Member Reviews
Good old fashioned romance. I kept laughing , crying and eventually felt so grateful that this book had fallen into my lap. I dreaded Gail and Max going their separate ways after Gail's wedding. In some way it is refreshing that questions about the future of the happy couple stirred up the past for Gail and got Max to showcase his warmth and humour. The younger generation has much to teach the older about secrets, acceptance and taking the rough with the smooth. What a delight that Three days in June is testimony to the possibilities of love and caring!
This was my first Anne Tyler book and I really enjoyed it. I would love to read more of her books. I found the story great and it was a quick read which left me wanting more. Easy to read and I finished it within a day when on my breaks in work.
I love short novels, and this is definitely short, and whilst I enjoyed the characterisation (Gail is an 'Olive Kitteridge' type character, I felt) I've wondered since finishing it whether the premise of the tale is more for a short story than a novel. The ending, to me, was hurried, and whilst it offered a surprise, it wasn't altogether satisfying. I wonder whether Tyler intends to make a series about this family because I think there's scope. I'd be keen to know what becomes of Gail, and how Debbie copes with married life to Kenneth - and where the heck the cat fits into all this. Maybe I sound a bit negative. I don't mean to, I liked the way that Tyler constructed Gail as the protagonist and there were some gems of lines describing her visit to the hair dresser. My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This was my first Anne Tyler book and I don't think it will be my last. Her world building is incredible and although most of the book is about immediate events over a 3 day period I felt I got to know all of the characters fully and they were fully alive to me, including their backstories - which weren't dwelt upon in depth.
For a short book this one punches well above its weight
Gail is a divorced woman in her sixties, living in Baltimore. Three Days in June recounts the events surrounding her daughter’s wedding. In doing so, the narrative also focuses on Gail’s own relationship with Max, her ex-husband, who turns up on Gail’s doorstep the day before the wedding, needing somewhere to stay and bringing with him a stray cat. It’s quintessential Anne Tyler – an utterly relaxed narrative, revealing the emotional narrative slowly and carefully, and allowing the characters to discover themselves. I could read this forever but, sadly, it’s quite short. Still, no one does American Domestic better than Anne Tyler. A real treat.
A short and sweet, intelligent, memorable "mundane" story that narrates the day before, the day itself, and the day after the marriage of the narrator's only daughter. Three days that you want to read in a go, so gripping I found the "nothingness". Gail Is 61, divorced and has just found out... but no spoilers and no need to know what or how it happens. We are in contemporary America, Baltimore to be precise, and we are privy to the lives of people who, like most of us, are not particularly impressive nor are they dealing with tremendous upheavals. Yet, the upheavals are there, the heart breaking is real, the ethical dilemmas never too far away... Anne Tyler is a supreme narrator, totally unpretentious yet profound. She always knows where to look at, what to put in the objective... I have enjoyed this shortish novel tremendously and recommend it heartily. Real life looked through art. Life enhancing. Thank you so much for allowing me to read an advance copy.
This was my first novel by the author and it was fabulous!
It's the day before her daughters wedding and Gail has had a terrible day. She quits or loses her job, depending on how you look at it and her ex-husband turns up at her doorstep to stay for the wedding. Then the worst of all, her daughter discovers the groom has been keeping a secret.
This was such a wonderful family drama, contemplating relationships, forgiveness and change. The author provides such a realistic view of the complexities of relationships and family and now I look forward to delving into her previous novels.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Random House for this gifted review copy.
Random House Vintage UK, and NetGalley sent me an e arc copy of this lovely little novella by Anne Tyler which takes only a couple of hours to read, and every minute of that two hours is a pleasure.
There are certain American authors who produce stories with no great drama or big events, but, rather delightfully sensitive explorations of the, almost mundane, lives of quite ordinary people. Anne Tyler is one of those, talented authors, and her talent here is to condense all that exploration into a mere 170 pages. Imagine a miniaturist painting, beautiful detail on a miniscule canvas, and there you have Three Days In June.
This is a short little tale, and into it, Tyler packs so much.
Mother daughter relationships, fraught with potential misunderstandings, family divorce, regret for things past, social anxiety, fear of loss. On the face of it, I make it sound difficult to read, but in Anne Tyler's hands this becomes a gentle tale of love and forgiveness, laced with wry humour.
The three days cover Gail's daughter's pre, actual and post wedding days and, as we view them, ostensibly through Gail's eyes, we learn so much about Gail and those around her, often by what is not said by Gail herself, but through her interactions with Max her ex husband, Debbie her daughter, her own mother, and various others.
Gail is, and she would be astonished to hear this description, a kind and loving mid sixty year old, held back by her own anxieties and inability to forgive herself her faults.
As the story progresses gently to it's time allotted finale, I defy anyone not to be willing Gail a happy ending, and a cat to keep.....!
I highly recommend this little gem of a book.
Anne Tyler is one of my favourite writers. Her characters are so realistic and I felt as though I was with them for the three days in June. I loved this novel from the first page. Divorced and living alone, Gail is a wonderful, prickly heroine who lacks ‘people skills’, according to her boss who passes her over for promotion. The wedding of her daughter is about to take place and Gail has two surprise guests - her ex-husband and a foster cat. This is an enchanting story of those three days, beautifully written and observed. The writing is so good. It’s an uplifting book to escape into and enjoy every word. I loved it!
