out of a job, her daughter is getting married and her ex husband has turned up at her door with a cat and needs to stay with her until the wedding. The story takes place over the course of 72 hours and shows Gail going through the emotions as she deals with all of this amd looks back at her life and forward to what her life as the mother of the bride and someone’s mother in law.
This was a novella that had a lot going on but at the same time it didn’t feel cohesive. It kind of went all over the place and never really landed. I wanted to enjoy it but the main character was so negative it was hard to like her.
It wasn’t bad, but it had the potential to be more than it was.
Thanks to Knopf and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

Anne Tyler is one of my favorite authors because of the way she writes her characters. They truly come off the page and stay with you long after the story is done. The book spans the wedding of Gail's daughter and all of the chaos that surround her life during that short time. Gail is such a unique character and although she is meant to be awkward or even strange to those around her, I found myself really caring about her. This is an emotional story about relationships, family, and finding yourself. All of that is a very short book, under 300 pages! That is the power that Anne Tyler brings to the page. I really loved this short, sweet read. Thanks to Anne Tyler, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler is a poignant and humorous novel that captures the complexities of family dynamics and personal growth. The story centers around Gail Baines, a socially awkward mother of the bride, who faces a series of unexpected challenges in the days leading up to and following her daughter Debbie’s wedding.

Gail’s life takes a chaotic turn when she loses her job, her ex-husband Max shows up unannounced, and Debbie reveals a shocking secret about her fiancé. Tyler’s writing is filled with deep sensitivity and a tart sense of humor, making the characters’ struggles and triumphs feel authentic.

The novel explores themes of love, marriage, and family life with a keen eye for detail and a warm, engaging narrative style. Gails journey of self-discovery and the rekindling of old relationships are beautifully portrayed, make this a touching and memorable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf,Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor publishing for the advanced copy

<I>Three Days in June</i> is a short story centered around the 3 days of Gail's daughters wedding - the day before, the day of and the day after. Gail is described as an awkward women with undesirable people skills, even though she has worked as a teacher and school administrator for her whole career. I found the story to be very old fashioned and odd. As the mother of the bride, she had zero part in the wedding. She was not present during her daughter's day of beauty and showed up to the wedding as if she was any other guest. This was her only child. Wouldn't she want to be more involved? I also had to keep reminding myself that this was set in modern day United States (2023) and not an uptight european country. This story just missed the mark for me. I suppose I wasn't the right audience for it.

Story is told by Gail, mother of the bride (Deb) over the day before, of and after the wedding. Gail is having a bad few days: her job, her ex husband planning on staying with her and brings a cat, her relationship with her daughter, the wedding.

First, I can’t believe this is the first book I’ve read by this author. The writing is excellent, one could definitely feel everything the characters were going thru. I enjoy reading about characters close to my age. However, I couldn’t relate to Gail. I found her annoying. While she did stick up for herself in certain ways, her lackadaisical attitude toward other things drove me crazy. Max, was a little too laid back for my liking, although I found him more loving than Gail. Debbie was a cross between her parents. It was good this was a novella that I should have read in one sitting, I found myself totally uninterested and bored. The ending left me unsatisfied.

Thanks to Knopf Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.

It's a real treat having a new book by Anne Tyler to read!! Her descriptions allow the reader to see, hear, and feel the characters' every emotion. I savor some of the more unusual descriptions - the ones that I never would have thought of to use but are absolutely perfect in bringing a scene to life. The characters in Tylers' books are always realistic and interesting. Her stories are much more about character development than plots. I feel like I've crawled inside the characters and see the story unfolding from their viewpoint.

The story is a simple and common one yet it's very enjoyable to watch it unfold. That's the magic of Anne Tyler

A woman, her ex-husband, her daughter and a wedding.

Gail is getting ready for her daughters wedding. Her ex shows up and wants to stay.

I felt as though this is the same story that the author has told time after time. Well written but too much of the same

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Anne Tyler has this incredible ability to make a short novel feel absolutely full—like stepping into a warm, well-loved room where every inch holds meaning, every detail matters. There’s no empty space, no fluff—just rich, layered storytelling that pulls you in completely.

The characters were so wonderfully human—quirky in the way real people are, flawed but endearing, sharp yet tender. I felt like I knew them, like I’d had conversations with them before. The balance between their interactions and the main character’s inner world was seamless, every moment tongue-and-grooved together with such skill that I never wanted to leave.

