Rocky gets the family together for one last summer week in Cape Cod in the cottage they have rented since forever. This includes her steady husband, her mouthy high school senior daughter, her older son and his girlfriend. Her hormones are acting up and she alternates between tender feelings for her kids (who are no longer children,) and inexplicable rage at her husband for not showing his emotions. But she has enough feelings for two, especially since in the past, she had tried and failed to have more children. When they are joined by Rocky's parents for their requisite two night visit, things get more complicated as the cottage has less room. Decisions are made, illnesses are revealed, and secrets unfold as their week ticks by and Rocky learns a few lessons on how to cope.
The title "Sandwich" has many meanings-of course it is a beach town in Cape Cod, but also the family is sandwiched together in their cottage, Rocky is a member of the sandwich generation, taking care of her parents and children, and she actually delights in making sandwiches for the family. Newman certainly gets the Cape Cod flavor right, throwing in such references as the Cape Cod Rail Trail and beach roses which can be foraged. But it is not merely a formulaic summer beach read, it is primarily a hard lesson in letting go.

I love this book so much, ‘Sandwich’ made me laugh out loud on so many occasions! I have visited Cape Cod for vacation and the whole ambiance is captured perfectly by Catherine Newman as we follow Nick, Rocky and their grown up family for a week on the Cape.
Funny, heartbreaking, heartwarming, a perfect summer read.

4.5 stars rounded down. A total and complete delight. I was enthralled with this book right away. Maybe because I’m a similar age sandwiched between adult kids + aging parents. Maybe because it all felt so real. Either way, I enjoyed the simultaneously heartwarming and sorrowful feelings this book shared. That’s life, isn’t it? Joy and sorrow in the same moments?

The other part of this book I very much enjoyed is that it was broken down into days. This helped keep the timing in my mind and show the range that a single day can have. Definitely a highlight of the book, for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper for the book. All opinions are my own.

I thought going in that this might be a "light" book. In some ways it was, but there is also some heavy material covered here. I related to many of the issues explored (being of a similar age as the narrator), but my feelings about this narrator where conflicted. Sometimes I really got her and felt like I was reading about myself, and others, I just found her a bit mean (especially toward her golden retriever of a husband). Although, on the other hand, I think that is part of what was intended---exploring all sides of emotion, riding the menopause wave (which I don't think hit me as hard as it seems to her), and the realization that life and love are complex. Overall, I did enjoy this book, especially the bittersweetness of grown children and the fact that being a parent never stops, no matter how old they are or how well-adjusted they are. Thank you NetGalley and publishers for providing a digital ARC for review.

Catherine Newman is an automatic must-read for me so when I saw her newest novel I couldn't wait to read it! Sandwich has all the hallmarks of Newman's previous novel, including messy, fully human characters and astute observations about life and time, especially as it relates to families. I find myself wanting to write down all these trusisms, even as they are a punch to the gut. Highly recommend!

It was such a pleasure to read this heartfelt family story, featuring Rocky, who is in the "sandwich" generation, caring for her aging parents and her adult children, not to mention herself and her husband. Each year, her family spends a week in the same charming old cottage on Cape Cod. This year, there are lots of changes, and Rocky finds herself reflecting on the past and worrying about the future. The author takes her time building the story, and the payoff is all the richer for it. A "beach read" that will make you laugh and cry.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

This is the story of Rocky who is sandwiched between having to care for elderly parents and not-grown children while on a vacation at their yearly escape at Cape Cod.

I loved all the details of what it means to be taking care of all the people who depend on you while also experiencing your own aging and grieving process. I thought the characters were thee dimensional and interesting.

If you're at the same phase of life, and I am, this is one of those books you read and feel seen and not alone. It makes you laugh and cry and scream out loud.

At the same time, I felt like some of the dialogue read more like a speech/preaching to the audience. It didn't feel as natural. I think this book will be well loved by people who are experiencing the same phase of life and maybe not as deeply understood by those who are not there yet.

with gratitude to netgalley and Harper for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to Harper for the free ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review! This is out June 18!

Rocky and her family (husband, two adult children, her son’s GF, and her parents) all make their yearly trek to Cape Cod for the week, a tradition they have been repeating every year. Over the course of the week, we dive into the mundanity of a family on vacation and all the simple pleasures - home made sandwiches, rainy days inside being lazy, treks to the beach, midnight swims. But with Eocky firmly in middle age and going through menopause, she can’t help but feel stuck - she loves her husband but he infuriates her, she is proud of her adult children but doesn’t want them to leave her, and feels like she still doesn’t know her parents even though her time with them is limited. Amongst all this is a secret she’s kept for years that she doesn’t know if she can keep anymore.

A very solid beach read. The writing was excellent and this is extremely character driven. Rocky’s voice is very strong - HOWEVER - this also made me not relate so much to the character, mostly because she really dives into menopause and the side effects in great detail and it…kind of bummed me out? I’d prefer to remain oblivious to how now fun that whole process is until I actually have to go through it, but that’s just me. I loved the parts where it was just time spent with family (so cozy and feel good) and the descriptions of food were *chefs kiss*. I’ve read so many books set in Massachusetts in the summer and this one ranks up there with them all - loved the setting, loved the food, love the stories of people on vacation there.

