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Three Junes
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Three Junes
Author: Julia Glass

Book Information
Publisher: Anchor
Book Type: Paperback
Rating:

ISBN-13: 9780385721424 - ISBN-10: 0385721420
Publication Date: 4/2003
Pages: 368


Other Versions of this Book: Hardcover, Audio Cassette (Unabridged), Hardcover

Book Description:
An astonishing first novel that traces the lives of a Scottish family over a decade as they confront the joys and longings, fulfillments and betrayals of love in all its guises.

In June of 1989 Paul McLeod, a newspaper publisher and recent widower, travels to Greece, where he falls for a young American artist and reflects on the complicated truth about his marriage. . ..Six years later, again in June, Paul’s death draws his three grown sons and their families back to their ancestral home. Fenno, the eldest, a wry, introspective gay man, narrates the events of this unforeseen reunion. Far from his straitlaced expatriate life as a bookseller in Greenwich Village, Fenno is stunned by a series of revelations that threaten his carefully crafted defenses. . .. Four years farther on, in yet another June, a chance meeting on the Long Island shore brings Fenno together with Fern Olitsky, the artist who once captivated his father. Now pregnant, Fern must weigh her guilt about the past against her wishes for the future and decide what family means to her. In prose rich with compassion and wit, Three Junes paints a haunting portrait of love’s redemptive powers.

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Top Member Book Reviews

Lydia C. (queenlyddie) wrote on 7/30/2009...

3 member(s) found this review helpful.

Some books are so good that you can't put them down. This book was not one of them. I made it through the first chapter, hoping it would get better. I was disappointed. I would not recommend this book to anyone. Don't waste your time.

ANNA S. (SanJoseCa) wrote on 8/30/2007...

3 member(s) found this review helpful.

The author depicts the mysterious twists of fate and coincidences that bring people together and the self-doubts and lack of communication that can keep them apart. This novel reads almost like a travelogue, full of detailed descriptions of three of my favorite places, Greece, Scotland, and Greenwich Village New York,---maybe thats way I enjoyed it so much! This book is written in three parts, each narrated with a different point of view, but nobody named "June!" Great for book clubs.

Barb C. wrote on 12/30/2006...

3 member(s) found this review helpful.

The story takes place over varied places (New York, Greece and Scotland) and involves
family members over time and much about the love and longings. Glass does a nice job
of engaging the reader I think. Enjoyable!

Brenda R. (riverducky) wrote on 5/20/2009...

2 member(s) found this review helpful.

This book is set in Greece, Scotland, Greenwich Village and Long Island. It traces the members of a Scottish family as they confront the joys and betrayals of love. It is a selection of Good Morning America's "Read This!" book club and is a National Book Award Winner. I enjoyed this book very much. It's a good read.

Misty Y. wrote on 1/15/2009...

2 member(s) found this review helpful.

Is a plot driven story- most stories written (and read today) are character driven. As a result, it seems slow- however I did like how each characters lives and the timeline is wound together in an unexpected way.

Stacy S. wrote on 8/18/2007...

2 member(s) found this review helpful.

Probably the most boring book I've ever read.

Cynthia F. (trainer5740) wrote on 8/9/2007...

2 member(s) found this review helpful.

While I enjoyed the book, I found it a slow read. It didn't keep me up at night turning pages as many books do. Still a worthwhile read.

Valerie L. (vallipow) wrote on 1/12/2009...

1 member(s) found this review helpful.

I loved this book! Julia Glass creates three beautifully written interconnected novellas featuring a cast of believable and memorable people who deal with love, family, death and loss. The Junes in the title refers to the month -- in a different year and in a different locale for each novella -- in which the characters face transitions in their lives. Both men and women are beautifully profiled, and their decisions and fates beautifully described.

Lisa A. wrote on 8/7/2008...

1 member(s) found this review helpful.

The title gives the impression that this is a story about three women. It's not. I found it to be a painful story, mostly about one gay man and his lover who is dying of AIDS. We're also sorting out the troubled relationships of the family. Difficult to plow through.

Philip S. (pogosmith) - CT wrote on 5/15/2008...

1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Very engaging novel from a first rate novelist writing a first novel. Remarkable insights into human nature. Julia Glass shows an uncanny ability to understand and write from the perspective of her male characters. I loved it.

I had the privilege of hearing Julia Glass read from her new novel, A Whole World Over. Serendipitously, I was doing my usual walk to the library here in New Haven to exchange books, when I noticed I was just in time for this reading. I had seen the signs earlier and made some mental notes, but true to my Some-timers brain, I had forgotten. She read the first chapter and then answered questions of all types. She was delightful.

Most of the questions pertained to her first novel, Three Junes, which amazingly, for a first novel, won a national book award. The award apparently launched her career and changed her life. Apparently lots of people have awaited her new book, The Whole World Over. I fumbled away the opportunity to have a signed first edition as I didn't have sufficient cash in my pocket and they didn't take credit cards.

I thought the q&a was interesting as insight to her writerly life. For example:
-she writes using a computer
-she has no set routine or discipline
-while writing "Three Junes" she had no group of confidants reading her work and feeding back; the first person to read it was her agent
-she was ~45 when she wrote her first book
-she enjoys speaking through the voice of males (Three Junes uses multiple first person singular narrators)

She lives in Massachusetts near the ocean. She would rather have stayed in NYC, but real estate prices pushed her out. She was raised in NYC, in the village.


Please Rate these Book Reviews

Terry A. (readforlife) wrote on 10/29/2009...


A thoroughly enjoyable book! I loved following this family through love and joys, and sadness and tragedy. The characters seemed like real people, and their lives followed the up-and-down path of the lives of most of us.

Laine C. (Cidlowskicks) wrote on 7/26/2009...


Loved it.

Maia T. (maiakbt) - Brooklyn Park, MN wrote on 3/17/2009...


I found this to book to be an exceptional read. How the three novellas tie together was brilliant and even if the plot isn't exciting on the surface, I found myself eager to learn more about each character. It subtly addresses how lives could be entirely different if people were honest with themselves and others. The ending left me satisfied, yet longing for more...

Claire B. wrote on 12/3/2008...


I wished it could go on and on!

Cami D. wrote on 4/11/2008...


I had a tough time getting into this book. I know it got great reviews but I put it down about halfway through. Maybe I should give it another chance?

Ruth R. (yomamaruth) wrote on 2/7/2008...


As a first novel by the author it was good enough to become a National Book Award finalist.
A fascinating story that follows members of a Scottish family (through their joys and griefs) from Scotland to Greece to NYC

Dee P. wrote on 9/5/2007...


This is a wonderful book - thoughtful, moving and beautifully written. I would highly recommend it - and I can't wait for her next offering!!

Lissette H. (yolen) wrote on 6/28/2007...


Really good book.

Marci M. wrote on 4/26/2007...


Interesting read. Talks about a life of a gay man.

Sammy J. (SJ) wrote on 4/23/2007...


Well deserving of the National Book Award. The novel tells of a family and their travails.


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