Three Junes by Julia Glass

Three Junes by Julia Glass
(unabridged audiobook)

First, I recommend listening to the audio version of this book because of the brilliant and talented narration of John Keating. His Scottish brogue, as well as American and British accents, keeps you enthralled with the characters - even smitten.

It would be simple to say that Three Junes is a story that covers the lives of the McLeod family because there are so many important themes present in this novel: love, loneliness, family, and friendship to name a few. Spread across various destinations, the intricate lives of the characters meld seamlessly into one another, across distance and time. The story begins with Paul McLeod, the father of three boys, on his two-week summer tour of Greece after his wife's death. The story unfolds as Paul examines his past and puts to rest the misconceptions of what constitutes a happy life. During the summer in Scotland, I became connected with Fenno, the oldest son of Paul, whose disillusion about his parent's marriage made me feel sympathetic and frustrated. His love of his family is unquestionable and his loneliness is undeniable. Yet, during the summer in New York (where he had moved to 20 years earlier) he is able to find fulfillment in the most unexpected way. All the characters are realistic, and are drawn by Glass into a real world where there are doubts, failures, success, and loves won and lost. Although sadness is unavoidable in life, she is able to give closure and hope in the end. A must read!