Absolutely loved this - superb characterisation and the author has such a keen eye for relationships and their nuances.

The story's about Gail, an assistant headteacher who struggles with social skills; the day before her daughter's wedding, her life is turned upside down when she quits her job after being passed over for a promotion. To make things worse, her ex-husband Max becomes her uninvited houseguest, she feels sidelined from the wedding plans (though we can see why! - her daughter is very, very patient and I think takes after her dad), and then her daughter tells her something that might stop the wedding going ahead...

It's a short but very deep book, covering three days - the day before the wedding, the wedding itself, and the day after. But Gail's thoughts and concerns over those three days reflect her entire life and the mistakes she's made. It's brilliantly done: showing someone in later life having an epiphany and wondering if she has the courage to make a new start. The characters are developed so well - we see laid-back Max and how annoying he must've been for Gail, but we also see how patient and wise he is. Gail is very blunt and not very good at understanding other people's points of view and feelings - but we empathise with her rather than disliking her.

One of my best reads of the year. I'll be buying this for friends next year!

When your daughter is getting married but you find out the groom might not have been faithful and your ex husband turns up on the doorstep, you know the next few days aren't going to be straightforward. A cat is added to the mix amongst the various guests and family. This is a story of chaos and trying your best to be your best whatever the circumstances. A tale of family life and the ups and downs and curve balls that get thrown at us. It's rather a descriptive book,at times to the minutiae, which is done well to paint the picture in the reader's mind. The ordinary to the extraordinary this short read takes it all in.
A detailed read of the chaos of life.

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I enjoyed this story of former husband and wife, Gail and Max, reuniting for their daughter’s wedding.
The story was authentic and believable.

This book is for the most part cleverly written. I felt the anguish of the two main characters throughout and so desperately wanted them to be together. This is a story of life, actions and consequences and I being lost.

However, I found the reading of this book to be somewhat tedious as the words “he said”, “I said”, “she said”,etc were used repeatedly on every page! Maybe this was deliberate on the author’s part but I struggled to be invested in the book because of this.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

I think this book could have been right for some people, but it really didn’t draw me in. I respect the idea of writing about everyday life without and big plot twists or dramas, but this felt too dull for me.

The amount of dialogue in comparison to all other text felt very extreme and made it easy to lose track of who was saying what. Nothing made me deeply invested in any of the characters and I started to feel quite frustrated about how dull the main character seemed to act towards her own daughter’s wedding. I don’t feel it’s necessary to have to feel sorry for a female lead who doesn’t have her hair and makeup done daily.

Had this book been longer, I don’t feel I would have finished it, however given it was only 200 pages I gave it the benefit of the doubt.

This book wasn’t for me, but I have heard that this is the author’s genre so it may be that I wasn’t the right fit for this book.

You really can't go wrong with an Anne Tyler book. A relatviely short story focusing on Gail for the days before, of and after her only daughter's wedding. Her event leads her to reflect on her own relationships and life choices. Absorbing, witty and oh! that final page!

This is a thoughtful book. It is exactly what it says, set over 3 days. Gives a unique glimpse into life changing events and their ripple effects.
My opinion changed during reading of the characters.

I’m not a stranger to Anne Tyler’s work, but I haven’t read anything by her recently and this book reminded me why I love her writing. She is able to capture the most ordinary and turn it extraordinary.

‘Three days in June’ follows Gail Baine’s life for three days where she experiences crisis in her work life, her daughter’s upcoming marriage and her ex-husband coming back into town and staying with her. We read this story in three parts which include the day before, day of and day after her daughter’s wedding.

You won’t experience any mystery or any twists and turns in the plot but you do get to experience the depiction of life at its most ordinary though extraordinary. What a joy to read.

Three Days in June, although fairly short, packs a lot into its pages. Anne Tyler deftly observes daily life over the course of three days as Gail prepares for the wedding of her daughter Debbie. Gail is not the most prescient of people and stuff just happens to her. Lacking in people skills, and yet well meaning, Gail seems to have to cope with a lot - from losing her job to taking in her ex-husband who arrives unannounced and with a cat under his arm. Gail is a worrier, speaks her mind without thinking, and often feels les-than. Her ex, Max, is carefree and laid back - on the surface, but underneath lies a gentle and caring man. The complexities of relationships and just of general life itself are recounted with understanding, and discernment - all packed into 200 pages. This is story telling at its best.
Told with humour, showing the patterns of the past repeating themselves, of human relationships and of learning to come to terms with the unexpected, this is an engaging story, with depths that might not be apparent if read too quickly! It's worth savouring, inspite of the temptation to read it all in one sitting! Or read quickly and then read again slowly to dig into it more deeply.

With thanks to Netgalley and Random House Vintage UK for the ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review.

A pleasant enough book. Gail is a 61 Yr old assistant head teacher in a private school but is ousted for having no people skills.
When her ex husband turns up for their daughters wedding things become more complicated. The ex husband and friends don't seem to help but the rescue cat her ex brings with him does.
Having spent a few days together her ex is hoping to rekindle their love from 21yrs ago.

Another lovely intimate character portrait from [author:Anne Tyler|457].

