Anne Tyler is masterful at conveying the nuances of relationships, particularly in families and marriages. This novel, shorter than many of her earlier books, succinctly demonstrates the myriad emotions involved in the institution of marriage, raising children, and communicating with adult children. Gail Baines, an administrator at a private school, hears from her superior that she is “not a people person” as she approaches her daughter Debbie’s wedding weekend. I have always found this expression curious since it can be interpreted in several ways. Anne Tyler is the perfect author to delve into this comment through relatable characters. Gail is demoralized by the comment, especially since she has dedicated her successful career to working with people and must spend the next three days with people.
On the day before the wedding, when the rehearsal dinner is planned, Gail’s ex-husband Max shows up at her home with a cat. He cannot stay with their daughter as planned since he learns that Debbie’s fiance, Kenneth, is allergic to cats. At first, Gail is annoyed, but having Max stay with her results in a positive journey examining her interpersonal skills and navigating the parents-of-the-bride role. Hosting Max and the cat in her home is the perfect impetus for Gail to explore her failed marriage and attempt to shape her daughter’s imminent experience as a wife.
Max and Gail attend the dinner the day before the wedding, interact with relatives, old friends, and Debbie’s new in-laws at the wedding, and then spend the day after the wedding together. Readers learn about their relationship through thoughtful reminiscing, conversation, and gestures. Great insight is provided into the personalities and values of the main characters, and we can appreciate gender, class, and generational differences in love, trust, and cultural expectations.
I have read more than a dozen books by Anne Tyler, and it is an ultimate reading pleasure when I can share the sentiments with this mature, accomplished author as she continues to create characters that speak to me. I sympathized with Gail’s worrying about and counseling her adult daughter at an age beyond when she could genuinely influence her decisions. But that is what motherhood is all about, and Anne Tyler knows that. She also understands married couples’ conversations that occur in segments and continue for days. Even couples no longer married but brought together for a family occasion, such as Gail and Max, have typical and ongoing marital conversations. The characters in Three Days in June exemplify what it means to be human and require connection. I concluded that Gail was introspective and concerned about appropriate social interaction. Perhaps being a people person is an overrated asset.
