Book Review: Three Days in June by Anne Tyler

Pages: 176

Genre: Adult Fiction
Pub. Date: February 11, 2025

Publisher: Knopf Doubleday

Source: Library

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 

Goodreads says, "Gail Baines is having a bad day. To start, she loses her job—or quits, depending on whom you ask. Tomorrow her daughter, Debbie, is getting married, and she hasn’t even been invited to the spa day organized by the mother of the groom. Then, Gail’s ex-husband, Max, arrives unannounced on her doorstep, carrying a cat, without a place to stay, and without even a suit.

But the true crisis lands when Debbie shares with her parents a secret she has just learned about her husband to be. It will not only throw the wedding into question but also stir up Gail and Max’s past.

Told with deep sensitivity and a tart sense of humor, full of the joys and heartbreaks of love and marriage and family life, Three Days in June is a triumph, and gives us the perennially bestselling, Pulitzer Prize–winning writer at the height of her powers."

 

 

 

Gail Baines lives a quiet life in Baltimore. She works at a private school, is divorced, and has one daughter, who is getting married shortly. Gail has always thought that she would take over as headmistress of the school when the current one retires, but she has found out that she has been passed over as the administration is going to change. Essentially, not only did she not get promoted, she is going to be replaced. This sends Gail into a tailspin and doesn't help calm her as she leads into a stressful wedding weekend for her daughter, Debbie. Her ex-husband shows up at her doorstep with a cat in tow, as he can't stay at Debbie's as planned, because Kenneth, Debbie's future husband, is allergic to cats. To complicate matters, Gail hasn't really helped Debbie much with the planning of the wedding as Kenneth's family has taken over every aspect as they are the ones paying the bill. Very shortly before the wedding, Debbie shares a potential problem that has cropped up between her and Kenneth, thanks to Kenneth's meddling sister. Cue the drama! Gail wants Debbie to do one thing, whereas Max steers her in another direction. All of this brings up reminders as to why Gail and Max's relationship fell apart all those years ago. Anne Tyler's Three Days in June is a fantastic (but short!) novel that highlights family, marriage, and how it feels to be always looking from the outside in.

Right from the bat, I adored Anne Tyler's writing style and her characterization of Gail in Three Days in June. It reminded me a bit of Katherine Newman's writing style as well as Ann Patchett and Elizabeth Strout's. While her writing wasn't overly flowery, I felt it captured things beautifully and truly demonstrated some great character development over the course of three days. Gail is an acerbic middle-aged woman, but so relatable. Her astute observations about the wedding, the guests, and the antics felt so universal in that we have all been there. Her relationship with Max, while complex, was sweet and I enjoyed the addition of his foster cat.

The drama leading up to the wedding between Debbie and Kenneth was interesting in that it lent itself to Gail reflecting on her own life, the decisions she made, as well as the mistakes in her own marriage.  The flashbacks to Max and Gail's courtship and marriage were definitely helpful as it developed their backstory in Three Days in June.

Anne Tyler won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction so it's so surprise that her writing is phenomenal. I was taken aback by how quietly powerful it is and I thoroughly enjoyed it. My only issue was that it read more like a novella -- it's only 176 pages! I wish we had more time with these characters; however, the ending of Three Days in June was absolutely perfect. I hope to read more about Anne Tyler in the future. Where should I start? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and if you have any recommendations as to my next Anne Tyler novel.