Book Review: Three Days in June by Anne Tyler
About the book
Weddings aren't just about the happy couple…
A funny, touching, hopeful story of love, marriage and second chances.
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 looking for somewhere to stay. He doesn’t even have a suit. Instead, he’s brought memories – 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 which could throw the whole wedding into question…
Why we love it
Anne Tyler is one of those writers who excels at capturing the ordinary mundanity of family life and Three Days In June is no exception.
A fairly short read, the story follows 61-year old Gail Baines over the course of the three days surrounding her daughter’s wedding - the day before, the day of and the day after.
A lot can happen in three days and for Gail, she’s passed over for a promotion at work because she’s too old and doesn’t have not enough people skills. Her ex-husband turns up on her doorstep in need of a place to stay for the wedding, with a foster cat in tow, and her daughter’s fiancé may or may not have recently had an affair. It’s a lot for anyone to deal with and for Gail, socially awkward and introverted at the best of times, it drags up painful memories and resurrects old tensions within her family.
As you would expect from Anne Tyler, this a more of a character-driven book than one focussed on plot and high drama. Instead she draws us into Gail’s inner-most thoughts and insecurities - and I loved Gail. She's flawed, prickly and sometimes blind to the feelings of others but always entirely authentic and believable.
There aren’t enough novels centred on older women and this one feels like a beautiful reminder that messy emotions don’t belong only to the young - doubt, longing, regret, hope and ambition don’t expire with age.
With warmth and honesty, Three Days In June shows that it’s never too late to reach for what you truly want or to begin again, however tentatively.
A keenly observed portrait of family life and an absolute delight to read - I flew through it in a single sitting. Highly recommended!
