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Sandwich
From the beloved author of We All Want Impossible Things, a moving, hilarious story of a family summer vacation full of secrets, lunch, and learning to let go.
For the past two decades, Rocky has looked forward to her family’s yearly escape to Cape Cod. Their humble beach-town rental has been the site of sweet memories, sunny days, great meals, and messes of all kinds: emotional, marital, and—thanks to the cottage’s ancient plumbing—septic too.
This year’s vacation, with Rocky sandwiched between her half-grown kids and fully aging parents, promises to be just as delightful as summers past—except, perhaps, for Rocky’s hormonal bouts of rage and melancholy. (Hello, menopause!) Her body is changing—her life is, too. And then a chain of events sends Rocky into the past, reliving both the tenderness and sorrow of a handful of long-ago summers.
It's one precious week: everything is in balance; everything is in flux. And when Rocky comes face to face with her family’s history and future, she is forced to accept that she can no longer hide her secrets from the people she loves.
For the past two decades, Rocky has looked forward to her family’s yearly escape to Cape Cod. Their humble beach-town rental has been the site of sweet memories, sunny days, great meals, and messes of all kinds: emotional, marital, and—thanks to the cottage’s ancient plumbing—septic too.
This year’s vacation, with Rocky sandwiched between her half-grown kids and fully aging parents, promises to be just as delightful as summers past—except, perhaps, for Rocky’s hormonal bouts of rage and melancholy. (Hello, menopause!) Her body is changing—her life is, too. And then a chain of events sends Rocky into the past, reliving both the tenderness and sorrow of a handful of long-ago summers.
It's one precious week: everything is in balance; everything is in flux. And when Rocky comes face to face with her family’s history and future, she is forced to accept that she can no longer hide her secrets from the people she loves.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published June 18, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,675 reviews
July 3, 2024
Loved this one 🥹 “This is a book about love and change and loss, all packed into an annual family week on Cape Code. And it’s a total delight.”
I don’t know if this one will be for everyone, the writing is different than anything I’ve read before, but I adored it
I don’t know if this one will be for everyone, the writing is different than anything I’ve read before, but I adored it
June 23, 2024
Sandwich by Catherine Newman follows fifty-four-year-old Rachel or “Rocky” as is called by those close to her, over the course of her annual family trip to Cape Cod. We meet her husband Nick, her adult children – daughter Willa, son Jamie and his girlfriend Maya and her elderly parents also join them for a few days in their rental cottage. There is a lot to manage and Rocky is the middle of it all. We follow her as she navigates the demands of her family, her own struggles with bouts of melancholy and mood swings (not to mention the hot flashes) brought on by menopause and is often overwhelmed by memories of the years gone by – some happy and some not so much.
The narrative is presented from Rocky’s first-person PoV and spans a week in the characters’ lives, with past events being shared as flashbacks as present-day events evoke nostalgia and Rocky is reminded of past events. The pacing is on the slower side, which suits the nature of the story. This is a story about what it means to be a family-the shifting dynamics within, navigating the ups and downs, growing together and giving each other space for individual growth, making memories, evolving, holding on and learning to let go. The author addresses several sensitive topics, including parenting, sexuality, menopause,motherhood, miscarriage,marriage, aging, family secrets, grief, sacrifice and much more with maturity and insight.
Beautiful prose, relatable characters and realistic situations, plenty of love, laughter and food (and of course, sandwiches) as well as tears and frustrations, and some truly heartfelt conversations and poignant moments make for a quiet yet incredibly thought-provoking read!
Many thanks to Harper for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel was published on June 18, 2024.
Connect with me! ✏ Instagram ✏ My Blog ✏ The StoryGraph
The narrative is presented from Rocky’s first-person PoV and spans a week in the characters’ lives, with past events being shared as flashbacks as present-day events evoke nostalgia and Rocky is reminded of past events. The pacing is on the slower side, which suits the nature of the story. This is a story about what it means to be a family-the shifting dynamics within, navigating the ups and downs, growing together and giving each other space for individual growth, making memories, evolving, holding on and learning to let go. The author addresses several sensitive topics, including parenting, sexuality, menopause,motherhood, miscarriage,marriage, aging, family secrets, grief, sacrifice and much more with maturity and insight.
Beautiful prose, relatable characters and realistic situations, plenty of love, laughter and food (and of course, sandwiches) as well as tears and frustrations, and some truly heartfelt conversations and poignant moments make for a quiet yet incredibly thought-provoking read!
Many thanks to Harper for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel was published on June 18, 2024.
Connect with me! ✏ Instagram ✏ My Blog ✏ The StoryGraph
June 22, 2024
I am the exact target audience for this book. I’m 54 yr old menopausal woman with two grown children who spends lots of time in Sandwich Ma! But this book just did not do it for me. I was annoyed at the places in Sandwich were completely fictional (not that real names of places needed to be used but it’s what makes it fun for locals to read and they did not describe places that actually exist)and a HUGE pet peeve is the audio narrator (who did do a fantastic job otherwise) pronounced Barnstable wrong (it’s more like ‘barn stibel’ not barn STABLE, like horse barn) and if I were the author I would demand that be fixed!
But besides those personal pet peeves, I just found the relationships with her children a little TOO open and there were also comments made that were really over the top, like for shock value, and I am far from a pearl clutcher, but a lot of these seemed really unnecessarily crude.
As for Rocky, the main character, I will say she made me thankful my menopause experience isn’t as bad as hers. She is one angry angry woman on the verge of exploding at any and all times. I almost want to have my husband read it so he knows how lucky he is lol This woman’s husband is a friggen saint. To go with the flow as much as he does.
And although I, as well as many moms, get sentimental about their kids and missing the younger days, she really goes over the top almost to point where it’s creepy.
I did enjoy the ending and it put a lump in my throat but overall, it just didn’t hit the mark for me as a fun beach read.
But besides those personal pet peeves, I just found the relationships with her children a little TOO open and there were also comments made that were really over the top, like for shock value, and I am far from a pearl clutcher, but a lot of these seemed really unnecessarily crude.
As for Rocky, the main character, I will say she made me thankful my menopause experience isn’t as bad as hers. She is one angry angry woman on the verge of exploding at any and all times. I almost want to have my husband read it so he knows how lucky he is lol This woman’s husband is a friggen saint. To go with the flow as much as he does.
