The day before your daughter's wedding will always be busy but Gail Baines got far more than she asked for. First, it was her job as assistant head at the local school. There was a moment when she hoped that she would be promoted to head but the discussion moved into the subject of 'people skills' and before she knew what was happening Gail had been sacked or resigned, depending on who was explaining the situation. When she got home (in the middle of the day: who would have thought that could happen?) her ex-husband was there with a cat. He thinks that he'll be staying and that Gail will be adopting the cat. And that's before Gail discovers that the groom hasn't been entirely honest about his personal life.

I'm a big fan of Anne Tyler. You get characters you can empathise with, whom you understand. Their problems are ones you've encountered and their pleasures give you joy. You recognise how they live their lives. Max Baines hasn't changed much over the years: he can still be annoying. Who doesn't bring a suit to their daughter's wedding? Max thought his olive sports jacket would be fine if Gail ironed it. He's also a 'sort of vegan' who eats salmon and prime rib. He does bring nostalgia, understanding and a lot of shared memories though. Even the cat can become endearing.

Debbie Baines is, perhaps, the most shadowy of the characters. Her prospective mother-in-law is the organiser of the wedding, which Debbie and Kenneth would have liked to be more understated but it's Kenneth's parents who are footing most of the bill. Debbie's quietly firm though: there is something in Kenneth's past that needs explaining but she's going to sort it out and make her own decisions - no matter what Gail says.

For me, the highlight of the story was the gradual uncovering of the reason why Gail and Max are divorced - and it wasn't at all what I was expecting. That is Tyler's genius.

In addition to reading the book, I also listened to an audio download, which I bought myself. The narrator is J Smith Cameron and there's an excellent range of voices which I quickly settled into. I'd be happy to listen to more. I'd like to thank the publishers for letting Bookbag have a review copy.

My favourite Tyler is possibly Vinegar Girl, a reworking of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew.

It may only be February but Anne Tyler’s latest novel focuses on Three Days in June. The three days in question are the day before, the day itself and the day after Gail Baines’ daughter Debbie gets married.

The day hasn’t started well for Gail when she finds out that she may well be losing her job and a causal remark that she lacks people skills gets under her skin. I think it’s true that for the most part, Gail seems very uncomfortable in her interactions with people with perhaps a lack of awareness of what to say and when. I couldn’t quite decide at first whether I found her irritating or whether I felt sorry for her. However, I felt that her character really evolved over the course of the novel and she grew on me.

As with most Anne Tyler novels, her skill is in chronicling the everyday and making it seem very compelling. Now you might think that a wedding is quite a momentous occasion and of course it is, but this one isn’t quite the big affair you might expect. The bride takes her father, Max, clothes shopping on the morning of the wedding, that’s how laid back she is.

Max and Gail are divorced but he is back for the wedding weekend and staying with Gail. There’s a lot of reminiscing about their own marriage and sharing of memories. This introspection helps Gail come to terms with much in her past and begin to look to the future.

With unexpected moments of humour and touches of lightness, this novella is perhaps not my favourite Anne Tyler book but an enjoyable and easy read nonetheless.

This story was amazing, I connected with it so well, a story written about growing up, marriage, children, divorce and reconnecting, the well written characters flowed from the page and i enjoyed it very much

It's interesting, after thirty-five years of reading Anne Tyler novels, to see how her fiddly, socially inept characters would probably be diagnosed with one or more neurodivergencies. This might be the first time I've really considered this, but then the lead of Three Days In June - Gail Baines - is called socially awkward out of the box and her lack of natural empathy seems to suggest something on the autistic spectrum. None of that matters, of course, Gail is in her early sixties (Tyler's leads have aged with her), and this is the life she knows. She was married, is now divorced and has a daughter getting married that weekend. She has a vivid sense of right and wrong, and is set in her ways - and these Three Days In June challenge all of that.

