Title: Three Junes
Author: Julia Glass
First published May 7, 2002
353 pages, Paperback
ISBN: 9780385721424 (ISBN10: 0385721420)
Rating: 3.57
Overview
Set in Greece, Scotland, Greenwich Village, and Long Island, Three Junes is a captivating novel that follows the lives of a Scottish family as they navigate the complexities of love in all its forms. When newspaper publisher Paul McLeod travels to Greece in June of 1989, he falls for a young American artist and begins to reflect on the truth about his marriage.
Six years later, Paul’s death brings his three grown sons back to their ancestral home, where eldest son Fenno, a wry and introspective gay man, is forced to confront unexpected revelations that threaten to dismantle his carefully constructed life in Greenwich Village. As the story unfolds, a chance encounter with Fern Olitsky, the artist who once captivated his father, presents Fenno with a difficult decision that forces him to grapple with the meaning of family, guilt, and redemption.
Written with compassion and wit, Three Junes is a poignant exploration of the human heart.
About the Author
Meet Julia Glass, an accomplished author who has won the prestigious 2002 National Book Award for Fiction for her work “Three Junes” and has also authored “The Whole World Over”. She is a recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York Foundation for the Arts, and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.
Julia’s short stories have also won numerous prizes, including the Tobias Wolff Award and the Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society Medal for the Best Novella. Julia and her family reside in Massachusetts, where she continues to write.
Keep an eye out for her upcoming release, set to be published on October 14, 2008.
Editoral Review
In her 2002 novel Three Junes, Julia Glass explores the intertwining lives of three generations of a Scottish family, illuminating the themes of love, loss, and self-discovery. Glass, a National Book Award winner who has written five novels, has been praised for her vivid characterizations and lyrical prose.
Set primarily in Greece and Scotland, the novel centers on Paul McLeod, a retired newspaper editor who has recently lost his wife, Maureen. In the first section, “June,” we follow Paul on a trip to his ancestral homeland, where he meets Fern, a young American artist with whom he strikes up an unlikely friendship.
Fern is dealing with the aftermath of a recent breakup and a health scare, and their conversations help her navigate her grief and uncertainty. In the second section, “July,” we shift our focus to Paul’s two adult sons, Fenno and David.
Fenno, a gay bookseller in New York City, is grappling with the loss of his partner to AIDS and estrangement from his family, while David, a successful investment banker, is dealing with marital troubles and an unexpected reunion with his childhood sweetheart. Glass deftly explores the struggles of each character to find their place in the world and connect with others in meaningful ways.
In the final section, “August,” the novel returns to Paul as he faces his own mortality and attempts to make amends with Fenno. Glass weaves the various storylines together seamlessly, creating a rich tapestry of interconnected lives.
One of the novel’s strengths is its lush, sensory descriptions of the Scottish landscape and the various foods, scents, and sounds that anchor the characters in their surroundings. Glass also has a gift for capturing the nuances of human relationships, from the unspoken tensions between family members to the tentative connections between strangers who discover unexpected commonalities.
However, some readers may find the novel slow-paced or meandering, as Glass takes her time teasing out the details of each character’s backstory and building up to moments of revelation. Additionally, some of the plotlines feel a bit contrived or predictable, such as David’s reconciliation with his first love.
Overall, Three Junes is a beautifully written and emotionally resonant novel that will appeal to fans of family sagas and character-driven fiction. Glass’s exploration of themes such as mortality, regret, and the search for meaning gives the novel a universal appeal that transcends its specific cultural and historical context.
While not without its flaws, Three Junes is a worthy addition to the canon of contemporary literary fiction. Rating: 4/5 stars.
While the novel may not appeal to readers looking for fast-paced action or plot twists, those who appreciate introspective character studies and lyrical prose will find much to admire in Three Junes.