And although I, as well as many moms, get sentimental about their kids and missing the younger days, she really goes over the top almost to point where it’s creepy.
I did enjoy the ending and it put a lump in my throat but overall, it just didn’t hit the mark for me as a fun beach read.
July 1, 2024
"And this may be the only reason we were put on this earth. To say to each other, I know how you feel. To say, Same. To say, I understand how hard it is to be a parent, a kid." Catherine Newman, Sandwich
I laughed, I cried and I laughed some more. Family, parenting, love, Cape Cod and the underestimated smell of being on the beach that brings both clarity and relaxation. Sandwich is a wonderful representation of how families live - love - disagree and how they endure. Marriages, aging parents, children who grow to find their own love and the complicated dance of a marriage between two that ebbs and flows over the course of several decades. There is no sweeter story than that of family - and with that comes all the heartaches and tribulations - and culminates with love.
I laughed, I cried and I laughed some more. Family, parenting, love, Cape Cod and the underestimated smell of being on the beach that brings both clarity and relaxation. Sandwich is a wonderful representation of how families live - love - disagree and how they endure. Marriages, aging parents, children who grow to find their own love and the complicated dance of a marriage between two that ebbs and flows over the course of several decades. There is no sweeter story than that of family - and with that comes all the heartaches and tribulations - and culminates with love.
July 5, 2024
Sandwich is a slice of life novel, following Rocky and her family on their annual week-long summer vacation in Cape Cod. Her two children are now young adults, her parents are aging, and her husband remains a steady presence in her life throughout their highs and lows.
Overall, I enjoyed this story which has themes of family, motherhood, and love. It explores a variety of relationships. This isn’t a long book and the conversation style was easy, even when more substantial topics were involved.
Sandwich is set during a week of vacation but there are also many flashbacks, providing more insight into Rocky as a character. All of the characters felt realistic, and while I understood Rocky was coming to terms with this new stage of her life, she was too angsty for me — 3.5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Books for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Overall, I enjoyed this story which has themes of family, motherhood, and love. It explores a variety of relationships. This isn’t a long book and the conversation style was easy, even when more substantial topics were involved.
Sandwich is set during a week of vacation but there are also many flashbacks, providing more insight into Rocky as a character. All of the characters felt realistic, and while I understood Rocky was coming to terms with this new stage of her life, she was too angsty for me — 3.5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Books for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 25, 2024
Ahh, give me a story about a 50 year old woman, throw in menopause (identifiable & relatable), add poetic, entertaining, atmospheric writing and we have the perfect literary sandwich combo, worthy of gobbling up.
Sandwiched between generations - her now adult children and her loveable, aging parents, Rachel, aka Rocky takes us on a journey of a family annual week holiday at Cape Cod. There is self growth, passage, grief, relationships, family joy, loss, secrets and revelations to be had.
Written with incredibly clever humour but also with sweet, tender-heartedness. Rockys internal monologue curates memories from her own childhood, her marriage (early on and now) and raising her “perfect and beautiful” children.
It’s rare a book can make me laugh out loud and weep in equal measures as Sandwich did. Her candid vag and lady bits talk - told both from child bearing to her now old saggy aging one had me literally cackling - nearly all from my own similar experiences.
The raw and visceral emotion Newman brings to the narrative is written with unabashed vulnerability and introspection, seemingly deliberately and yet intricately observed.
“ Nick immediately pulls off his Red Sox T-shirt and Red Sox cap and asks Willa if she wants to swim. ‘Nah.’ She says. ‘I’m lazy. I’m just going to lay in the sun for a while.’ Nick catches my eye because lay instead of lie, but we don’t say anything because we’re trying not to be colonialist grammar-police fucktrumpets or what ever it is Willa has accused us of being.”
5 freaking stars 🌟
🤩 Huge thanks to the wonderful team @penguinbooksaus @catherinenewman for this absolute winner! 💌
Sandwiched between generations - her now adult children and her loveable, aging parents, Rachel, aka Rocky takes us on a journey of a family annual week holiday at Cape Cod. There is self growth, passage, grief, relationships, family joy, loss, secrets and revelations to be had.
Written with incredibly clever humour but also with sweet, tender-heartedness. Rockys internal monologue curates memories from her own childhood, her marriage (early on and now) and raising her “perfect and beautiful” children.
It’s rare a book can make me laugh out loud and weep in equal measures as Sandwich did. Her candid vag and lady bits talk - told both from child bearing to her now old saggy aging one had me literally cackling - nearly all from my own similar experiences.
The raw and visceral emotion Newman brings to the narrative is written with unabashed vulnerability and introspection, seemingly deliberately and yet intricately observed.
“ Nick immediately pulls off his Red Sox T-shirt and Red Sox cap and asks Willa if she wants to swim. ‘Nah.’ She says. ‘I’m lazy. I’m just going to lay in the sun for a while.’ Nick catches my eye because lay instead of lie, but we don’t say anything because we’re trying not to be colonialist grammar-police fucktrumpets or what ever it is Willa has accused us of being.”
5 freaking stars 🌟
🤩 Huge thanks to the wonderful team @penguinbooksaus @catherinenewman for this absolute winner! 💌
June 29, 2024
This book was annoying.
February 23, 2024
(3.5 stars) I could so relate to the narrator in this book. Rocky (short for Rachel) is caught between her aging parents, who are having health issues, and her adult children, who are facing major life events (including sexuality issues). Dealing with all of this, while herself going through menopause, leaves Rocky clinging to her good sense of humor for sanity.
Rocky’s family gets together annually at the beach in Cape Cod, in a beach house that is getting older along with everything/everyone else. Food is a central theme – Rocky makes delicious-sounding sandwiches for the beach and cooks up fabulous-sounding dinners. I’m pretty sure that the title, Sandwich, refers to the small town in Massachusetts, but it would also work for sandwiches, the food, and the fact that Rocky is sandwiched between her children and her parents. I enjoyed the naturally-flowing banter between the family members and could appreciate their reactions to the issues that arise throughout the week of vacation. There were certain hot topics that were dealt with that may turn some off (e.g., abortion), but I, personally, saw my views reflected back at me. This is a book for readers who enjoy quiet stories and witty banter. It should work particularly well for those in their 50s and 60s.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC.
