I’m back home today after an extended Mother’s Day weekend that also included attending a wedding. I’ve mused before about the emotional convergence that weddings tend to bring—the blend of joy, family tension, and personal drama that often threatens to eclipse the celebration itself. What should be a weekend devoted to love and union frequently becomes a showcase for old grudges, awkward reunions, and complicated dynamics. It’s precisely this fertile ground that Anne Tyler draws from in her latest novel, Three Days in June.
At the heart of the novel is Gail Baines, a woman caught at a crossroads. After years of loyal service as second-in-command at a private girls' school, Gail is passed over for the headmistress role in favor of a younger, fresher face. Worse still, the incoming headmistress plans to bring in her own assistant, leaving Gail not just overlooked but out of a job, just a few years shy of retirement. Rather than wait to be pushed out, Gail storms out first.
She barely has time to lick her wounds. Her only daughter, Debbie, is getting married tomorrow, and there’s no shortage of things to stress about. She wasn’t invited to the mother-of-the-groom’s spa day, and she’s beginning to worry she’s losing her daughter to this new family. As if that weren’t enough, her ex-husband Max has arrived—rescue cat in tow—and due to the groom’s allergies, he’ll be crashing at Gail’s place for the weekend.
Annoying? Certainly. Manageable? Gail hopes so. But when Debbie confides in her parents a secret about her soon-to-be husband, it throws the entire wedding and their already complicated family dynamic into question.
Three Days in June showcases Anne Tyler’s sharp understanding of human nature in a brief yet emotionally resonant novel. This was my first experience with Tyler’s writing, and I was immediately struck by her witty nonchalance and ease with emotional nuance. For such a short book, it’s impressively layered, balancing humor, heartbreak, and rich character development with graceful precision. The novel plays almost like an anti-romantic comedy. Gail, our wonderfully dry and self-sufficient protagonist, serves as a counterpoint to the wedding festivities—a celebration of union set against her solitary, hard-won independence. I was in awe of Tyler’s ability to tackle big themes, such as loneliness, aging, and the fragile bonds of family, while grounding the story in warm, often laugh-out-loud humor. The result is a novel that both challenges and charms. It's a deceptively light read with surprising emotional heft.
For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2025, 36)
