Judy's Reviews > Sandwich

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.