Anne Tyler’s latest novel centers on what its title suggests — Three Days in June — but it’s really a weighty and more long-term look at love, heartbreak, marriage and family life.
Our main character, Gail Blaine, is a socially awkward sixty-something mom who unexpectedly loses her job as the assistant headmistress of a private school after her boss points out Gail’s lack of people skills. When she heads home to prepare for her daughter’s wedding rehearsal dinner, Gail’s met by her ex-husband, Max, who expects to stay at her house for the weekend. He’s brought along a foster cat, and it turns out the soon-to-be-son-in-law is deathly allergic.
The novel unfolds with Tyler’s signature wit and flair for dialogue. Gail’s prickly nature evokes characters like Eleanor Oliphant or maybe even Andy Rooney — she doesn’t suffer fools, but she also wonders if she’s the one who just doesn’t get it.
“Someday I’d like to be given credit,” Gail says at one point, “for all the times I have not said something that I could have said.”
When daughter Debbie shares a secret she has learned about her husband-to-be, it briefly throws the wedding into question and stirs up issues from the family’s past.
This is a slight little novel — about 170 pages — but Tyler paces it perfectly. We experience the day before, day of, and day after Debbie’s wedding, with all their awkward and nostalgic moments. And though it’s only slightly longer than a short story, the novel reflects Tyler’s Pulitzer Prize-winning style and her ability to create authentic characters.
Three Days in June is novel No. 25 for Anne Tyler. And whether you’re a longtime fan or just dipping into her work, this one illustrates why she’s an American treasure.
