A master storyteller at work! This was such a fantastic read. Gail is 61 and works as a deputy at a private shcool, her head announces she is retiring and rather than consider Gail as a successor the job has already been offered to a trendy educator with a vision and a book to match who wants to bring in her own Asssistant, so it looks like Gail will be out. Having been totally blindsided by this, Gail must also attend her daughter's wedding rehearsal dinner that evening, where there is also strife. Added to her woes, her ex husband who was meant to stay at their daughter's flat assumes he can stay with Gail for the wedding that weekend as he has brought a foster cat with him and their daughter's intended is allergic to dander. Cue a busy weekend for Gail that will have big life repercussions. The characterisation and the quiet reflective comments and moments were just so apt and as a woman of a certain age it all resonated with me. The novel is nice and short, no stuffing or bloat, just great story telling with not a word wasted.

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler

Gail Baines loses her job as an Assistant Headteacher the day before her daughter Debbie's wedding. Things go from bad to worse when her ex-husband Max comes to stay for the wedding and brings a rescue cat with him, then a secret is revealed at the rehearsal dinner.

Brilliant, as always. Anne Tyler is an incredible writer and packs so much into so few words - I'm in awe! Read this in one go as I couldn't put it down - riveting, funny, emotional... all the usual ingredients in one perfect package. Very VERY highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

The three days of the title are those encompassing the wedding of Gail’s only daughter, Debbie, but also include Gail being nudged out of her job and the arrival of her ex-husband on her doorstep, complete with a homeless cat. These events cause her to look back on her life, and to find hope for moving forwards. This is a short but powerful gem of a book, with all Tyler’s trademark sense of understanding and compassion for her flawed and often self-destructive characters. With wry humour and tenderness she explores the trials and consolations of marriage and family, how we too often let mistakes define our lives, and how it is never too late for change. Wonderful-I only wish it had been longer!

Even if you didn't know who had written this book, within a few lines you would know it was Anne Tyler.

The writing is so beautiful and relatable and Tyler has that gift of finding the magic in the simplest of people and events

Three Days in June follows Gail Baines who has lost her job after she thought she was getting a promotion. Max, her ex-husband turns up at her door expecting to stay for their daughter's wedding. Her daughter's wedding makes her think of the past and it stirs up memories of her and Max.

This is very short but it packs a punch. It has that classic Anne Tyler feel to it and will be very relatable to many people. It wasn't a new favourite for me unfortunately but I can see many people loving this.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC. Reading this book was like a warm cozy bath, a soothing balm, and I devoured it in a day. Tyler makes it look SO EASY... but it is not. I loved the use of the wedding as a way to bring the family together (reminded me of the wedding chapter in Sally Rooney's third book). I thought the first person voice was great. I loved the quirky funny dialogue. This was just an absolute joy and I LOVED the final page. She is just an absolute master.

"What was I supposed to do with the rest of my life? I'm too young for this, I thought. Not too old, as you might expect, but too young, too inept, too uninformed. How come there weren't any grownups around? Why did everyone just assume I knew what I was doing?"

When she’s on form, there really is no one like Anne Tyler! I have read nearly all her books, and while I wasn’t so keen on her 2015-or-so novels, I found ‘French Braid’ to be a safe but enjoyable return to form for the Queen of small-town quirk.

It may well be that she won’t write another Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, but what we may lack in substantial depth here is made up in sharp style.

This short novel opens with deputy headmistress Gail being told that her job is now earmarked for someone else because of her lack of ‘people skills.’

As if that wasn’t wearing enough, she’s in the middle of prepping for her daughter’s wedding, including having her perfectly controlled home invaded by her sweet but maddening ex-husband, his dietary requirements (vegan, but not really) and a cat, which quickly makes itself at home and gets itself a name - Celine!

When a secret comes to light about their daughter’s fiancé, the no-longer-married parents must decide how - and if - to address it before the knot is tied.

Full of laughs and pitch-perfect observations, my only caveats are that it’s not long enough and that it doesn’t come out in time for Christmas in the UK!