This is not exactly a departure of Tyler, who has been writing about the slightly odd birds of Baltimore all of her career, and Gail is one of her more straightforward creations. There is a mystery in the book, why Gail split up with her husband Max, which the book spends two-thirds obscuring and then comes out and explains in one fell swoop. This simplicity in structure sets up one of Tyler's happiest of endings (and Tyler is not normally a believer in ending happier than "they abide"). If there is a theme here, then it is about change, and how change forced upon us can actually be an opportunity, but also that we should occasionally chase that change ourselves. And if that comes with an unwanted, but inevitably cared for cat, or the wobbles of newlyweds, or even the reconnection and re-evaluation of a past relationship, they are all worth investing in. As the blurbs say, it is a delightful afternoon read, and I defy anyone who likes Tyler not to devour it in one afternoon.

A charming novel - it has love, humour and family, centred around three days in June.
Gail's daughter is getting married and the three days are before the wedding, the wedding day, and the day after the wedding.
Gail is divorced and has been described by her boss as "socially inadequate", but she is actually witty and has a great sense of humour.
Gail's ex husband turns up with a cat in tow to stay at Gail's for the wedding. I loved the banter between the two of them.
There is much drama prior to the wedding day.
The author has created great characters - I think I loved them all, but with a clear favourite, Gail.
Brilliant storytelling with a real 'wow' of an ending, all be it in a gentle way.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Anne Tyler’s Three Days in June is a charming and heartwarming exploration of family, relationships, and personal growth told over the course of a chaotic wedding weekend. As a fan of stories about family dynamics, I found this to be a humorous yet believable tale, with plenty of emotional depth to keep me hooked.

The story centres on Gail Baines, the socially awkward mother of the bride, who finds herself navigating a whirlwind of stress and surprises. The day before her daughter Debbie’s wedding, Gail’s anticipated promotion at work falls through, and she abruptly quits her job. Things only escalate when her ex-husband, Max, unexpectedly shows up with a foster cat in tow and no plans beyond staying at Gail’s house. To top it all off, Gail is excluded from the bridal party’s spa day, and her professional hairstyling doesn’t go as hoped. Just when it seems like things couldn’t get worse, Debbie arrives on Gail’s doorstep with shocking news that threatens to derail the entire wedding.

Tyler masterfully balances humour with poignancy, capturing the chaos of family life with her trademark sensitivity. I couldn’t help but empathise with Gail, feeling her stress as she faced one challenge after another. Watching her transform over three days—gaining strength and a new perspective on her relationships—was deeply satisfying. The shifting dynamic between Gail and Max added warmth and complexity to the story, softening both characters in a way that felt authentic and rewarding.

Final Thoughts:

This book is a delightful reminder of the joys and struggles that come with family and love. It was a pleasure to watch Gail’s journey, and I look forward to reading more from Anne Tyler. Three Days in June is a relaxing, witty read that I would highly recommend to fans of heartfelt family dramas.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher but the thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

Such a wonderful read .. it left me quite at peace with the world!

Gail, divorced, lives alone. Right now, she has a lot going on in her life; her daughter is about to get married and there are issues with her job. So with the wedding due to take place, she has finally had enough and quits - or is fired, depending on whose side you take. As if that wasn't enough, her ex-husband turns up on her doorstep having invited himself - with not a word to her - to stay for the festivities and, as if that wasn't quite enough - he has a cat in tow. When her daughter discovers her groom has been harbouring a secret, it would seem that Gail is finally approaching breaking point . . .

I always enjoy Anne Tyler's writing. This isn't a long book but, boy, is it a packed on with so much going on. I have to admit that Gail is much more laidback than I would have been in her situation! It makes for lovely reading and I really can't recommend it highly enough. Give yourself a treat - you know you deserve it! Five wonderful stars *****

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley.

Three Days in June is the story of a woman who's watching her daughter get married, dealing with her ex-husband being back in the house for the wedding and having a crisis at work. All of these things require all of her social powers which, unfortunately, are in short supply.

A really charming slice of life story, where I really related to the protagonist even though we have little in common.

