This short but wonderful novel, only my second 5 star of the year, takes place during one week of a family vacation on Cape Cod. It’s told from the perspective of Rocky (short for Rachel), a woman in her 50s who is spending the week in the same house her family has rented for 20 years, with her husband, two 20-something kids and one of their girlfriends, cat, and for a few days her parents as well. It’s character-driven, but at the same time it feels like lot stuff happens, both in the present day and in revelations about the past.

And wow, I don’t know if everyone will respond to this book the way I did, but I just felt this one down to my bones. I’m about 5 years behind Rocky, both in age and my kids’ ages, but it just all felt so relatable - I also vacationed on cape cod for 10 years, I also feel both grateful my kids are older and yet nostalgic for their youth, I also love my husband so much but find him annoying, I also love my parents so much but worry about them getting older, I’m also starting that perimenopause journey, etc. There is of course also much about the story that I can’t personally relate to, but I just felt like I completely knew and understood Rocky and couldn’t believe how well she and the other characters came to life in a book that’s only 240 pages.

Literally, I don’t think there was a single chapter that I read without marveling at a line, without tears in my eyes, laughing, or the best of all, laughing with tears in my eyes. And of course I finished it crying as well. No surprise that I love Catherine Newman’s writing - her first book, We All Want Impossible Things was one of my top ten books of 2023. And beyond that, in a first for me, she wrote a book review for The NY Times Book Review which was so good I sent her a fan letter (ok, an Instagram DM) for the book review. Her writing is just that awesome.

This book was a wonderful, heartfelt story. It made me feel as if I were sitting on the beach with Rocky and her family and enjoying their inside jokes and stories of their many summers spent on the beach at their rental in MA.

Rocky's story alternates between appreciating time spent with her adult children and their current struggles as well as bittersweet memories of when she was a young mother.

I adored this, I adored this so much.
We follow Rocky and her family as they take their family tradition vacation to Cape Cod. It is one week full of feelings, secrets, laughter, and sandwiches.
Rocky is full of emotion. She loves so much and isn’t afraid to show it, cries at the little -and not so little- things. Her family is absolutely everything to her. She fusses over her adult children, loves her sometimes aloof husband, and worries dearly for her aging parents. And while she puts all of this energy out for others, she is still coming to terms with choices that she made in her past, choices that nobody knows about.
This is a story full of so much heart. There is banter, uncovered familial trauma, days spent lounging on the beach, a cat named Chicken, and at the root of it all…the unconditional and raw love that a mother has for her children.
This is one that I could read again and again and again and cherish every single second of it.
THE book of summer 2024.

4.5/5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of these thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was just not my cup of tea. I found it to be on the monotonous side and slightly boring. There seemed to be some weird family drama and dynamics that were discussed way more than needed.

This coming of age story about a mother looking back on her past and toward her future was excellent, At first it took me a minute to get used to the writing style because it was a bit chaotic, but then it fell into a rhythm and I felt like I was the main character. She was so relatable and real. This book may not be for everyone, but as a mother of late teens myself it was thoroughly enjoyable.

FIVE STARS! I loved every word of this book. This is a novel about a couple with two young adult children on their annual cottage vacation. It's so funny and warm and relatable and just perfect. The publisher kindly sent me an electronic arc and I loved it so much I'm purchasing a physical copy to keep. Yes, I loved it so much I need it within reach at all times. You will love it too.

I loved this book and will recommend to library patrons seeking warm-hearted and real fiction that focuses on women's issues and familial love. This book is funny and touching with characters that feel plucked from real life. Enjoyable and also meaningful.

Within the first few pages of this book, I was texting all my friends telling them how amazing it was. I read the entire book in an afternoon. The author so perfectly captures summers on the Cape. From medicine cabinets that contain Jean Nate, old sunscreen, and random bandaids, but no Tecnu to mornings with the Spelling Bee and outdoor showers. I kept stopping to read excerpts to my friends on the beach.

And then the books gets deeper and delves into how it feels to be a woman in menopause and how it feels to be a woman and a mother in general. How sometimes we just need a little space and sometimes we need a hug....

I loved this book. It's so well-written and evocative. I think it's the book of the summer. One of my friends has already pre-ordered it!

Because I read and loved We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman, I couldn't wait to read her next novel, Sandwich. I so enjoyed laughing and crying along with Rocky and her family: solid husband Nick, snarky twentysomething daughter Willa, wise adult Jamie and his sweet girlfriend Maya. The family is spending their annual summer vacation at a beach house on Cape Cod where they swim, nap, play games and eat ice cream. The grandparents join in for a few days creating the aforementioned "sandwich." I wanted to spend even more time with this quirky, funny, sweet and loving family, but I'll settle for a week. Maybe we could revisit them at a holiday gathering?

Catherine Newman's writing is so poignant and beautiful. I highlighted lots of quotes including, "This is how it is to love somebody. You tell them the truth. You lie a little. And sometimes you don't say anything at all." The author tugs on heartstrings and just nails emotional complexity so accurately. I can't wait to read her next novel. This is in my top three books of 2024 so far.

I will recommend this to readers who like women's fiction with a literary emphasis.