Rocky’s family gets together annually at the beach in Cape Cod, in a beach house that is getting older along with everything/everyone else. Food is a central theme – Rocky makes delicious-sounding sandwiches for the beach and cooks up fabulous-sounding dinners. I’m pretty sure that the title, Sandwich, refers to the small town in Massachusetts, but it would also work for sandwiches, the food, and the fact that Rocky is sandwiched between her children and her parents. I enjoyed the naturally-flowing banter between the family members and could appreciate their reactions to the issues that arise throughout the week of vacation. There were certain hot topics that were dealt with that may turn some off (e.g., abortion), but I, personally, saw my views reflected back at me. This is a book for readers who enjoy quiet stories and witty banter. It should work particularly well for those in their 50s and 60s.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC.
June 24, 2024
Catherine Newman is a new author for me, but she's written quite a few books prior to this one. The description caught my interest, so I picked it up.
Description:
For the past two decades, Rocky has looked forward to her family’s yearly escape to Cape Cod. Their humble beach-town rental has been the site of sweet memories, sunny days, great meals, and messes of all kinds: emotional, marital, and—thanks to the cottage’s ancient plumbing—septic too.
This year’s vacation, with Rocky sandwiched between her half-grown kids and fully aging parents, promises to be just as delightful as summers past—except, perhaps, for Rocky’s hormonal bouts of rage and melancholy. (Hello, menopause!) Her body is changing—her life is, too. And then a chain of events sends Rocky into the past, reliving both the tenderness and sorrow of a handful of long-ago summers.
It's one precious week: everything is in balance; everything is in flux. And when Rocky comes face to face with her family’s history and future, she is forced to accept that she can no longer hide her secrets from the people she loves.
My Thoughts:
It is funny how secrets kept eat away at you over time, but they always seem to come out in the end. This book is a celebration of family and the interrelationships that evolve and build over time. You can be so close and loving and yet feel alone at times. Rocky is central to this book and menopause has hit her really hard. Things culminate during the family vacation at the beach where they stay in the same place they always stayed each year as a family. The book is filled with love and the memories the family has accumulated. And yet Rocky has a secret that is tearing her apart. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes books about family or books about keeping secrets.
Thanks to Harper through Netgalley for an advance copy.
Description:
For the past two decades, Rocky has looked forward to her family’s yearly escape to Cape Cod. Their humble beach-town rental has been the site of sweet memories, sunny days, great meals, and messes of all kinds: emotional, marital, and—thanks to the cottage’s ancient plumbing—septic too.
This year’s vacation, with Rocky sandwiched between her half-grown kids and fully aging parents, promises to be just as delightful as summers past—except, perhaps, for Rocky’s hormonal bouts of rage and melancholy. (Hello, menopause!) Her body is changing—her life is, too. And then a chain of events sends Rocky into the past, reliving both the tenderness and sorrow of a handful of long-ago summers.
It's one precious week: everything is in balance; everything is in flux. And when Rocky comes face to face with her family’s history and future, she is forced to accept that she can no longer hide her secrets from the people she loves.
My Thoughts:
It is funny how secrets kept eat away at you over time, but they always seem to come out in the end. This book is a celebration of family and the interrelationships that evolve and build over time. You can be so close and loving and yet feel alone at times. Rocky is central to this book and menopause has hit her really hard. Things culminate during the family vacation at the beach where they stay in the same place they always stayed each year as a family. The book is filled with love and the memories the family has accumulated. And yet Rocky has a secret that is tearing her apart. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes books about family or books about keeping secrets.
Thanks to Harper through Netgalley for an advance copy.
July 4, 2024
This book is getting a lot of attention and many five star reviews, so I had high hopes going into this story.
I was expecting a well rounded story about a family’s annual vacation to Cape Cod and a touching look at the interactions between the members and generations of this family. Unfortunately, it concentrated more on the topic of women’s reproductive health: pregnancy, miscarriage, abortion, and menopause.
It had some lighter moments, but I felt that the MC was way too annoying and narcissistic (even her family said she was).
Overall, I liked it. I just didn’t love it and would hesitate to recommend it.
I was expecting a well rounded story about a family’s annual vacation to Cape Cod and a touching look at the interactions between the members and generations of this family. Unfortunately, it concentrated more on the topic of women’s reproductive health: pregnancy, miscarriage, abortion, and menopause.
It had some lighter moments, but I felt that the MC was way too annoying and narcissistic (even her family said she was).
Overall, I liked it. I just didn’t love it and would hesitate to recommend it.
January 6, 2024
Sandwich by Catherine Newman. Thanks to @harperbooks for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Rocky has always looked forward to her family’s vacation at Cape Cod. This year her children are adults, but still young enough to need her, and her parents are getting older but healthy. She wants to value every moment of the vacation, but all families have secrets and a past.
Oh wow did I love this book. The characters are so perfectly imperfect, and I loved them all. I felt for Rocky and saw myself in her in ten years. This was really just the perfect read; full of love, tragedy, growth, a normal and imperfect marriage, and secrets. I cried at the end and this will be a difficult one to stop thinking about. Catherine Newnan is definitely a favorite author of mine after this and We All Want Impossible Things.
“What exactly are we doing here? Why do we love everyone so recklessly and then break our own hearts? And they don’t even break. They just swell, impossibly, with more love.”
Sandwich comes out 6/18.
Rocky has always looked forward to her family’s vacation at Cape Cod. This year her children are adults, but still young enough to need her, and her parents are getting older but healthy. She wants to value every moment of the vacation, but all families have secrets and a past.
Oh wow did I love this book. The characters are so perfectly imperfect, and I loved them all. I felt for Rocky and saw myself in her in ten years. This was really just the perfect read; full of love, tragedy, growth, a normal and imperfect marriage, and secrets. I cried at the end and this will be a difficult one to stop thinking about. Catherine Newnan is definitely a favorite author of mine after this and We All Want Impossible Things.
“What exactly are we doing here? Why do we love everyone so recklessly and then break our own hearts? And they don’t even break. They just swell, impossibly, with more love.”
