Three Days in June

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Tyler opens the novel with Gail being told she lacks tact in her professional life. How did this introduction shape your initial impression of Gail’s character? Did your perception of her change throughout the novel?

2. The novel takes place over just three days, yet explores decades of relationships and personal growth. How effective did you find this compressed timeline in telling Gail’s story? How does it compare to other novels you’ve read that cover similar emotional territory, such as Tyler’s The Accidental Tourist, which also navigates changing relationships after significant life events?

3. The ending of Three Days in June shows Gail adopting Max’s cat and finding peace in her circumstances. Did you find this conclusion satisfying? What does it suggest about Gail’s growth over the course of these three days?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Gail struggles with the physical changes that come with aging, noting that “people don’t warn you ahead of time that some days your face will be netted with wrinkles and other days smooth” (82). How has your own understanding or experience of aging compared to what you expected it would be?

2. Throughout the novel, Max demonstrates a capacity for forgiveness that Gail initially perceives as weakness. Have you ever had to reconsider what you once saw as a weakness in someone and later recognized as strength?

3. Gail’s relationship with Andrew was based partly on their shared temperaments and orderly natures—qualities Max didn’t share. Have you ever been drawn to someone because they reflected aspects of yourself that others in your life didn’t understand or appreciate?

4. The novel explores how Gail reevaluates past choices and relationships as she ages. Is there a relationship or decision from your past that you’ve come to see differently with time and perspective?

5. Gail feels uncomfortable in the beauty salon while Debbie enjoys her “day of beauty” (8). How do you relate to spaces or activities that others seem to naturally enjoy but that make you feel out of place?

6. Gail ultimately adopts Max’s cat despite her initial resistance to the idea of caretaking. Have you ever surprised yourself by embracing something you initially disliked? What caused this shift?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The novel touches on the different ways that aging is perceived in men versus women. Gail observes that men like Max can be considered handsome and desirable as they age while women face harsher judgment. How does this reflect broader societal attitudes toward aging in contemporary society? Have you seen these attitudes evolve over your lifetime?

2. Professional identity plays a significant role in how Gail sees herself. When she loses her administrative position, she must consider returning to teaching. How does our society value different types of work, and how does this influence how we construct our identities?

3. The wedding serves as a central event in the novel, featuring different family dynamics and expectations. How do the various characters’ approaches to this traditional ceremony reflect changing societal attitudes toward marriage, commitment, and family?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. The cat that Max brings to Gail’s house functions as a symbol throughout the novel. How does the meaning of this symbol evolve, and what does Gail’s eventual decision to adopt it reveal about her character development?

2. Tyler uses wristwatches as a recurring motif associated with the passage of time and aging. How does this motif enhance the novel’s exploration of how people navigate different life stages?

3. Tyler narrates the entire novel from Gail’s perspective, allowing us to see other characters primarily through her critical lens. How does this narrative choice affect your understanding of characters like Max and Debbie? How does this narrative choice compare to Tyler’s approach in Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, where she employs multiple perspectives to tell the story of a single family?

4. The beauty salon appears as a symbolic space that highlights Gail’s sense of isolation. How does Tyler use this and other physical settings to reveal character and develop themes?

5. The question of whether Kenneth cheated on Debbie is never fully resolved in the novel. What purpose does this ambiguity serve in the overall narrative?

6. Tyler is known for her in-depth characterization. Compare and contrast how she develops Gail and Max as characters. What techniques does she use to reveal their personalities, motivations, and growth?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Compose a brief letter from Gail to Debbie five years after the wedding, reflecting on what she’s learned about relationships and forgiveness. What would she say?

2. The novel ends with Gail content in her decision to adopt Max’s cat. Write a paragraph describing Gail’s life in the year following the events of the novel?

3. The cat remains unnamed until the end of the novel when Gail calls it Celine. What other name might have been meaningful for this character to choose, and what would that name reflect about her journey?