The ending was perfect. Bittersweet, honest, and deeply moving in a way that lingers long after you turn the last page. This book wrapped itself around me, and I loved every minute of it.

I wanted to like this book. I really did. It was fast reading, and I finished it quickly. Maybe I've been reading too many thrillers lately, but I had hoped there would be more to the plot in this book, the story of divorced spouses who spend a weekend together to celebrate their daughter's wedding.

I tried to relate to the characters, but I didn't find them to be relatable, and I didn't find them believable. Both ex-spouses were teachers, yet they spoke in a very informal, very casual manner -- not like any teachers I've ever known. And what's with the "is all" added to so many of the things that Gail, the female protagonist says?

I also find it highly unlikely that in 2023, when the book takes place, any woman about to get married who finds out that her fiance only days before slept with someone else would just forget about it and marry the guy. That is simply not credible in this day and age, and the fact that Debbie (the daughter) went through with her marriage makes her look needy and dependent. Since she's an attorney, that's not believable either.

I found myself wanting at the end for just a bit more plot, a bit more character development -- some kind of suspense or surprise or plot twist. All were missing.

Three Days in June is classic Anne Tyler—well written, emotional, deeply human, and yet somehow also lighthearted. The story follows Gail Baines through the day before, the day of, and the day after her daughter’s wedding. As she navigates the wedding chaos, including comforting her daughter over a secret about the groom, Gail reflects on her own marriage and how it all fell apart.

Gail is a relatable and introspective character, and I genuinely enjoyed following her story. With Gail, Tyler does what she does best: showcase the joys and flaws of being human and how our perspectives shift over time.

This isn’t an action-packed page-turner, but it’s a quick read that keeps you invested because you care about these characters. I found Three Days in June to be an entertaining story about family relationships that feels personal and real.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the advanced reader's copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I wish I knew how to successfully review any book by Anne Tyler but I unabashedly admit to failing miserably. I just know that I have read most of her books and enjoyed each one. Her stories are simple, inhabited by easily recognizable personalities, and therein lies the difficulty. I know them, I understand how they behave and what they think and say and in that very ordinary way she has of explaining how we met our “other person”, well what is left to be said?!

Anne Tyler is a treasure whose writing always strikes me as true and honest. Thanks to Alfred A Knopf and NetGalley for a much appreciated and enjoyed copy.

@aaknopf | #partner There’s no denying it, Anne Tyler is a national treasure and she’s done it again with her newest novel, 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗬𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗝𝗨𝗡𝗘. I’ve been reading Tyler for decades. Some of her books I like more than others, but she always delivers with rich stories and interesting characters, navigating both relationships and life. Many, many of her books I’ve truly loved, including 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘉𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘥, 𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘓𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴 (winner of the 1989 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction), 𝘈 𝘚𝘱𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘉𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 and SO many more! Really, if you don’t know Tyler’s work, she’s one to explore. ⁣⁣⁣⁣
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𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘑𝘶𝘯𝘦 follows Gail, a 61-year old divorced woman, on the day before, the day of, and the day after her only daughter’s wedding. Gail tends toward social awkwardness, reminding me a bit of Olive Kitteridge. She’s nervous about many aspects of the wedding, but oh, how she loves her daughter. Both complicating and enriching the wedding weekend is her ex-husband Max, who ends up staying at Gail’s home because of a cat. (Yes, you read that correctly.) With everything going on, Gail is left considering much about her life, past, present, and future.⁣⁣⁣⁣
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This is a slim little book at only 176 pages and I flew through it, but didn’t realize until I’d finished, just how much I liked Gail. With her wry sense of humor and unflinching honesty, Gail managed to worm her way into my heart. I’m betting she’ll do the same for many other readers. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫⁣⁣⁣⁣
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“𝘈𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘢𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘊𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘳, 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘸, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳.”

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. I'm honestly not sure what to make of this book. It all just happened and it was all so matter of fact. I never got the impression we really got to know Gail or how she felt about anything that happened over the course of her weekend. Yet I find myself continuing to think about this book albeit in an effort to better understand what the author was trying to tell.

I do understand that with a novella, there's only so much time to tell a story. At the same time, there were details that could have been spared to give us at least some insight. Perhaps that was the point, given Gail's personality.