Sandwich comes out 6/18.
July 14, 2024
stunning beautiful perfect nothing will ever compare
June 28, 2024
I know this got a lot of rave reviews and I know I'm in the minority, but I was so disappointed by this book. I didn't feel the book had much substance nor was it original, and I really don't get reviews saying it's witty. I guess I grew up in a home too dysfunctional to allow me to ignore my willing suspension of disbelief and think there exists such perfect families. It annoyed me. There's no real conflict. When the Mom doesn't want to deal with something she blurts out that she's having hot flashes and/or is menopausal. It was trite. Maybe she could have seen a doctor and tried to deal with her hormonal issues in some way rather than relying on making sandwiches to make her perfect life THE most perfect it could be. I rarely write reviews because I'd rather move onto my next read and, with the quantity of books I read, I feel my time could be better spent not giving my opinion on something everyone else has already given their opinion on. For once, I felt like I needed to justify my review since this has been touted as one of the best new reads. I've never had a perfect life and reading about people that do was really f'n boring to me. The only upside was that this was really short, so I didn't waste much time. And, I got it from the library, so I only wasted time but no money. In case the one-star review isn't indicative enough, I hated this book.
June 26, 2024
So boring. No plot. Ranty. Excessively political. Just liberal woke nonsense for no reason. I’m very pro-choice but I’m not interested in reading anymore books that are just someone’s social justice warrior project. I’m also done with books where women are written as complete idiots but miraculously they are so smart in their career but don’t have the good sense to get through 5 minute of real life.
June 19, 2024
Here, most likely is the best book of my reading year.
I feel heard and validated. It’s all I need.
Marriage, Motherhood, Menopause in all the wonder and horribleness.
*be warned that there is a lot of vag humor going down in these pages.
*be warned there is a smidgen or even a smattering of left leaning political agendizing going down in these pages and it centers around abortion. If that’s gonna make you mad, sad or otherwise spoil your day just leave this one on the shelf.
AS FOR ME, I adored this whole beautiful everything.
I feel heard and validated. It’s all I need.
Marriage, Motherhood, Menopause in all the wonder and horribleness.
*be warned that there is a lot of vag humor going down in these pages.
*be warned there is a smidgen or even a smattering of left leaning political agendizing going down in these pages and it centers around abortion. If that’s gonna make you mad, sad or otherwise spoil your day just leave this one on the shelf.
AS FOR ME, I adored this whole beautiful everything.
June 19, 2024
(3.5) Newman’s second novel for adults takes place during a week at Cape Cod, a popular Massachusetts beach resort. Rachel, nicknamed “Rocky,” is a fiftysomething mother to two young adults, Jamie and Willa. She and her husband Nick have been renting the same cottage for their family’s summer vacations for 20 years. Although Rocky narrates most of the novel in the first person, in the Prologue she paints the scene for the reader in the third person: “They’ve been coming here for so many years that there’s a watercolor wash over all of it now … pleasant, pastel memories of taffy, clam strips, and beachcombing.”
Also present are Maya, Jamie’s girlfriend; Rocky’s ageing parents; and Chicken the cat (can you imagine taking your cat on holiday?!). With such close quarters, it’s impossible to keep secrets. Over the week of merry eating and drinking, much swimming, and plenty of no-holds-barred conversations, some major drama emerges via both the oldies and the youngsters. And it’s not just present crises; the past is always with Rocky. Cape Cod has developed layers of emotional memories for her. She’s simultaneously nostalgic for her kids’ babyhood and delighted with the confident, intelligent grown-ups they’ve become. She’s grateful for the family she has, but also haunted by inherited trauma and pregnancy loss.
There couldn’t be more ideal reading for women in the so-called “sandwich generation” who have children growing towards independence as well as parents starting to struggle with infirmity. (The contemporary storyline of Barbara Kingsolver’s Unsheltered, which coincidentally is about a character named Willa, is comparable in that respect.) Newman is frank about Willa’s lesbianism and Rocky’s bisexuality, and she doesn’t hold back about the difficulties of menopause, either. Rocky is challenged to rethink her responsibilities as a daughter, wife and mother when she’s surrounded by equally strong-willed people who won’t do what she wants them to. The novel is so quirky, funny and relatable that it’s impossible not to sympathize with Rocky even if, like me, you’re in a very different life situation.
One observation I would make is that Rocky is virtually identical to Ash in Newman’s debut, We All Want Impossible Things, and to the author in real life (as I know from subscribing to her Substack). If you read even the most basic information about her, it’s clear that it’s all autofiction. That’s not an issue for me as I don’t think inventing is inherently superior to drawing from experience; some authors write what they know in a literal sense and that’s okay. So, for her fans, more of the same will be no problem at all. But it is a very particular voice: intense, scatty, purposely outrageous. Rocky is a protagonist who says things like, “How am I a feminist, an advocate for reproductive rights, Our Bodies, Ourselves, hear me roar, blah blah, and I am only just now learning about vaginal atrophy?” (A companion nonfiction read would be Nina Stibbe’s Went to London, Took the Dog.)
In outlook Newman reminds me a lot of Anne Lamott, who is equally forthright and whose books similarly juxtapose life’s joy and sorrows, especially in this late passage: “this may be the only reason we were put on this earth. To say to each other, I know how you feel.”
This is a sweet, fun, chatty book that’s about a summer break – and would be perfect to read on a summer break.
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
Also present are Maya, Jamie’s girlfriend; Rocky’s ageing parents; and Chicken the cat (can you imagine taking your cat on holiday?!). With such close quarters, it’s impossible to keep secrets. Over the week of merry eating and drinking, much swimming, and plenty of no-holds-barred conversations, some major drama emerges via both the oldies and the youngsters. And it’s not just present crises; the past is always with Rocky. Cape Cod has developed layers of emotional memories for her. She’s simultaneously nostalgic for her kids’ babyhood and delighted with the confident, intelligent grown-ups they’ve become. She’s grateful for the family she has, but also haunted by inherited trauma and pregnancy loss.
