Three Days in June by Anne Tyler
Anne Tyler has perfected the art of the quirky character and Three Days in June does not disappoint.
The day before her daughter Debbie’s wedding, Gail Baines walks away from her job as assistant to the headmistress of the Ashton School in Baltimore. She has been passed over to replace her boss, who is retiring, because she “lacks people skills.” To top it off, her ex-husband, Max, shows up at her door with a cat, asking if he can stay with her for three days until the festivities have concluded.
Though the couple divorced amicably after an infidelity (though not in the way you might assume), Gail is irritated by Max’s proclivities – declaring herself past the caretaking stage of life, not even for a houseplant – much less the cat that Max has brought along, hoping that Gail will adopt him.
After a spa day prior to the wedding, Debbie arrives at Gail’s house heartbroken and announces that her husband-to-be may or may not have had an affair, and she is considering calling off the wedding. Gail is determined that Debbie should not marry her fiancé, while Max is less judgmental, wanting to give the groom the benefit of the doubt. But Debbie proceeds with the wedding anyway.
Over the course of three days, Gail and Max navigate sharing the same space after a twenty-year separation, their daughter’s recent revelation, and the clash of personalities with their daughter’s future in-laws, not to mention the cat. Both Max and the cat seem to be growing on Gail, but she is burdened by memories of the past.
A touching book about families and forgiveness. Fans of Anne Tyler will embrace Gail and Max and root for a possible reunion.