I felt the same with Three Days in June as I have with every other Anne Tyler book I've read – by the end I have enjoyed the story and the simple sweetness of the characters, but for most of the book I've found it just okay and not particularly interesting. Will I keep reading Anne Tyler books? Unsure!!

Anne Tyler has been one of my favourite authors since I first read Saint Maybe many decades ago. Three Days in June is a short novel but it’s a powerful and insightful read and I loved being back with Tyler’s effortless, immersive writing, She tells the story of Gail, who, over three days experiences the loss of her job, the return of her ex husband and the emotions brought up by her daughter’s upcoming wedding, We also learn about Gail’s past and as ever Tyler’s depth of characterisation is exceptional.
A beautiful read that I’d recommend.
4.5 stars.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

This is such a short and yet profound reading that it amazed me. The way Gail deals with everything going on in her life, how we get to learn how it was and how it is, the beautiful narration.... All of it combined makes it a book worth reading.
Thanks so, so much to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this.

This was great! I came here to remind myself of the title of the book ahead of publication tomorrow - will be buying it for a friend. Perfect for any Anne Tyler fans.

It's hardly a surprise that this is a gorgeous book!
Anne Tyler could write a shopping list and somehow manage to make it interesting.
This time, she takes us into the world of Gail Baines - an everywoman (like all Tyler's best characters) Gail is faced with losing her job, losing her daughter (to marraige) and facing up to a life that she can no longer blunt the edges from. We see her past and present and it is gloriously told over a very short book that wastes not so much as one word - a book to treasure.
Thanks to the publishers for allowing me to read in advance.

Short but sweet! As the title suggests this book tells the story over 3 days, it does feature memories too which all adds to the story. The characters were nice, it was a very down to earth subject which included family dynamics, divorce and mother daughter relationships, I especially liked the sassy cat!

Gail's daughter, Debbie, is getting married, and Gail had to supervise her ex husband Max to ensure their daughter's wedding goes smoothly. Weddings bring up all sorts of emotions and memories and this one is no different. Weaving an intriguing tale of past and present, Anne Tyler takes you on a journey and leaves you fiiled with hope for the future. This has everything you want from an Anne Tyler novel. I loved it!

No one writes more poignantly about being a woman than Anne Tyler.
3 Days in June introduces us to 60 something Gail. Her boss has just told her she is should think about retiring, her only daughter is getting married and her ex husband Max has turned up looking for a bed, and with an abandoned cat in tow.
Gail deals with all of this with the same reserved distance and mild irritation. Everything is too much fuss to think about deeply, it appears.
Soon, an alarming revelation about her soon to be son-in-law shakes her out of her equanimity. Gail needs to start facing life without her daughter and potentially a job. It’s time for her to face up to her past and make some decisions about the future.
This is a very short novel set over 3 days. Not a word is wasted as get to understand Gail and her relationship with Max, past and future. It’s an immersive beautiful book about woman at a crossroads. Wonderful.

This is a short book, a novella but that doesn’t mean it was light on content- in fact it was full of some wonderful characters and it was so enjoyable I polished it off in the course of one afternoon.
I’ve been reading Anne Tyler books for years and she never disappoints- she can be relied upon to craft a wonderful story with characters that are so real and lifelike- even their dialogue is believable.- it is as if you are in the room with them, listening to them speak.
Gail is a 60 something deputy head teacher whose daughter Debbie is getting married. On the day of the wedding rehearsal she is informed by her boss that a new head teacher is being appointed and that Dawn should think about retiring or doing something else with her life.
She rushes home to think about her predicament and whilst there her ex husband, Max turns up for the wedding bringing with him a cat! He can’t stay with Debbie as her fiancé is allergic.
Gail reluctantly agrees to take him in and the 3 day wedding weekend proceeds, raking up all sorts of memories and a lot of guilt.
When Debbie has a crisis before the marriage Gail and Max have completely different reactions and Gail in particular cannot understand how Debbie can continue. This really emphasises how Gail and Max have dealt with life’s challenges and the importance of moving on in the future without guilt. It really made me think about the power of forgiveness.
I don’t want to reveal too much more as it is such an enjoyable read which deserves to be savoured first hand.
I thoroughly recommend “Three Days in June” as an engrossing and entertaining read. If you like Anne Tyler, you’ll love this and if you haven’t read any of her other books you’ve got a real treat in store.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