There couldn’t be more ideal reading for women in the so-called “sandwich generation” who have children growing towards independence as well as parents starting to struggle with infirmity. (The contemporary storyline of Barbara Kingsolver’s Unsheltered, which coincidentally is about a character named Willa, is comparable in that respect.) Newman is frank about Willa’s lesbianism and Rocky’s bisexuality, and she doesn’t hold back about the difficulties of menopause, either. Rocky is challenged to rethink her responsibilities as a daughter, wife and mother when she’s surrounded by equally strong-willed people who won’t do what she wants them to. The novel is so quirky, funny and relatable that it’s impossible not to sympathize with Rocky even if, like me, you’re in a very different life situation.
One observation I would make is that Rocky is virtually identical to Ash in Newman’s debut, We All Want Impossible Things, and to the author in real life (as I know from subscribing to her Substack). If you read even the most basic information about her, it’s clear that it’s all autofiction. That’s not an issue for me as I don’t think inventing is inherently superior to drawing from experience; some authors write what they know in a literal sense and that’s okay. So, for her fans, more of the same will be no problem at all. But it is a very particular voice: intense, scatty, purposely outrageous. Rocky is a protagonist who says things like, “How am I a feminist, an advocate for reproductive rights, Our Bodies, Ourselves, hear me roar, blah blah, and I am only just now learning about vaginal atrophy?” (A companion nonfiction read would be Nina Stibbe’s Went to London, Took the Dog.)
In outlook Newman reminds me a lot of Anne Lamott, who is equally forthright and whose books similarly juxtapose life’s joy and sorrows, especially in this late passage: “this may be the only reason we were put on this earth. To say to each other, I know how you feel.”
This is a sweet, fun, chatty book that’s about a summer break – and would be perfect to read on a summer break.
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
June 19, 2024
If you’re looking for a light, sweet, beachy read, as the cover of this book would infer, move along because this isn’t it.
This book, clocking in at a mere 240 pp, manages to smother you with miscarriages, abortion, grandparents killed by Nazis, a super woke obnoxious daughter, and way over here in 2024 there is even a mention of Covid and a request to wear a mask. It even goes as far as to mention Sandy Hook. Depressed yet? No? Ok, how about incessant talk of menopause?
I guess I wasn’t the right audience. Adding a star for the beautiful cover, as misleading as it was. And there were a couple of cute lines. All in all, I was underwhelmed.
This book, clocking in at a mere 240 pp, manages to smother you with miscarriages, abortion, grandparents killed by Nazis, a super woke obnoxious daughter, and way over here in 2024 there is even a mention of Covid and a request to wear a mask. It even goes as far as to mention Sandy Hook. Depressed yet? No? Ok, how about incessant talk of menopause?
I guess I wasn’t the right audience. Adding a star for the beautiful cover, as misleading as it was. And there were a couple of cute lines. All in all, I was underwhelmed.
July 3, 2024
When I heard Sandwich described as a story about a family on a summer vacation that they go on every year to the same location in the same rental house, and I was instantly interested - this is something that my family does, and I was looking forward to seeing a similar experience on the page in all of its messy, memorable, sometimes crazy and dramatic family vacation entirety. While I really enjoyed the writing style and structure, I ultimately found it really difficult to connect to the characters and couldn’t help a constant feeling that I was just the wrong audience for this story.
This book follows main character Rocky, a 54-year-old woman “sandwiched” between caring for her new adult children and aging parents during their annual family vacation to Cape Cod. Each chapter details a day, following Rocky, her husband Nick, and her two children Jamie and Willa during their vacation week. Over the course of the trip, relationships are tested, secrets are revealed, and a little drama ensues, but at the end of the day, family is family.
I’ve really struggled with my feelings about this book, because although there were definitely some nuggets of humor and enjoyment, I simply could not relate at all to Rocky or her family dynamics. Rocky is a perimenopausal mom, which we come to learn early in the story and are reminded of often as the author waxes poetic about menopause in all of its forms every couple pages. While the menopause jokes probably landed well with readers in the same stage of life, they got to the point of being obnoxious to this slightly younger reader who doesn’t yet have children. Rocky’s adult children (in their early 20s) were also a little disappointingly difficult for this reader to relate to in the way that they were incredibly open with their parents about their sex lives, to the point that Rocky and her daughter Willa go skinny-dipping together. I completely understand that every family is different, and to each their own with no judgment whatsoever, but that piece just felt unrealistic to me personally. The characters overall felt more like caricatures to me in the way that all of their emotions seemed a little exaggerated and how far removed they felt from the family that I am accustomed to.
The writing style was snappy and entertaining, and I’d be interested in reading more of Newman’s work that had a little broader appeal! I also enjoyed the concept of dividing the story into chapters with each chapter being a full day, but at the same time, the structure almost made it feel like vignettes rather than one cohesive story. Each day brought new drama or secrets revealed, but once the day was over some of those ‘big secrets’ were never really revisited.
All in all, while I enjoyed my reading experience well enough, I was left at the end wanting more. I wanted more depth in characters, more dimension to the story and more relatability (and less menopause). I think my experience with it ultimately came down to me not being part of the somewhat narrow target audience of perimenopausal mothers, and that’s ok! There are also trigger warnings for miscarriage and abortion for readers to take note of. Reader know thyself.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This book follows main character Rocky, a 54-year-old woman “sandwiched” between caring for her new adult children and aging parents during their annual family vacation to Cape Cod. Each chapter details a day, following Rocky, her husband Nick, and her two children Jamie and Willa during their vacation week. Over the course of the trip, relationships are tested, secrets are revealed, and a little drama ensues, but at the end of the day, family is family.
I’ve really struggled with my feelings about this book, because although there were definitely some nuggets of humor and enjoyment, I simply could not relate at all to Rocky or her family dynamics. Rocky is a perimenopausal mom, which we come to learn early in the story and are reminded of often as the author waxes poetic about menopause in all of its forms every couple pages. While the menopause jokes probably landed well with readers in the same stage of life, they got to the point of being obnoxious to this slightly younger reader who doesn’t yet have children. Rocky’s adult children (in their early 20s) were also a little disappointingly difficult for this reader to relate to in the way that they were incredibly open with their parents about their sex lives, to the point that Rocky and her daughter Willa go skinny-dipping together. I completely understand that every family is different, and to each their own with no judgment whatsoever, but that piece just felt unrealistic to me personally. The characters overall felt more like caricatures to me in the way that all of their emotions seemed a little exaggerated and how far removed they felt from the family that I am accustomed to.