Many thanks to Harper and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sandwich is my first read from Catherine Newman. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I really enjoyed reading this and getting to know the characters. I found myself being able to relate to the characters and the chapters are short (which I love).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this digital ARC.

I absolutely loved this beach read! I fell in love with the characters right from the beginning. I absolutely adored the setting. It was so well written. The plot was connectable. I highly recommend this book!

This gorgeous, funny, heartbreaking book!! It is poetic catnip for the anxiety-ridden, menopausal, empty-nesting mothers who loves their children so much, they desperately want to gobble them whole.

first, a warning: … not a lot happens. Which is also ridiculous because SO MUCH HAPPENS in 200 words. But imagine going on a weeklong vacation with a family you don’t know, and just observing the strange habits, traditions and in jokes they’ve spent lifetimes developing. Sounds horribly tedious, right?

It’s not. I’m 15 years away from being in the narrator’s position. Yet I felt SO SEEN. I want to give this book to my husband as a guidebook for why I am the way I am. I highlighted lines on every three pages, and I can’t wait to get my tangible copy in hand so I can annotate and dog-ear the heck out of it.


Thank you NetGalley and Harpercollins for the early arc. But more important, THANK YOU for publishing Catherine Newman’s work and for shining a light on the colossal hormonal hurricane of female middle age.

Sandwich by Catherine Newman tells the story of Rocky, her husband, and their two adult children on their yearly vacation to Cape Cod. A chain of events is set off that sends Rocky hurtling towards the secrets of her past that she has been keeping buried deep for a long time. This is definitely a character-driven novel and Rocky is definitely not the most likable character, but I was definitely able to empathize with her. I wasn’t really gripped by the story until about 35% of the way in, but I was eventually invested in understanding these characters. I think We All Want Impossible Things was definitely a stronger novel, but did enjoy reading Sandwich. Definitely check the trigger warnings before reading if you are sensitive to topics surrounding pregnancy/miscarriage.

This spans one week with a family on their annual trip to Cape Cod. Rocky, the main character/mom, is menopausal, struggling to let go of her children as they become adults, and reflecting on secrets from her past. It’s equally hilarious and heartbreaking with beautiful musings on motherhood. The beach setting is perfect. My heart hurts but I’m smiling!

I really enjoyed this short novel. I am always a fan of short chapters, complex multilayered characters, a few secrets, and a beachy location. In Sandwich, Rocky's thoughts on aging, motherhood, menopause, caretaking for parents and kids were so relatable and real. This was great.

Thank you Netgalley & Harper for the advanced reader copy.

Catherine Newman can do no wrong--she nails witty dialogue, real characters, and the joy and pain of the everyday human experience. I loved Sandwich. I wish I got to stay longer than a week, even with the shared bathroom.

LOVED this book. 5/5 stars for me, easily. It was complex, emotional, funny, & witty all in one. I absolutely love Newman's We all want impossible things & was very excited to receive this arc copy. I'm highly recommending to everyone!

What an emotional roller coaster! I really appreciated how the narrative had me laughing at one bit and on the verge of tears a couple pages later. Some of the observations were so spot on and funny that I had to read them aloud to my husband. Newman captures the heartbreak and joy of being a middle-aged mom so adeptly. I identified so much with Rocky and her relationship with Willa (such a kind daughter). While every reader might not identify with the choices the characters make, Newman does an excellent job portraying their humanity and helping us focus on the things that unite rather than divide us. Side note - I didn't see it until after I finished this book, but I am not suprised that Mary Laura Philpott wrote a blurb for "Sandwich" because as I was reading, I kept thinking that it was like a novel version of "Bomb Shelter" (another great read).

“Life is a seesaw, and I am standing dead center, still and balanced: living kids on one side, living parents on the other. Nicky here with me at the fulcrum. Don’t move a muscle, I think. But I will, of course. You have to.”

This slow paced, character driven novel had me choking up during many passages - the curse and the gift of being a 62 year old reader with grown and flown children, who feels so very seen.

One week for 20 years, the family of 4 (+1) returns to the same Cape Cod rental.
Present day mom Rocky navigates the changing tide of her family in a place where memories lurk around every corner. As she copes with how menopause has been changing her mentally and physically, she embraces the chance to reflect on the past in an attempt to cope with big changes in her family. Funny and heartfelt scenes ramp up when Rocky’s parents arrive for a few days, the one bathroom cottage already bursting at the seams. We’ve all been there, right?

For those unfamiliar with Cape Cod, there is a town named Sandwich. In this case the title shines a light on Rocky’s journey as a mother, as a daughter, and somewhere among the madness, as herself.

Thanks to Net Galley and Harper Books for the early copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was beautifully written, but quite sad. Rocky, the main character, is part of the sandwich generation - in the stage of life where a person’s kids are in their young adult years and parents are aging. This story highlights the confusion and grief that comes along with this phase of life, and it was so authentic in its telling. While I recognize the rawness of this book, however, it wasn’t for me. It was a little too heavy and made me feel a bit depressed. Yet I feel like people who are in a similar stage will really connect with this book, and they will find solidarity and empathy in Rocky’s story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in advance of publication in exchange for an honest review.