I greatly enjoyed this book, in large part because I, like Rocky, am at that "sandwich" point of life (with an 80-something parent and 20-something kids). This novel also transported me back to the yearly family OBX vacations we took over 10 years, in all their messy and memorable glory. But I don't think you have to be in the menopausal mom or beachgoer demographic to appreciate this well-written inter-generational novel, which is by turns both moving and funny. 4 stars for me, with many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Wow I loved this book! My first book my Catherine Newman and it won’t be my last. Now I want to go back and read her debut! This is such a lovely book filled with emotion and humor. It touches on phases in the life of a family. I found it so touching and profound at times. I loved the banter of the family in this book and thought they were charming and sharp.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper for the gifted eARC in exchange for my feedback!

It's official - Catherine Newman is an auto-buy author for me, going forward. I loved her debut novel, We All Want Impossible Things. Her new novel, Sandwich, delivers more of the same heart, humor, and wisdom touched with a swirl of darkness. I loved everything this novel had to say about motherhood, marriage, empty nests, our love for our children, the passing of time, what we don't know about our aging parents, the importance of tradition, the power of nostalgia, and the hard truths of living an open-hearted life. I found myself highlighting (in my Kindle) so many passages that I want to remember and reflect on later.

This particular family's culture really came to life for me. Their conversations were so witty and warm and incisive. They don't really beat around the bush, even though there certainly are some secrets being kept. I can't wait to see what Newman writes and publishes next!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harper for the gifted eARC in exchange for my honest feedback. I'm excited for the rest of the world to get their hands on this book next month!

I highlighted so many passages of this novel and loved it so much! This is a great slice-of-life novel which is both gentle and complex with some fantastic moments of wisdom and humor. Catherine Newman perfectly tackles marriage, menopause, and adult children with acerbic wit. Rocky’s children are on the precipice of big changes as young adults and both of her parents are aging and fragile. Newman pairs the bitter sweetness of these family dynamics with some pretty big secrets for an unputdownable read. Full 5 stars.
Thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.

What I've come to expect from Catherine Newman, in the best way: laughter and tears and characters so deeply human you forget they're made up.

Like We All Want Impossible Things, this slim little novel punches well above its emotional weight. I read it in one sitting, but it's lingering with me far longer. It's a perfect beach read, but a deceptively deep one! I think fans of Hello, Beautiful by Ann Napolitano and The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller will really enjoy it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper for an ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Catherine Newman's new novel, Sandwich, chronicles a week-long Cape Cod vacation of parents Rocky and Nick, their three newly adult children, one girlfriend, their cat, Chicken, and, for a few days, Rocky''s elderly parents. The book sets the pace for a fast read with its irreverent one-liners and comical misadventures, like Rocky's hilarious and horrid mind-body meltdowns. It also touches on some very deep topics, like repressed trauma and grief, the emotional toll of long-held secrets and letting go of loved ones, young and old. The cast of characters show us that, as flawed humans, our relationships with those we love may be deep, but they're never perfect. We all misstep sometime, and love can be expressed in different ways. For some of us, it's being the one who makes the sandwiches.

At once hilarious and heartbreaking! I absolutely loved this character-driven tale of a family’s vacation week at a Cape Cod cottage. Protagonist Rocky, a purveyor of sandwiches and other sustenance, is herself “sandwiched” between her mostly grown children and her aging parents, as she faces the wonders of her own body advancing in years. Rocky and her whole tribe are vividly drawn, imperfect and relatable. As I devoured this book in a single day, I laughed. Frequently. I guffawed at many of Newman’s oh, so realistic and insightful depictions of menopause and of family dynamics. I cried. Several times. And I promised myself I will reread Newman’s novel in very short order after it is published on June 18, 2024.

Highly recommended! Especially to “women of a certain age” and those who love them. Extra credit to the publisher for the just right cover.

Many thanks to NetGalley and to Harper for the privilege of a complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

If there was ever a one-word book title that would stand out to me, it’s this one.

