I love Cape Cod so I was very excited to read this book! Sandwich starts off wonderfully with a fantastic picturesque description of the area. This story takes place over one week in the summer when an adult family (parents, adult children aged 24 and 20, a girlfriend and grandparents) rents the cottage they have vacationed at for 20 years. It's narrated by Rocky, the 54 year old mother, and she's quite funny. I can identify with a lot of what she says and feels. There is a bathing suit shopping scene near the beginning where her descriptions are hilarious, and yet spot on. I'm still laughing!

Sandwich starts off pretty light, but gets heavier and more serious as the week goes on. Rocky still worries about her adult children, but now that her parents are in their eighties, she worries about them too. As the week progresses, Newman introduces some serious and perhaps controversial situations. Although they played an important part to the story, I found myself missing some of the more comical and lighthearted moments from the beginning of the book. All in all, it was a 4 star read. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more by Catherine Newman. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper for the digital ARC.

Catherine Newman’s Sandwich is a heartfelt and engaging novel that beautifully captures the essence of family life, middle age, and the changes that come with time. Set during a summer vacation in Cape Cod, the story delves into the complexities of being caught between aging parents and growing children, with plenty of humor and heart.

The protagonist, Rocky, always looks forward to the family’s annual beach retreat. This year, though, she’s dealing with menopause, her half-grown kids, and her aging parents. As she navigates these changes, memories from past summers resurface, filled with both joy and sadness. Rocky must face her family’s history and the future, learning to let go and embrace the present.

Newman’s writing shines in this charming slice-of-life novel. The characters are wonderfully flawed and deeply human, each dealing with their own issues while holding on to the love that binds them. Rocky’s journey, especially her hormonal ups and downs, is depicted with humor and empathy, making her a relatable and endearing character.

The Cape Cod setting adds a nostalgic element to the story. Newman’s descriptions of the beach, the cottage, and the family’s traditions create a vivid backdrop. The theme of food, particularly Rocky’s delicious sandwiches, symbolizes the nurturing and care she provides for her family, despite her own struggles.

Sandwich is more than just a family vacation story; it’s a deep exploration of love, loss, and the passage of time. The book balances humor and heartache, capturing the messy, beautiful reality of family life. It’s a novel that will resonate deeply with readers, especially those navigating similar life stages.

For those who enjoy character-driven stories about family dynamics, Sandwich is a must-read. It’s a gorgeous little book that offers wisdom, warmth, and a generous dose of reality. While it’s already a touching read, it’s likely to resonate even more as readers enter motherhood or middle age, making it a timeless addition to any bookshelf.

Thank you to Harper and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this lovely novel. Sandwich is set to be published on June 18, 2024, and is sure to be a favorite among fans of contemporary and literary fiction.

As a post-menopausal woman, this book spoke to me! While there were thankfully parts that I didn’t personally experience, there were some that really struck home! And many of them were laugh at loud moments! Luckily, I didn’t deal with the extreme emotional aspect of the collapse of my hormones (or at least maybe my husband is luckier) but that didn’t mean I couldn’t relate with Rocky. She just lost her filter and good for her! She may come across rougher and tougher to some, but sometimes those are the thoughts rolling around in our heads! I stayed away from reviews until I wrote mine, so I will be curious how this one hits with younger readers. But there is so much of Rocky’s younger motherhood, that I think it’ll still be relevant. I even showed my daughter who is heading to a beach vacation with her two-year-old a very true to life blurb that I think any mother who spent time at the beach can appreciate! Just wanted to give her a realistic expectation!
Definitely a character driven book, as this family takes their annual vacation to the Cape in the same home they’ve rented for over twenty years. The traditions, the memories and the changes as they have all grown and aged. Children leaving the nest, parents, partners, pets aging – all everyday events but ones that have significant impacts on our lives.
These definitely reads like a memoir and could be the true story of some many ordinary people.

This book--won't be for everyone, but if you are 50 or older, going through menopause and both sad and happy to have almost adult children (like me), you will get this book. The mom, Rocky, is a bit frustrating sometimes, but still, I understood her. I felt her pain. I cried several times, reread certain sentences a few times (so beautifully written), and just adored this family, especially her daughter, Willa. I've adored Catherine Newman's writing for years-reading her essays about parenting and falling for her memoir, Waiting for Birdy, when I was a new mom. This book won't be for everyone--but if it's for you, you will feel it in your bones.

LOVED this book! Laughed, cried, felt like she was speaking to me with aging parents and adult kids going through menopause. I enjoyed the format of starting the chapters devoted to the past with the same phrase and then it slightly changed. The presentation of her conscious decision making both in her early marriage and current day was relevant, substantial, and truthful. LOVED it.

This is the story of a one week family vacation to The Cape, the same beach house they have rented for two decades. Rocky (Rachel), her husband, their grown children and also her aging parents are all there and all dealing with their own issues. It's a fairly quiet book that is more of a character study of a woman in menopause trying to deal with the changes in her own life as well as those of her family. She has quite a lot of trouble letting go where the adult children are involved. There is a lot of talk of menopause, some I could relate to and some not so much. Over the course of the week some secrets are revealed and Rocky must learn how to deal with what could be a painful past to try to get to a place of happiness in her current situation.

Thank you to @netgalley and @harperbooks for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
3.5 stars (rounded to 4)

I loved this book! Read it in a day in the pool. This book is for any mom of grown children and the struggles of having an empty nest. I loved the banter which sounded identical to conversations I’ve had with my own family. The menopause descriptions were fitting and funny, not funny. This book is an absolute treat and I loved being along on vacation with Rocky and her family, and found myself nodding or laughing along with her.

The premise to this novel sounded like a perfect summer read, but I ended up really hating the narrative voice.

Oh my gosh this book! I was underlining every page - me and all of my late 40s glory have never felt more seen. Both in the hysterically funny parts and quiet, tender moments, this book is highly relatable for those of us sandwiched between our aging parents and our growing children. The main character, Rocky, is tackling it all - letting go, allowing for the natural changes as we age, questioning past decisions, wondering about her future.

This book highlighted for me how absolutely special the very ordinariness of our lives can be. It’s about everything and nothing which may not work for some readers but will absolutely be a hit for fans of quiet novels, or those of you suffering from hot flashes and inexplicable rage. I’ve never read a more honest take on being wife, mother, and daughter in her middle age.

I’m just a little bit younger than Rocky and we’re only beginning to launch our kids into the world, but I really appreciated this glimpse into my future.

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!