Love, Marriage, and Infidelity

'Three Days in June' by Anne Tyler

Source: Penguin Random House/Used with permission

Unfolding over three pivotal days in the life of fictional protagonist Gail Baines, Three Days in June is about many things—navigating your only daughter’s wedding weekend, a once-in-a-lifetime challenge for Baines, a plain, socially awkward creature of habit, begrudgingly taking in your ex-husband and a foster cat (don’t ask), and pulling skeletons out of your closet, namely, memories of infidelity, guilt, and the hopeful glimmer of love that somehow remains through it all.

A true slice-of-life, Three Days in June begins innocently enough but serves to take readers deeper than expected into issues related to marriage, trust, and forgiveness.

In 2024, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that, while marriage rates have held steady, divorce rates are surprisingly declining.⁷ Even so, it is an often-cited statistic that in recent years, about 50 percent of marriages end in divorce in the United States.² According to data, women initiate the majority of divorces in the United States (69 percent).

In Tyler’s novel, when Baines’ daughter shows up in tears, questioning her ability to trust her fiancé and move forward with the wedding, Baines immediately wants her daughter to trust her gut and call the whole thing off. It begs the question, can marital troubles begin before wedding vows are even exchanged? Psychologists suggest they could. They’ve found that women who have doubts before their wedding are more likely to get divorced and report less marital satisfaction years later.⁶

Trust is the foundation of a marriage relationship, and as readers experience vicariously in Three Days in June, disappointment, broken trust, and guilt can quickly dissolve a couple’s connection. One study showed that married adults are more likely than those living with a partner to say they have a great deal of trust in their spouse or partner to be faithful to them, act in their best interest, always tell them the truth, and handle money responsibly.³

Anne Tyler's latest novel explores marriage, trust, and infidelity.

Source: Diana Walker/Used with permission

However, infidelity is more common than you might think. As many as 13.3 percent to 37.5 percent of individuals in romantic relationships (often cohabiting or married) report engaging in sexual activity with someone other than their current partners in violation of an agreement to be monogamous.¹

When trust is broken in marriage, research shows that it can not only lead to separation and divorce but can also negatively affect the partners’ overall emotional well-being, amplifying symptoms of depression and reducing self-esteem.⁴ Just as Baines eventually arrives at a place of forgiveness with a renewed sense of hope and emotional well-being, readers facing marital troubles of their own can find solace in this novel’s depiction of a slow, steady healing process that ultimately leads Baines back to a place of love.

Whether you’re living your own love story or infidelity horror story, escaping into the pages of a good book can prove to be therapeutic and validate the truth that no matter your current relationship status, you are not alone.