Sandwich follows main character Rocky while she’s on a week-long beach house vacation with her husband, 2 adult kids, and her aging mom and dad. Rocky is very much “sandwiched” between the generations for part of the week and this story is a compilation of her internal thoughts, memories, and interactions with her family members.

My thoughts: Rocky’s internal monologue is fantastic and witty and feels like I’m sitting right next to her in the beach house. The story felt very slow to me - I just didn’t have that ‘I have to keep reading’ feeling. The book took me a couple months to get through. Overall I did really like this story - a slow, cozy, character-driven plot, and a family just doing their best to be good.

4.5 stars.

✨WOW! I was not prepared for how much this book would resonate with me – an empty nest mother in her mid-fifties in the throes of menopause. (Sorry not sorry if that’s TMI. It’s a natural part of a woman’s life.) This was a truly authentic portrayal, and I highly recommend it.

✨The title aptly refers to the sandwich generation the main character finds herself in – that time when a middle-aged person finds themselves sandwiched between raising children or supporting grown children and caring for aging parents. And also, the main character really likes making sandwiches for her family, so…🥪

✨The hilarious and earnest musings of main character Rocky are written with such depth and emotion, that I was in a constant rotation of laughter and tears. Her experiences of the joy and beauty and heartbreak and utter bittersweetness of loving children who have left the nest had me with my head in my hands, swiping tears and feeling every word.

✨The author writes of motherhood with such raw authenticity and doesn’t shy away from the desperate moments of motherhood that all mothers experience – the fear, anxiety and constant worry. But she is generous with the pure joy and bliss of being a mother as well , and I am in awe of her ability to write these contradictions with such honesty, vulnerability and heart. The way that the author is able to master a character who feels too much, loves too much and feels all the splendid agony of loving people so much you’re willing to let them go is truly an art. I felt this book in all the deep places.

🌿Read if you like:
✨Female main character over 50
✨Stories of empty nest motherhood
✨Long marriage stories
✨Cape Cod settings
✨Authentic portrayals of women in menopause
✨Laughter through tears

My thanks to @harperbooks and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book before its publication date.

This was a beautiful book about motherhood. I reccomebd that any one who enjoys Debbie Macomber, Nancy Thayer or Elin Hilderbrand read this book. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review!

So, Sandwich is very well written. The story is about a family's Cape Cod vacation, on the surface a typical family story, but deceptively complicated. While not a lot happens during the week, there's a lot going on under the surface. It addresses many of the challenges of modern life, especially for women in their 50's and 60's, the sandwich generation. The lead character, Rachel or Rocky for short, takes tender care of her family and yes, also makes good sandwiches. My problem with the book is I didn't really like the lead character. This book would be a great book club book, lots to discuss.

“It’s so crushingly beautiful, being human…but also so terrible and ridiculous.”

Sandwich unfolds over the course of a family’s annual weeklong vacation on Cape Cod. Rocky (short for Rachel, a nickname I’m envious of as a fellow Rachel!) is navigating mid-life, sandwiched between her two 20-something kids and her aging parents. Her husband Nick is humorous but emotionally distant, which frustrates her as she often feels she’s carrying the emotional weight for the entire family.

Rocky and her kids, Willa and Jamie, have an open, no-holds-barred relationship where almost no topic is off-limits. The kids come across as total Gen-Z caricatures, while Rocky resembles that overbearing mom who is always at the center of everyone’s drama. It’s exhausting, but you can’t help but love her.

The book explores the complexities and chaos of Rocky’s current life stage with levity and humor, while also reflecting on past family trips and her early days of motherhood. Her reflections on aging are honest and tender, though sometimes tough to read. Just like any family vacation, the forced proximity leads to revealing conversations and heightened emotions.