It's hard to know what to write about Tyler at this point in her career-- she is consistent, I feel, in both quality and style. If you enjoyed her previous books, you'll probably enjoy this one also. If you found her other books boring, or had complaints that nothing happened, [book:Three Days in June|213243949] won't satisfy you either.

As the title promises, this one is set over three days in June. The day before, the day of, and the day after the wedding of Gail's daughter. Of course, we also do some revisiting of Gail's past to build our understanding of who she is and how and why she's at this place in her life.

Tyler explores characters, situations and feelings. Her stories are thoughtful but undramatic, which happens to work for me, and I'm often left with a bittersweet feeling at the final page.

Anne Tyler has a knack for taking ordinary characters facing ordinary situations and turning them into a story we can engage and empathise with. This short novel focuses on 61 year old Gail Baines whose daughter Debbie is getting married to her long time boyfriend Kenneth.

Gail is dealing with a lot over this time. The day before the wedding she’s been told she is no longer wanted in her role of acting headmistress despite years of dedicated service. Then she discovers she has been pushed aside from her daughter’s wedding preparations by her fiancé’s mother. And to top it off her ex-husband Max, Debbie’s father, turns up on her doorstep looking for a bed for the night and not only that but he has a cat in a carrier that he thinks Gail might like to adopt.

A family wedding often puts strain on family relationships and Tyler has captured that well with sensitivity and with a streak of humour throughout. Her fondness for her characters is displayed by her portrayal of them. Gail is a pragmatic woman who says what she thinks and doesn’t waste time on empty platitudes while Max is affable and easy going, but also better at reading people. Their relationship is warm and relaxed, one of love and respect for each other. While Max seems to get on well with Debbie, she and Gail don’t seem close but Gail only wants her to have a happy marriage and tries to ignore the hurt caused by being side-lined from the wedding preparations. Told with humour, sensitivity and love this short novel is a lovely portrayal of ordinary people grappling with ordinary situations and relationships that have the potential to change their lives.

Gorgeous, short and bittersweet read about a woman who attends her daughter’s wedding with her ex-husband.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable book.

Gail is 61, divorced and has just walked out of her teaching job after being told that she lacks people skills.
Her daughter Debbie is getting married and Gail is unsure about her husband-to-be and bemused by the processes that need to be gone through.
Gail's estranged husband arrives on the doorstep and announces he has come to stay for the wedding, bringing a cat.
And the wedding is imminent...

A delightful description of someone struggling with change, working out relationships and trying to get on with life.

Anne Tyler is the undisputed chief storyteller of bittersweet contemporary US-American family lives, a status she proves once more with ‘Three Days in June’. The three days wrap around the wedding of Gail Banes’ daughter Debbie and force sixty year old Gail to take stock of her life. Firstly her professional life: instead of the educational management role she has smartly and steadfastly worked towards, she is made redundant. Secondly, her marital life: the neat separation from her laid-back former husband Max is reversed when he shows up at Gail’s home ahead of the wedding, bringing Gail’s suppressed feelings of guilt and regret to the forefront. And thirdly, her parental life: why is she, the mother-of-the-bride, excluded from the wedding preparations? And how will she react when her daughter makes a disturbing revelation?
As in other Tyler novels, the characterisation in Three Days in June is nuanced, careful and subtle, letting the reader sense the depth of the nostalgia, sadness, guilt and moral outrage but also the love, firmness of purpose, courage and optimism that the female protagonist experiences as the novel proceeds. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the free ARC that allowed me to read this exquisite new book by Baltimore’s finest familial chronicler.

i enjoyed reading this book. I liked the characters and their inter relationships. It is about family and a woman's place in it. It is a pleasant and relaxing read.

It’s not a good day for Gail... After many years, she loses her job, and her ex-husband shows up with a cheeky cat. He stays with her for three days to attend her daughter’s wedding. Unfortunately, it’s uncertain how honest and sincere the groom really is. As she doubts the sincerity of her future son-in-law, she is reminded of her own past marriage. Old memories seem to crawl to the surface, reminding her of the misery she endured while married to Max. Together, they face three busy and complicated days as they attend her daughter’s wedding. Although it’s an entertaining and solid story, it felt like a Hollywood romcom, and the content was a bit disappointing. The writing style, however, was great. I would recommend this book as light reading for a certain type of person.

Lovely. Slow moving, every word carefully considered. Nothing happens yet we see a whole life and become immediately engaged. Every gap is filled right up until we get just what we want. No questions remain unanswered. Just a gentle, beautifully presented insight into a whole life in a snapshot of just three days. Immensely clever.

A cautionary tale about modern relationships with a hint of romance and a dollop of love. Honesty about feelings is cannot be overrated. I enjoyed reading this book immensely.

My wife read and enjoyed this one and this is her review:
This is a very quick and easy read, where the story unfolds over 3 days in June.
Gail has just been told she is no longer required in her position as assistant to the head teacher in a private school. Gail’s daughter is about to get married the day after she learns this news. In addition, her ex-husband turns up at her door with a rescue cat in tow expecting to stay the duration of the wedding preparations.
A funny, thought-provoking story covering the lives of ordinary people, relationships and complicated family dynamics.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley UK for the ARC.