The writing style was snappy and entertaining, and I’d be interested in reading more of Newman’s work that had a little broader appeal! I also enjoyed the concept of dividing the story into chapters with each chapter being a full day, but at the same time, the structure almost made it feel like vignettes rather than one cohesive story. Each day brought new drama or secrets revealed, but once the day was over some of those ‘big secrets’ were never really revisited.
All in all, while I enjoyed my reading experience well enough, I was left at the end wanting more. I wanted more depth in characters, more dimension to the story and more relatability (and less menopause). I think my experience with it ultimately came down to me not being part of the somewhat narrow target audience of perimenopausal mothers, and that’s ok! There are also trigger warnings for miscarriage and abortion for readers to take note of. Reader know thyself.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
June 18, 2024
This book was not for me, so unfortunately it's a DNF.
Sandwich centers around a family's yearly Cape Cod vacation. The narrator is Rocky/Rachel, who is in the throes of menopause, while also learning to navigate relating to her adult children and taking care of her aging parents.
I made it a little over 25% of the way through the book, but I just had a really difficult time finding the motivation to keep going. The writing is sharp and quick-witted, but sometimes jarring. The MC would just randomly throw in a crude or disturbing sentence in the middle of describing what would otherwise be the normal events of a family vacation. I think this can be partly attributed to the almost stream-of-consciousness way that the story is told; sometimes, there's just no filter.
What also made it difficult was just how mean the MC would be when interacting with family members, especially her husband. I understand that this can all be blamed on menopause. But it became almost impossible to be sympathetic to the MC at times because not only would her actions be mean and unprovoked, but her thoughts would be equally as mean.
I think I came in expecting this book to be a lighthearted beach read that would make me want to visit Cape Cod for the summer, but I just didn't get that vibe. However, I do think this book would appeal to readers who are in a similar stage of life to the MC (or have a loved one who is going through it).
Special thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers for sharing this digital ARC with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Sandwich centers around a family's yearly Cape Cod vacation. The narrator is Rocky/Rachel, who is in the throes of menopause, while also learning to navigate relating to her adult children and taking care of her aging parents.
I made it a little over 25% of the way through the book, but I just had a really difficult time finding the motivation to keep going. The writing is sharp and quick-witted, but sometimes jarring. The MC would just randomly throw in a crude or disturbing sentence in the middle of describing what would otherwise be the normal events of a family vacation. I think this can be partly attributed to the almost stream-of-consciousness way that the story is told; sometimes, there's just no filter.
What also made it difficult was just how mean the MC would be when interacting with family members, especially her husband. I understand that this can all be blamed on menopause. But it became almost impossible to be sympathetic to the MC at times because not only would her actions be mean and unprovoked, but her thoughts would be equally as mean.
I think I came in expecting this book to be a lighthearted beach read that would make me want to visit Cape Cod for the summer, but I just didn't get that vibe. However, I do think this book would appeal to readers who are in a similar stage of life to the MC (or have a loved one who is going through it).
Special thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers for sharing this digital ARC with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
July 14, 2024
SANDWICH is a poignant story that resonated with me, as I'm in the same boat as the main character Rocky, sandwiched between aging parents and new adult children. Not everything she went through was relatable to me, but I found myself nodding my head in agreement or in empathy for most of the book, as she navigated this moment of middle-age. I could definitely understand her nostalgia for the past. This is a wonderful character-driven story with many humorous passages balanced with ones that made me teary-eyed. Perhaps it's because I'm reading this at just the right time in my life, but I adored this book.
June 27, 2024
Might be the Worst Book I’ve Read this Year ( And I Read About 5/week)
Reading this was painful, I had to force myself to finish. Mostly a monologue about one woman’s struggle with her feminine body; abortion, depression, menopause, etc. There really is no generational sandwich, other than the one she creates in her head. Her children are of age and live independently, her parents are elderly but live independently. Her husband should be given a hero award for sticking with her. I can think of nothing positive to say about this book other than I finished it.
Reading this was painful, I had to force myself to finish. Mostly a monologue about one woman’s struggle with her feminine body; abortion, depression, menopause, etc. There really is no generational sandwich, other than the one she creates in her head. Her children are of age and live independently, her parents are elderly but live independently. Her husband should be given a hero award for sticking with her. I can think of nothing positive to say about this book other than I finished it.
June 24, 2024
On What should you read next summer guide and I read the previous book by this author and loved it though had some parts I didn’t like.
This is hard to rate…. This author is a brilliant writer and she absolutely nails writing about certain emotions and subjects so absolutely beautiful and I want to give her all the stars. For example, this book is set she the author is 50 and it’s their summer vacation to cape cod and she talks about all their summer vacations here and she talks so well about the layers and different stages they were in… and I have felt all those things.i loved how she writes about families and their dynamics… perfection…. 5 stars to those parts.
BUT
Her worldview and what she believes as portrayed through her characters is so so an opposite spectrum… compiling with all the correct labels and choices and rights and oh how she talked about abortion made me want to puke and how she talked about women and me. And oh her daughter …. So pointing out all that is not what you say and rights and rights and ugh. It was like she gave you this family that is doing all the accepting g and you could still see all the struggle and still not happy still not satisfied… still empty and loss because just getting those things you want doesn’t make it right or easier… there still is longing and need because you need Jesus… all this which was so much of the book gets one star… but I will say… I am glad I read it to just hear this very liberal accepting agenda and how it’s never enough… and to hear how they feel about things.
Would not recommend which sucks because some parts were perfection.
This is hard to rate…. This author is a brilliant writer and she absolutely nails writing about certain emotions and subjects so absolutely beautiful and I want to give her all the stars. For example, this book is set she the author is 50 and it’s their summer vacation to cape cod and she talks about all their summer vacations here and she talks so well about the layers and different stages they were in… and I have felt all those things.i loved how she writes about families and their dynamics… perfection…. 5 stars to those parts.
