10 hours Ago By Reviewed by Dave Williamson
The latest novel by popular Baltimore, Md., writer Anne Tyler (A Spool of Blue Thread, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Breathing Lessons) may be her 25th and her shortest, but it is completely entertaining. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * The latest novel by popular Baltimore, Md.
, writer Anne Tyler (A Spool of Blue Thread, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Breathing Lessons) may be her 25th and her shortest, but it is completely entertaining. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? The latest novel by popular Baltimore, Md., writer Anne Tyler (A Spool of Blue Thread, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Breathing Lessons) may be her 25th and her shortest, but it is completely entertaining.
In Three Days in June, 61-year-old Gail Baines tell us all about her daughter Debbie’s wedding — the day before, the day of and the day after, with each day given one lengthy chapter. Gail is an intriguing character, divorced for years from Debbie’s father, Max, and rather jaded toward life in general. On the morning of the rehearsal, Tyler introduces conflict right away that has nothing to do with the wedding.
Gail is at Ashton private school, where she works as assistant to the headmistress, Marilee Burton. Marilee, now 65, announces that she’s leaving, but has someone else in mind as her replacement. It’s not exactly what Gail wants to hear on a day when there’s much more to worry about.
Back at home, a friendly Max arrives, intending to accompany Gail to the rehearsal. He brings a cat with him, but that becomes only a minor annoyance when their daughter arrives at Gail’s house crying. Debbie has learned from Elizabeth, sister of Kenneth, the groom, that there’s another woman in his life.
Debbie and Gail want to call off the wedding, but Max pushes for an explanation and, when he convinces them that Debbie needs to talk with Kenneth, Debbie agrees and leaves, saying she’ll report back. Gail gives us her view: “Of course she should listen to Kenneth’s side of things. Still, though, I felt almost regretful when she stood up and slammed out of the house.
There was something weirdly satisfying in the image of all those guests just sitting in church wondering.” Gail and Max go together to the rehearsal, an event remarkably well captured by Tyler, as we meet all participants including Kenneth, maid of honour Elizabeth, their parents, Gail’s mother, bridesmaids Bitsy and Caroline as well as Jared, a former boyfriend of Gail and now Kenneth’s uncle and best man. Everyone’s behaviour and comments seem appropriate and distinctively different enough to reflect his or her personality.
They finish off the evening with a meal at the Silver Spoon restaurant, with Ken’s dad Rupert giving a little speech and a toast to Debbie. The second section covers the wedding day, the morning devoted to getting ready. That afternoon, Gail and Max take her mother, Joyce Simmons, to the church.
Gail sees many of her old friends, including “a lurking, shadowy figure (who) startled me till I realized it was Spofford Talbot, Debbie’s old high school classmate — an awkward, fumbling boy (still a boy) who was trying to make it as a freelance photographer.” The reception is at the Clarion Club, at the top of a tall hotel. Max and Gail are first to arrive, and Gail tacks up a number of photos.
People gradually filter in as music plays in the background — “Oldies, mostly: Joni Mitchell and Judy Collins and such.” When the music stops, everyone faces the elevator to see Debbie and Kenneth arriving, hand in hand. “Anne Murray started singing and Kenneth took Debbie in his arms and twirled her around.
Both of them wore sombre expressions — frowns, almost — because, as I happened to know, neither was much of a dancer.” Three Days in June Dinner follows, with a lot of toasting — it’s a typical wedding dinner that shows the idiosyncrasies of the individuals participating in it. Max and Gail go back to Gail’s and the cat, reflecting on whether Kenneth could be guilty of anything.
The third chapter is anticlimactic, as the day after the wedding day almost always is. Tyler provides some flashbacks as Gail does some reminiscing about her own life. Max hangs around, and there just might be a change in Gail’s frigid attitude toward him, if not toward life in general.
is quintessential Anne Tyler. Dave Williamson is a Winnipeg author who has read all 25 of Anne Tyler’s novels. Three Days in June: A Novel By Anne Tyler Doubleday, 176 pages, $25 Advertisement Advertisement.