There was no huge cast in this book and no remarkable location. In fact, the vast majority of the book takes place in the comfort of Gail’s home. That may sound uninspired, but I can assure you that taking a leap of faith will pay dividends. This certainly wasn’t my usual reading matter, and the pace was uninspiring at the beginning, but once I got my head into the space of the narration, I was hooked.
Gail is the female equivalent of a grumpy old man. Set in her ways and focused on her routine, she’s determined to remain a valuable team player and has no desire to take retirement and become old before her time. She is content to follow the routine of her personal life and has no need for any excitement. I found her character both frustrating and yet reassuring. I could hear myself willing her to step outside of her comfort zone.
We then meet Max, Gail’s ex-husband, who arrives at her house after being given short shrift by their daughter. He’s in town for their daughter’s wedding but has brought a rescue cat with him, but his future son-in-law is allergic. Thankfully, Gail accepts that she will have to offer him a place to stay. Under sufferance. Their initially frosty dynamic soon thaws, and it’s easy to see how they were once happy together.
I’d love to tell you more, but I would hate to reveal any details that aren’t included in the synopsis. This is a novella, so there isn’t too much story to conjure with; the joy is in the writing. The skilled way that the author tells this story and makes it feel like a huge tome despite being relatively brief is a testament to her writing style.
All I can do is encourage you to take a leap of faith, like I did and hope that you enjoy it as much.

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. He doesn’t even have a suit. Instead, he’s brought memories, a shared sense of humour – and a cat looking for a new home.

Just as Gail is wondering what’s next, their daughter Debbie discovers her groom has been keeping a secret, and as the big day dawns, the exes just can’t agree on what’s best for Debbie, or if the wedding will even go ahead, and the day after, Gail and Max prepare to go their separate ways again.

But all the questions about the future of the happy couple have stirred up the past for Gail. Because ‘happy’ takes many forms, and sometimes the younger generation has much to teach the older about secrets, acceptance and taking the rough with the smooth.

I adored this latest from Anne Tyler, and it's yet another example of why she is one of my absolute favourite writers. At only 176 pages it isn't a long book by any means, but what we have is perfection and bliss in novel format.

She is the ultimate chronicler of family life, and of the small, ordinary, everyday. But as she does this - effortlessly, and with her trademark humour - we see how it's these small, ordinary tensions and dramas that have the biggest impact and effect upon people's lives. I once heard someone say that Anne Tyler writes about nothing, but about everything, and this is so very true. The ordinary and mundane becomes special, and what she has to say about one family and their situation, equally applies to everyone everywhere.

She is an observer of people par excellence, which means that all of her characters are fully developed and believable. She makes the reader cars about every single one. Every thought, emotion, reaction, interaction, relationship, event and situation is sharply and brilliantly observed, and perfectly rendered in her novels, and as she does this, she writes with extraordinary humanity and understanding of the human condition.

Family weddings are a familiar situation to many of us, and as she depicts all the various dynamics - the controlling mother of the groom, the socially awkward mother of the bride, the laidback dad who forgets his dress shoes so has to wear sneakers, the spiteful sister in law to be - and fills in the family's backstory over the previous decades, she allows us to explore and think about the book's themes: love, marriage and second chances. Themes which apply across the generations of this family, and indeed to all of us.

I cannot recommend this funny, touching, poignant, and above all hopeful novel enough. It's an absolute joy.

Enter the life of Gail for 3,days over a momentous weekend including her dismissal from her job, her daughter’s wedding and the reappearance of her ex husband. Real life emanates from this book so expertly written