BUT
Her worldview and what she believes as portrayed through her characters is so so an opposite spectrum… compiling with all the correct labels and choices and rights and oh how she talked about abortion made me want to puke and how she talked about women and me. And oh her daughter …. So pointing out all that is not what you say and rights and rights and ugh. It was like she gave you this family that is doing all the accepting g and you could still see all the struggle and still not happy still not satisfied… still empty and loss because just getting those things you want doesn’t make it right or easier… there still is longing and need because you need Jesus… all this which was so much of the book gets one star… but I will say… I am glad I read it to just hear this very liberal accepting agenda and how it’s never enough… and to hear how they feel about things.
Would not recommend which sucks because some parts were perfection.
June 27, 2024
My children may not be the age of Rocky's children in this novel (early 20s), but I've been parenting long enough to know how quickly time flies and how, before I know it, they will be.
I suppose I'll be due for a re-read of this little gem by then. Honestly, maybe I'll pick it back up again every year of my 40s because this novel does a BEAUTIFUL job capturing that "sandwich" era of a woman's life between raising children to adulthood and taking care of one's elderly parents.
I'm a firm believer the best books—the ones that stamp a permanent mark on your heart—find you right when you need them. In that respect, given the rather hard season I currently find myself, there is this sentiment Catherine shares in Sandwich that so perfectly encapsulates my Summer 2024 experience that it darn near made me weep:
"Despair laced through with so much incredibly beauty. We just keep showing up for each other. Even through the mystery of other people's grief. What else is there?"
A Top 10 read of 2024 for me, without question.
I suppose I'll be due for a re-read of this little gem by then. Honestly, maybe I'll pick it back up again every year of my 40s because this novel does a BEAUTIFUL job capturing that "sandwich" era of a woman's life between raising children to adulthood and taking care of one's elderly parents.
I'm a firm believer the best books—the ones that stamp a permanent mark on your heart—find you right when you need them. In that respect, given the rather hard season I currently find myself, there is this sentiment Catherine shares in Sandwich that so perfectly encapsulates my Summer 2024 experience that it darn near made me weep:
"Despair laced through with so much incredibly beauty. We just keep showing up for each other. Even through the mystery of other people's grief. What else is there?"
A Top 10 read of 2024 for me, without question.
January 29, 2024
I'm honestly not sure how I feel about this book. It takes place over the course of one week on Vacation, and is mainly a character study of a middle aged wife and mother. The dialogue was on point, but I felt like there could have just been more meat to the story. I guessed at some of the secrets that were exposed during the week, and it just felt very one dimensional to me.
June 7, 2024
I fell in love with Catherine Newman's previous book, We All Want Different Things, so I was thrilled to read her latest offering.
The writing is just as exceptional as that book, so I think it's safe to say that is just what we can now expect from this author.
I also loved the characters, connecting with them right from the start of the book. The plot was a little slower pace at times0, but the other 2 elements make up for it.
I'll read anything Newman writes in the future!
The writing is just as exceptional as that book, so I think it's safe to say that is just what we can now expect from this author.
I also loved the characters, connecting with them right from the start of the book. The plot was a little slower pace at times0, but the other 2 elements make up for it.
I'll read anything Newman writes in the future!
March 4, 2024
This was fantastic and I'm positive this will be on my top ten books of 2024.
Taking place over their annual week-long vacation at the beach, this story focuses on Rachel (aka Rocky), filled with menopausal rage and immense love for her children; Nick, her easy-going husband; their two almost-grown children, Jamie and Willa; and Maya, the son's long-time girlfriend. Later in the story, Rocky's aging parents join them for a few nights and secrets emerge, especially a big one Rocky has held for years.
The entire package was yummy: the Cape Cod setting, the cast of gloriously imperfect characters, the food (sandwiches!), and the irresistible cover. The witty banter and poignant musings had me either laughing hysterically or a few pages later mopping a few tears.
I have no idea if the author intended this interpretation, but years ago, when Warren Zevon was interviewed during his last days, David Letterman asked him what he had learned in life, and looking into the camera lens, Zevon said, "Enjoy every sandwich."
This is a no-brainer for fans of Ann Patchett (only with more humor), but also for those who enjoy a good family drama such as The Paper Palace, The Interestings, and The Nest. Also, fans of authors who write about family dynamics such as J. Courtney Sullivan and Sue Miller may want to try all of this author’s books. It's perfect for women's book discussion groups.
Thanks to the publisher for the advanced digital reading copy. Due to be published June 2024.
Taking place over their annual week-long vacation at the beach, this story focuses on Rachel (aka Rocky), filled with menopausal rage and immense love for her children; Nick, her easy-going husband; their two almost-grown children, Jamie and Willa; and Maya, the son's long-time girlfriend. Later in the story, Rocky's aging parents join them for a few nights and secrets emerge, especially a big one Rocky has held for years.
The entire package was yummy: the Cape Cod setting, the cast of gloriously imperfect characters, the food (sandwiches!), and the irresistible cover. The witty banter and poignant musings had me either laughing hysterically or a few pages later mopping a few tears.
I have no idea if the author intended this interpretation, but years ago, when Warren Zevon was interviewed during his last days, David Letterman asked him what he had learned in life, and looking into the camera lens, Zevon said, "Enjoy every sandwich."
This is a no-brainer for fans of Ann Patchett (only with more humor), but also for those who enjoy a good family drama such as The Paper Palace, The Interestings, and The Nest. Also, fans of authors who write about family dynamics such as J. Courtney Sullivan and Sue Miller may want to try all of this author’s books. It's perfect for women's book discussion groups.
Thanks to the publisher for the advanced digital reading copy. Due to be published June 2024.
June 28, 2024
Catherine Newman’s Sandwich is a delightful blend of wit and tenderness, family and change. This story follows Rocky on an annual Cape Cod vacation with her husband Nick and their adult kids, Willa and Jaime. In a witty tone, Rocky takes us through their daily itinerary of their beach outings, tram rides, septic tank mishaps, open conversations, and sandwich making. Her narrative is filled with humor, particularly in her commentary on menopause. Rocky's perspective is a refreshing take on the middle years of life, with witty insights and relatable struggles of raising children. Her dynamic with Nick, even when they bicker, is filled with flirtatious banter.
