This was a nice palate cleanser after a string of suspense and thriller novels. It’s a graceful character study of a woman in midlife trying to figure out what comes next. Anne Tyler is known for her exquisite novels. Three Days in June does not disappoint.

Gail is an assistant headmistress of a private school. When the headmistress decides she’s retiring, Gail thinks she should be a shoe-in for the position, but instead she finds herself being pushed out. She’s only sixty-one. However, now isn’t the time to dwell on this, as her daughter is getting married this weekend. Her husband shows up on her doorstep with a foster cat, her daughter has a moment of pre-wedding doubts, and Gail the perfectionist isn’t quite ready to handle the chaos. These three days are going to give her plenty of time for reflection and a realization of how to move forward.

Anne Tyler truly is a brilliant writer. There is such depth in this novel. Gail is truly not a very likable character, but over the three days, she does look inward to see where things may have gone wrong. It’s the kind of writing that sucks you in. The story unfolds perfectly, just a little bit at a time, with a fulfilling ending. Enjoy.