The family dynamic is sweet and the banter entertaining, even if a bit unbelievable at times. I enjoyed it and look forward to recommending it.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper for the copy of Sandwich by Catherine Newman. The writing was great, but the story focused on so many issues I had a tough time relating. Rocky wasn’t a sympathetic main character and seeing everything through her POV was tiresome. From the book’s title I expected more about her parents and the challenge of having aging parents for more than two days on vacation. The book was like a number of vignettes that didn’t didn’t mesh and were never really explored or followed up on. I can see how women going through this time of life might relate, but it just wasn’t really for me. I must not have been the intended audience. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

This is the story of a middle of life woman who returns to the house she and her family rent for 1 week every summer. Her children are young adults, her parents are elderly and she is stuck in between both ages. I loved her relationship with her children and her parents. This book spoke to me. I found so many passages that are worth highlighting that I soon realized I would be highlighting more sentences than not. It's beautiful, raw and emotional. I am also in the same stage of like as the main character and between the ache of nostalgia and the horror of menopause, I felt like the author was writing only to me. I loved this novel!

Calling all beach lovers! This heartwarming novel by. Catherine Newman will whisk you back to the family beach time enjoying lobster, playing mini golf and swimming in the ocean. Narrated by the unforgettable Rocky, the story resonates with anyone who's ever felt "sandwiched" between the demands of young adult children and aging parents. Rocky's witty voice and sharp humor make her struggles relatable and laugh-out-loud funny. You will laugh out loud and maybe shed a few tears as her week at the beach brings back so many memories.

Many thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this novel. I *loved* this. Ann Patchett's blurb is spot on - I laughed throughout except when I was crying. Catherine's voice is so strong and the character, Rocky, is hilarious. This is an incredible story about family, marriage, love, and parenting. Rocky and Nick are thrilled to have their mostly-grown children with them for their annual vacation in Cape Cod. Long buried secrets and emotions surface and the pathos of Newman's writing, combined with her humor, is so powerful. There were so many passages I highlighted. This family will stay with me for a long time. Loved this.

Rocky and her family spend a week at cape cod. She is sandwiched between adult children and aging parents. loved the story.

Many thanks to @harperbooks and @netgalley for my #gifted (free) copy. Pub date 6/18/24.

This is the perfect book for a summer vacation. The setting was wonderful, I loved all the characters. It made me laugh in parts, but also made me really feel for the characters. Definitely put this one in your beach or pool bag!

Family is everything to Rocky. For the past two decades, Rocky and her husband and their two kids escape to Cape Cod for their yearly family vacation. This book takes place over the course of their week vacation, and we learn a little more about each character each day. Seen and told through the eyes of Rocky gives us her perspective of motherhood and the lives of this perfectly imperfect family.

Catherine Newman’s latest novel, Sandwich, is a deep-dive into the middle-aged sandwich generation…those adults navigating the years between newly adult offspring and newly aging parents. It’s not an easy place to reside, and Newman expertly shows this through the eyes of Rocky, Nick, their grown kids and Rocky’s aging parents. The story takes place during the family’s annual vacation on Cape Cod. It’s a beautiful and poignant look at normal, everyday life but with a little bit of a twist…. Rocky and family are a bit quirky, a bit edgy, but definitely lovable. This is a great story, with a bit of strong language and some sexual content, but all in all great writing and an interesting and enjoyable story.

That awkward position between aging parents and adult children – when we are sandwiched in between those two roles. It may be a challenging position, but the main character, Rocky (short for Rachel) seems to take it in stride. While reading this book, I fell in love with Rocky and her family while they are on their traditional one-week vacation in Cape Cod. Not only does Rocky make some fantastic sandwiches for their beach lunches, but she also has this interesting personality. She is quirky, witty and sarcastic at times. There is a particular scene where Rocky and her daughter are having a very intense discussion while swimming in the pond and Rocky shares a very intimate secret with her daughter. That closeness reminded me of the endless conversations I had with my mom (before she passed away) over numerous cups of tea.

The other part of the story that really stood out to me is that over time, we forget the difficult parts of life and we remember the good times – we forget the children crying and throwing tantrums and we become nostalgic for the cuddles and sweeter moments.

The book felt like a lighter read (perfect for the beach) but at the same time dealt with some challenging topics that many of us face. The characters were relatable, the dialogue was fast-paced and witty and I overall I just loved it!

Thank you #NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

#Sandwich #CatherineNewman