Newman’s writing reminds me of Nora Ephron’s humor, especially in I Feel Bad About My Neck, with some chapters similar to the reflective tone of Ann Patchett's Tom Lake. The humor is spot on, with moments that had me laughing out loud, particularly during Rocky’s rants about the injustices of menopause. One memorable quote that stood out was Rocky’s outburst about the pressures women face:
"Women have to do all the hard things and take care of everybody and pay attention to everything all the time and be soft and open and f*ckable! It’s so infuriating!”
Nick’s calm and collected responses are a perfect counterbalance to Rocky’s fiery and neurotic nature. Willa also has a wonderful sense of humor, and Rocky’s parents who join later are funny without even trying. Grandpa goes for a dip, and says “do not take photographs of me and put them on google.”
The novel has tender moments too, from heartfelt conversations with “woke” Willa, unexpected events, including secrets being discovered and health scares. Rocky often reflects to the earlier years when their children were young and mourns the loss of time, grateful for the time she spends with them now.
Sandwich is a small book with a big heart, and I found it incredibly relatable as a new empty nester in my middle adult years. Newman is a new author for me and commend her ability to blend humor with genuine emotion and sentimentality in a fantastic setting. This is a great summer read and highly recommend it for anyone looking for a heartfelt, funny, and relatable novel.
Newman’s writing reminds me of Nora Ephron’s humor, especially in I Feel Bad About My Neck, with some chapters similar to the reflective tone of Ann Patchett's Tom Lake. The humor is spot on, with moments that had me laughing out loud, particularly during Rocky’s rants about the injustices of menopause. One memorable quote that stood out was Rocky’s outburst about the pressures women face:
"Women have to do all the hard things and take care of everybody and pay attention to everything all the time and be soft and open and f*ckable! It’s so infuriating!”
Nick’s calm and collected responses are a perfect counterbalance to Rocky’s fiery and neurotic nature. Willa also has a wonderful sense of humor, and Rocky’s parents who join later are funny without even trying. Grandpa goes for a dip, and says “do not take photographs of me and put them on google.”
The novel has tender moments too, from heartfelt conversations with “woke” Willa, unexpected events, including secrets being discovered and health scares. Rocky often reflects to the earlier years when their children were young and mourns the loss of time, grateful for the time she spends with them now.
Sandwich is a small book with a big heart, and I found it incredibly relatable as a new empty nester in my middle adult years. Newman is a new author for me and commend her ability to blend humor with genuine emotion and sentimentality in a fantastic setting. This is a great summer read and highly recommend it for anyone looking for a heartfelt, funny, and relatable novel.
June 30, 2024
Sandwich is a wonderful, poignant book about a family's annual trip to Cape Cod. This book has everything and I honestly can't see anyone not falling in love with this book. I was laughing throughout the book as I could relate to so much of what was going on. I was also crying at times thinking of some of the things we all have to deal with in our lives. This is my first book by Catherine Newman, but won't be my last. I am a lifelong fan now and look forward to reading more from her.
Rocky aka Rachel has looked forward to her family's trip to Cape Cod all year. It's her favorite time of year as the "kids" who are now young adults come back, her parents join them for a few days, and the week goes by way too fast. Rocky and her husband Nick have been renting the same cottage since the kids were toddlers. It has some issues, but they're familiar with. it, and don't want to change a thing. Rocky is at an age where she's halfway between her adult kids and her parents. She's still missing the kids living at home and she's worried about her parents as their age is showing more than it has before.
As a woman of a similar age to Rocky I could so relate to everything in this book. Rocky wants to control everything, keep her kids safe, keep her parents healthy, and none of us have that ability. This is such a great book. The scene in the cottage bathroom in the beginning kept me laughing for quite awhile. My family rented a place that had similar issues, but we loved it, and kept going back. Sandwich is the perfect summer read and I encourage everyone to read it! I rate Sandwich 5 stars with my highest recommendation. I'd like to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishing for an advanced copy of Sandwich in exchange for a fair review. #Sandwich
Rocky aka Rachel has looked forward to her family's trip to Cape Cod all year. It's her favorite time of year as the "kids" who are now young adults come back, her parents join them for a few days, and the week goes by way too fast. Rocky and her husband Nick have been renting the same cottage since the kids were toddlers. It has some issues, but they're familiar with. it, and don't want to change a thing. Rocky is at an age where she's halfway between her adult kids and her parents. She's still missing the kids living at home and she's worried about her parents as their age is showing more than it has before.
As a woman of a similar age to Rocky I could so relate to everything in this book. Rocky wants to control everything, keep her kids safe, keep her parents healthy, and none of us have that ability. This is such a great book. The scene in the cottage bathroom in the beginning kept me laughing for quite awhile. My family rented a place that had similar issues, but we loved it, and kept going back. Sandwich is the perfect summer read and I encourage everyone to read it! I rate Sandwich 5 stars with my highest recommendation. I'd like to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishing for an advanced copy of Sandwich in exchange for a fair review. #Sandwich
July 3, 2024
Just no.
There is a difference between taking artistic license and then there is just flat out distasteful. This is the latter for so many reasons. I don’t even know where to begin.
Between the non-traditional dialogue writing style and vivid descriptions of the morning after pill, miscarriage of her child in the ocean, abortions (picking up blood clots in the toilet and all), I will probably burn this book on the local Cape Cod beach nearby just for redemptive purposes. Not to mention the Oedipal relationships with her kids. I don’t understand the love for this book whatsoever.
I would give this book zero stars if I could. Worst book that I have read in a very long time.
There is a difference between taking artistic license and then there is just flat out distasteful. This is the latter for so many reasons. I don’t even know where to begin.
Between the non-traditional dialogue writing style and vivid descriptions of the morning after pill, miscarriage of her child in the ocean, abortions (picking up blood clots in the toilet and all), I will probably burn this book on the local Cape Cod beach nearby just for redemptive purposes. Not to mention the Oedipal relationships with her kids. I don’t understand the love for this book whatsoever.
I would give this book zero stars if I could. Worst book that I have read in a very long time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2024
Oh, my heart!
Family, motherhood, aging, loss, grief, letting go….
I felt every word of this gorgeous book.
“You’re never done being someone’s mom, ever. Are you?”
Family, motherhood, aging, loss, grief, letting go….
I felt every word of this gorgeous book.
“You’re never done being someone’s mom, ever. Are you?”
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