Three Days in June covers the day before, the day of, and the day after the narrator’s daughter’s wedding. This short book feels longer than the short length actually is, and that’s a good thing! I am often times left wanting with novellas, but Anne Tyler gave us fully developed characters along with a complete plot in only 156 pages. The author did leave me with questions, but that was intentional, I’m sure. I’m left pondering those questions which keeps drawing my thoughts back into the story, something that’s not easy for me when I’m on to the next book after finishing one. With the short length, I don’t feel like I can say much more about this one without spoilers.

Rating:
I really liked it

What you’ll find:
Maryland setting
Exploration of marriage
Results of past mistakes

This short novella is packed full of family drama. Surrounding her daughters wedding, the story takes place over 3 days. The mother of the bride Gail is a bit awkward and things get complicated when her ex-husband Max shows up with a cat and nowhere to stay. Family insecurities, secrets, doubts all come out in the 3 days.

This book would have been a nice slice of life novella if any of the characters were worth knowing. I found none of the characters likable which would be fine if they were interesting which they weren’t. Anne Tyler is a talented writer but this one missed the mark for me.

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler is a stunning, unforgettable novella and is the story of Gail Baines and her family as they go through the three days of preparation and celebration of Gail's daughter's wedding. This book is family saga at its most direct and empathetic. If you haven’t yet read one of the twenty five books Anne Tyler has written – I think 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆𝘀 is a great place to start.⠀

This book quickly became one of my immediate five star reads for 2025 due to Anne Tyler's ability to make her characters unique, interesting, memorable, and honestly a bit quirky which just adds to the reading enjoyment. I especially enjoyed here in Three Days how Anne's writing centers around the life of Gail as an older woman and the ups and downs and even the unexpected changes that fall upon us all.

It feels effortless how Anne Tyler weaves the mundane, ordinary aspects of life into such lyrical and delightful situational reading. I highly recommend this book to everyone. If you haven't read Anne Tyler, you need to engage with her books. She is a stellar storyteller with a great heart. Her characters are relatable and transparent for you to embrace.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the opportunity to read and review Three Days in June.

Real Rating: 3.5* of five

Gail's me: Needs a much more effective social filter, has a complicated past full of times said filter could've prevented...unpleasant...conflicts with long-lasting consequences, and isn't going to get one. Her complicated life gets moreso when her ex shows up the day before their daughter's wedding, sunnily expecting her to fix his issues (again), just as she's reeling from personal disappointment and their daughter's untimely news about the groom in the scheduled wedding.

I'm being coy about the problem her daughter drops on her because it is The Point, and spoiling it will genuinely make the read utterly pointless, sort of like The Crying Game. (Not a hint!) In Tyler's hands it's a short but fun ride, a solid character study, and really quite poignantly amusing. All missing stars are for the goddamned c-a-t.

Three days in June packs a lifetime of experiences, memories and some regrets into this thoughtful, heartfelt story of the life of Gail Baines. At the start of the novel, Gail has lost her long-time job when her superior retires, and her replacement brings in her own team. (I can absolutely relate to that!) Gail's daughter is to be married in three days, so she has no time to worry about what comes next for her. Soon, her ex-husband arrives with a rescue cat, hoping he and the cat can stay with Gail until the wedding. Complications between her daughter and her future husband add to Gail's worries. As the whirlwind of the wedding, her ex and the cat swirls around Gail, she reflects on her life, both the good times and regrets. She realizes she can't go back, and wonders if she can find a new way forward, and a new happiness. Anne Tyler has written a relatable, heartwarming story of life, love, relationships, and starting over, with a beautiful and hopeful ending. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy. The opinions of this review are my own.

Anne Tyler has such a knack that her characters come alive and you feel as if you have known them forever. Three Days in June relates Gail’s story of a pivotal time in her life beginning with her losing her job, continuing with her daughter’s wedding and Gail feeling left out, and then her ex husband shows up unexpectedly suitcase and cat in hand to stay with her because her future son in law has allergies to cats.
Gail is the epitome of so many women I have known over the years, feeling uncomfortable in her own skin. The interplay with her daughter, Debbie causes her to question Debbie’s wedding plans while reevaluating her own marital history. Again so very very relatable.
This is a short read but packed full of emotions and “what if” decisions. I could not put this read down. Any woman would find Gail so very relatable and her issues relatable as well. Having long been a fan of Anne Tyler this read is one of her very best.
Many thanks to Anne Tyler, Knopf, and NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this endearing read, published on February 11th. Every woman should place this read at the top of their list.