I loved this by novel about a middle-aged woman sandwiched between her elderly parents and young adult children. Told over the course of a one-week summer vacation on Cape Cod, Sandwich made me laugh and cry and feel seen, all while dealing with some tough, timely topics. I keep recommending this to everyone -- I loved it so very much.

I requested Sandwich because I love reading books set in Cape Cod. This book packs a lot into a pretty short time, and I went on a bit of a journey with it.

Suffice it to say that Catherin Newman explores the vast experiences of a woman through the lens of her fertility. This book explores the rage, regret, love, and grief that women and mothers can experience in a moment.

While the kids remained a bit one-dimensional (and the husband could have been made of cardboard, but some husbands are close to that in reality, too), Rocky's tumultuous internal experience has more than enough action. Unlike some of the more navel-gazey reflections on what it means to be a woman, I appreciated that we saw Rocky imperfectly attempt to untangle a life of worry, stress, and uncertainty in a mostly messy way.

In the end, I think this is an important read, and, well... I am really dreading menopause. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sandwich, by Catherine Newman
Thank you to Harper and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

Motherhood, marriage, and menopause interweave in this book about an annual summer week vacation with a family of four.
The prologue zooms in on Cape Cod as if from a distance, focusing gradually on a car, then the people in it: “Rocky” (Rachel), her husband, Nick, and their two grown children, Willa, 20 and Jamie, 24, and Jamie’s long-time girlfriend, Maya. The story continues in Rocky’s voice, the 54-year-old who is halfway – sandwiched - between her adult children and her aging parents, the only other characters who appear in the book.

The week begins with an overflowing toilet, which leads Rocky to jump on the bathtub, only to fall and pull the curtain rod off the wall, which lands in Nick’s face. There are other mishaps, mostly minor, that continue through the week and the story, emblematic of the clumsiness of body and mind Rocky is experiencing.

As the days go on, the self-searching story unspools, moving back and forth between revisiting the children’s baby- and toddler-hood, Rocky’s anxiety about them throughout their lives, her deep love but ambivalence toward Nick, her lost pregnancies, her beloved parents, and the unexpected rage that menopause seems to be stirring.

Told with humor and deep affection, especially between Rocky and her daughter, the week helps Rocky find some resolution for issues of loss that have plagued her since childhood. It is a satisfying and enjoyable read, with insights many of us can appreciate.

By turns touching, heartbreaking, hilarious, and so so sweet. A lovely family drama that takes place over a week's vacation in Cape Cod, told from the point of view of the mom, Rocky, sandwiched between her aging parents and her twenty-something year old kids. I loved the daughter and loved their relationship so much. It all felt so real, so slice-of-life. Quick, very enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed this book. It was different than anything else I've read recently. I couldn't put it down! I will keep an eye out for this author's future work!

Sandwich
by CAtherine Newman
Pub DAte: JUne 18, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
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.
Great book! I laughed, I cried- I felt.
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.
HIghly recommend.

This book felt so familiar to me as someone who knows these characters in real life. I enjoyed Catherine's writing for the most part; her wit and honesty shine through. However, it took quite awhile to get into the story and I found myself wanting something more out of the read.

This book had so much going for it, but it seemed as though there were just too many sub-plots that took away from what could have been a great story.

Based on the description, I was really excited to read this book, however, I agree with another reviewer - I got bogged down in many places and had no idea what the character was talking about. This is a quick read, but there were a LOT of pages I skipped over.

I’ have so many conflicting opinions about Sandwich, by Catherine Newman. This was really your typical family. Willa, the daughter/sister, was very likeable. She seemed to have her head together the best out of the 7 family members. Her brother, Jaimie, was a nice kid with not much personality. Nick, the dad, was bland and just there.. He didn’t add anything to the story, Rachel, the mom/wife was a little bit of a nut and kind of annoyed me. In some ways, I could relate to her feeling sandwiched between her elderly parents and her young adult kids, but sometimes I had no idea what she was rambling on about. It’s a quick read that I would tell someone to definitely read it and decide for themselves if they like it. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC of Sandwich, by Catherine Newman.

This was a hilarious, quick-witted, story set in beautiful Cape Cod. The location itself becomes another character in the story. The topic of menopause is handled originally and with great humor. A fun summer read.

To the extent this novel is about menopause, it’s perfectly timed. Menopause is the new black and here’s a funny short novel that captures some of the crazy feelings, bodily responses and mood swings that go with it. So far, so appealing. But then there’s the rhapsodic love for children and family, delivered with such intensity and repetitiveness that it crosses the line, from “usual American preoccupation” to something obsessive and wildly over the top. Is the author sending it up, or just gilding the lily? Whatever, for this reader, the emotional intensity was a step too far. Otherwise, the novel’s good humor and excellent dialogue carries it a long way. So, more of the latter and less of the former, for me, please.