Editorial note: I received a copy of Three Days in June in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
Three Days in June by Anne Tyler is a novella about a mother dealing with all kinds of emotions and memories as her daughter prepares to get married.
This is my first-ever Anne Tyler story, and I really enjoyed her writing style. I liked the snapshot into a rather ordinary American life, and all the messiness that comes with it. I have plenty of her books to add to my TBR now!
Three Days in June is short—less than 200 pages—so you can breeze right through it. Now that the days are lighter and the weather is warming up, this is a great novel to pick up for springtime reading.
But even though it’s short, it packs a lot into the story, and we really get to know the protagonist on a deeper level too. It’s a look into marriage, motherhood, identity and more.
What’s the Story About
Gail Barnes’ daughter is about to get married, but nothing is going right for Gail. She lost her job, and her daughter didn’t invite her to any of the pre-wedding festivities. Then, her ex-husband Max arrives to her doorstep with a cat and without a place to stay.
But the true crisis lands when Debbie shares with her parents a secret she has just learned about her husband to be. It will not only throw the wedding into question but also stir up Gail and Max’s past.
Gail’s Journey
So Gail is rather awkward and definitely not good at reading people. When her boss tells Gail about her own potential health issues, Gail doesn’t express sympathy and goes straight to asking how it will impact Gail—her bosses leaves, so maybe she’ll get a promotion? Kind of cold there.
Her own daughter Debbie doesn’t invite her to any of the spa day events, but just tells her when to be there for the wedding rehearsal. But Gail doesn’t really think about the fact it shows she’s not that close with her daughter. I did find that sad, and it’s interesting Gail doesn’t seem to truly process it.
I’m not sure if something was wrong with Gail, or if she simply was too aloof to read other people’s nuisances and expectations. I can see why Debbie would distance herself a bit from her mother.
Gail now has a good relationship with her ex Max, but it took a while to get there. And when Debbie experiences the crisis right before the wedding, it brings back a ton of memories and things left unsaid between Gail and Max.
Verdict
This is such an easy read, and mainly a pleasant one too. It’s a quiet look into why a marriage went wrong, and how history can sometimes repeat itself. But it’s mainly about forgiveness. It’s not a heavy story, and there’s plenty of humor too.
Overall, this is a charming, entertaining novel with a great ending.
For book clubs, check out my discussion questions here.
