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There are currently 28 member reviews
for Three Days in June
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Cynthia D. (Cuba, NY)
Anne Tyler Wins Again
To learn of the publication of a new novel by Anne Tyler is cause for celebration. To have it in your hands is pure joy! And that's how good it is to read "Three Days in June," the story of a failed marriage during the preparations for a new marriage, that of the couple's daughter.
The bride's mother, Gail, always ever competent and in charge, had a tough day at work when the school's headmistress suggests a promotion is not in the works because of Gail's "weak social interaction skills." This follows other recent difficulties in Gail's life caused by the parent's of the groom who seem to be usurping her duties as the bride's mother. Gail leaves work early and finds that her ex-husband Max has arrived unexpectedly to stay at her home during their daughter's wedding festivities. And he has brought a cat! Gail has never wanted a pet!
The stage is set for the events of the next three days: Max surprises her with his helpfulness as the minutia of life unfolds: a trip to the dry cleaners, eating out, taking a walk…he seems much nicer and more interesting than when they were married. As the daughter's wedding events unfold, we learn why her parent's marriage ended.
This slim novel about marriage is Tyler's 25th book, published 20 years after "Amateur Marriage," her ninth novel. Tyler's characters are always wise and amusing, warmly human as they wander through life, exhibiting the same good points and faults that we all can relate to. As always, they become like family to the reader. They teach us how to "get through life." "Three Days in June" is another Anne Tyler novel that those of us in middle age can all relate to.
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Susan W. (Berkley, MI)
Like getting reacquainted with old friends
I loved this book, not just because I'm an Anne Tyler fan, but also because I enjoy quirky characters and observing how they interact with each other. Tyler packs a lot into three days, and a wedding certainly brings up a lot of emotion. I did wish for more. It felt a little like the stage was being set for a sequel. Gail certainly could be the main character of another book.
The characters were believable and felt familiar to me; I could have easily been one of them. In fact some of the emotions made me a little uncomfortable. Tyler is good at that, in a good way.
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Barbara B. (Evansville, IN)
Realistic Marriage Fiction
A wedding and marriage story so realistic, I honestly felt I was at the wedding with the Baines family. Gail and Max are the parents of the bride, Deborah. They both are very complete characters in this novel, nearing retirement age and divorced. The sibling spats, work relationships, job changes, the cuddly cat, and even the proper attire for the wedding all blend together nicely for a practical and likable story. For those who want a quick engaging novel, this is ideal.
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Nancy L. (Staunton, VA)
Short But Sweet
"Three Days in June" by Anne Tyler is a very sweet story but way too short for my taste. It takes place in suburban Maryland as Gail Baines is preparing for her daughter, Debbie's wedding. The three days in June refer to the day before, the day of, and the day after that wedding. There is a certain amount of emotional distance between Gail and Debbie, and the arrival of Max, Gail's ex-husband, ramps up the tension of the plot. I really liked these characters; the bumbling, quietly hopeful Max, and Gail who is not quite comfortable in her skin, her place in her family, and her work environment. But there is so much more I want to know about these characters. How does Gail and Debbie's relationship evolve? Does Gail move to the Eastern Shore? Will Max ever change? This. Short novel definitely needs a follow up.
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Deborah G. (Black Mountain, NC)
Three Days in June and Many Lifetimes!
I love Anne Tyler's books--that hasn't changed over the 50 years I've been reading them. I especially love the way she portrays her characters' feelings and frailties as she does in "Three Days in June," which focuses on the day before, of, and after Gail's daughter Debbie's wedding. Although more novella than novel in length, Tyler conveys many details of not only Gail and Debbie's lives, but Gail's ex-husband, mother, and employer; the groom, his parents and sister; other assorted significant others; as well as neighbors and seemingly incidental characters, including a cat. Tyler's greatest gift may be how she describes her subjects' feelings, which feelings they want to share with others, and the dialog they use to do so, ultimately revealing how people become who they are and behave the way they do. The expertly handled themes here include betrayals and the complexities of reconciliation across the lifespan.
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Darrell W. (Clackamas, OR)
Love and Forgiveness
Can one small novel reveal complex relationships, show love's powerful hold on suspicion, expose career choices, in a three day whirlwind of a wedding and its aftermath? Anne Tyler's THREE DAYS IN JUNE can. She sets the scene, develops characters, moves the plot with sensitivity, economy of language and a generous amount of realistic dialogue. The characters seemed to rise from the page and enter my heart and mind. I began to think of them as acquaintances or friends or relatives. What goes on in the complexity of bringing two disparate families together for a wedding? Anne Tyler knows and informs us with her deep understanding of humankind and her unmatched writing skill. She brings the novel to a stopping place, but I choose to believe the story does not end.
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Donna C. (Pismo Beach, CA)
Ordinary Family, Complicated Lives
I loved this book, as I do all of Anne Tyler's work. This story is not a deep or complicated read, but instead a focus on the everyday lives of a family working through an important event. The setting was an ordinary one, but as happens in life, the day to day stuff gets tangled and what begins as ordinary gets complicated with choices large and small. The characters were so well drawn, always a beautiful part of Tyler's talent, that I could relate to each one's situation and feelings. For fans of the movie Groundhog Day as a metaphor for real life, readers can enjoy the themes of change and maturation and appreciation during the three days in this family's life.
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