As always Anne Tyler makes the ordinary extraordinary. This charming story centres on just three days, each one lived by the reader alongside Gail, whose daughter is getting married and who has lost her job just the day before. Tyler’s characters are always so believable and endearing, full of grace and humour, while interesting and quirky. It was so refreshing to be immersed in a truly character lead and beautifully crafted story.
I really enjoyed this slim novel - its length belies the richness and complexity of the characters within. I’m fairly certain I wouldn’t like Gail Baines in real life but I adored her in print and the family saga typical of Tyler’s novels is on full display here despite the limited length. Highly recommended and thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
It’s the day before her daughter’s wedding and things are not going well for Gail Baines. First thing, she loses her job – or quits, depending who you ask. Then her ex-husband Max turns up at her door expecting to stay for the festivities.
Didn't really know how to take this book, it follows Gail for three days celebrating her daughter's wedding. After finding out a sercet the groom and been keeping Gail finds it hard to forgive her soon to be son in law and also questions her past with her ex husband and where and why it went 'wrong'. I felt some chapters, even sentences where unfinished and things where just missed out.
This was a good, quick read a bit of a palette cleanser before my next read.
Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for this ARC in return for an honest review.
The three days surrounding a daughter's wedding described in wonderful understated prose that shows the pure drama of every day life and also the mundane moments. Gail is a complicated character not always in tune with everyone else but she has to deal with disappointment at work, losing her daughter and putting up her ex husband and a random cat over the wedding period. A short but delightful story.
Gail Baines is having a bit of a nightmare. Her daughter is due to be married, which requires a lot of wedding admin that Gail dislikes. The job she thought was hers is going to someone else and Gail quits in disgust and her ex husband Max turns up at her door with a foster cat and nowhere to stay for the wedding. We follow Gail through the day before the wedding, the day of the wedding and the day after the wedding.
Tyler is the mistress of understatement. Each book gives us a small slice of everyday life full of quiet moments, seemingly mundane actions and the details of the everyday. Within it, she builds whole worlds. A single sentence from Tyler tells us more than a chapter from another writer. There is love, loss, belief, despair, hope and regret in this tiny, perfect book. If you love Elizabeth Strout and you haven't read Anne Tyler, her writing will be a gift to you. It's a gift to me.
I really enjoyed this book and found the characters immensely likeable. It is a strange concept to be parachuted into these three days as a reader and to find them so absorbing when to neighbours in the street you'd have no idea that this was such a turning point for Gail as she prepared for Debbie to get married. I loved the cat, the ex husband, the country club- it was a lovely and gentle, yet fascinating read; would definitely recommend.
Great easy read. Can't really add much more than that - it was very inoffensive, and it's a perfect filler book when you are feeling stuck!
A delightful and quick read. This short novel concerns Gail and Max as they experience their daughter's marriage and reflect on their own lives. The pace is gentle and the writing is insightful and funny. A joyful read.
I was kindly given this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Three Days in June is very Anne Tyler. I first read The Amateur Marriage and felt it was an ideal introduction balancing Americana's simplicity and heartfelt, gentle characters with subtle, understandable flaws.
In this novel, a slip of a book, we have Gail, our narrator, who struggles to assert herself. She was previously married to Max, who will be returning from Delaware to assist at their daughter's wedding. Max also brought a cat to Gail's as he likes rehoming animals.
Over three days... in June, naturally, Gail imparts stories of her life. I often find Tyler's editor must take a very hands-off approach to reading her works. Tyler often adds sentences and dialogue that don't extend the story. It's very observational and sometimes twee. It might be that waitresses no longer say 'hon, certain words that sound odd when saying them out loud.
As mentioned, her gentleness in reading is an excellent tonic for reducing stress outside your normal day-to-day life. There's a domestic, plodding effect to her books that you could say are like the equivalent of wearing a comfortable cardigan. Tyler's book don't rock the boat but pass the time agreeably, Three Days, in June follows this rule.
Quietly recommendable, undoubtedly.
Sometimes when I'm reading a book I forget it's an author-created work and get so caught up in the story I'm just there, with those people, witnessing their lives. So it was with Three Days In June. It is wonderfully written, with beautiful insights into the day-to-day realities of life. It was warm with humour, not without its regrets, and lovely to read.
We join Gail as she is being told she is not getting a promotion at work and may in fact not have the job she is currently doing because she is not exactly a people person. It's the day before her daughter's wedding and she arrives home to find her ex-husband has turned up unannounced to stay with her and he's brought a cat.
The three days of the story are both impactful and wonderfully normal. It's a short book but encapsulates so much within its pages that it is fully rounded and satisfyingly enough. The sort of book to read curled up with a mug of tea and a biscuit and immerse yourself in.
I'm not totally sure what genre this book comes under but would suggest a cosy romance novel. It is based on 3 days surrounding Gail and Max's daughter's wedding - the day before, the day and the day after. Max unexpectedly stays with Gail and brings a cat with him. This looks back at their history and current situation. Is Debbie making a mistake or will things turn out okay? Well written and I would certainly read other books by this author.
I was lucky enough to receive this as a free advanced copy and leave this review willingly.