“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

Sandwich by is due to be published on June 18, 2024 by Harper Hardcover. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Family vacation on the shore in Massachusetts for a couple decades have the family reminiscing of vacations past. Pretty typical for young adults and middle aged parents going through their own changes(menopause for Rocky!). Warm relationships between parents and their adult children is enjoyable to read at the beginning as we get to know the family. The family is a bit unusual in that Rocky came out as bisexual a couple years ago. Queerness is taken for granted by the adult children and the husband seems to be understanding of Rocky’s coming out. ( I use the terms bisexual and queer as those are what the author used in her book.) Her daughter identifies as lesbian. I wrote this paragraph assuming the book would have more drama surrounding this, but in fact, was just a part of who the characters were in their life. Loved the casual nature of their sexuality and how it was an easy part of the love this family shares. As a matter of fact, the reader forgets Rocky identifies as bi, due to the love she shares with her husband. There are no affairs to break them, maybe just a lie of omission that eventually is discovered.

Rocky is at the age where menopause has her mood swinging all over the continuum in a single afternoon. I totally relate to Rocky causing insane amounts of embarrassment to her children just by saying just about “anything”!Meanwhile, Nick seems to get a pass at all things remotely witty or profound or embarrassing. Cell phone and computer mishaps, food orders, menopause or sexuality discussions are all up for grabs for Rocky to be shamed.

Additional family relationships unfold as Rocky’s parents come to spend time at the shore. Three generations in a small cabin, leave few secrets. The interwoven family dynamics are so fun and interesting. Very little conflict, but more exposure of deep feeling of love and lose.

I am sure the author and many readers will use “sandwich” as a metaphor. I am not one to dive into the symbolic nature of items in a book or in verse, whether a Taylor Swift song or a Walt Whitman poem. Rocky makes sandwiches for the family when they head out. Initially we know what kind each person likes or doesn’t like. The last trip out to the ocean Rocky does not make sandwiches, they stop and buy them on the way to the shoreline. I am sure some readers can do some deep creative thinking on this, and come up with the symbolism, including why each person eats the type of sandwich with accompanying condiments!

I absolutely loved this book. Maybe it was the soothing nature of the author’s storytelling or the place where I am in my life. No crazy climax not any edge of your seat thrill seeking climax, just a peaceful and a mellow conclusion.

5/5 stars

I loved the Cape Cod setting and the real life family vacation vibe. There’s plenty of relatable family drama, although the most moving was the genealogy discussion, & I wanted more of it.
Throughout the book, Rocky makes it clear she’s working through a lot (sans therapy) as a menopausal, post-traumatic child-bearing years woman. Women who are acquainted with perimenopause/menopause will be most sympathetic to Rocky’s character, although she does come across at times as narcissistic (she agrees) & a victim of all that can be challenging for women in general. With all of her angst, there were funny and moving moments as well. Overall, Sandwich succeeds as a snapshot of how many modern families strive to keep cherished family traditions while navigating evolving family dynamics & relationships.
Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC e-book.

An introspective look at a week in the life of a middle aged woman “sandwiched” between her young adult children and aging parents, while going through menopause. Rocky spends a lot of the week on her thoughts, reminiscing on times past when her children were young and her parents weren’t elderly. Menopause is packing an emotional and physical punch to her psyche and she’s struggling through. Lots of sprinkles of liberalism through the book, touches all of the bases. But that seems to be the norm in modern books.

I realize that as a 22 year old, I am not the target audience of this book— but with that being said, if I was older, I would probably really enjoy it. Throughout the story, Rocky is on a family vacation with her husband and two adult children. The book spends a lot of time in her conscious, highlighting the present and memories from her past. While I think the story was nice, because I was not the target audience, it was hard for me to connect with Rocky or the story as whole. But overall, I would recommend it to other older women, as it deals a lot with menopause and getting older.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the e-ARC.

Oh, the emotions of an empty nest! But once a mom, always a mom, no matter how old your children are. This novel takes place over the course of one week of a traditional family beach vacation.

There is not a great deal of suspense or action, but if you like deep character studies and philosophical discussions, this may be your jam. There are some secrets that should have been explored with a therapist for potential undiagnosed mental struggles keep buried in the sand for decades, but shame keeps them hidden until love brings healing.

Rocky loves to make and pack sandwiches for her family to eat when they go to the beach, even egg salad, when nobody wants egg salad, but we don’t want the eggs to go to waste. She is sandwiched between raising kids who are now adults and being the adult child of her aging parents.

My sister would like the daughter’s comic conversations with the cat they call Chicken, but my favorite line was, “You guys, I had a dream about the song John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt.” (That is totally something I would say). And a happy bonus, I finally learned the difference between the schlemiel and schlimazel that Laverne and Shirley sing about.

Many thanks to @harpercollins and @NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy.

Comforting and heartening and deliciously full of all the tidbits of raising a family and trying to keep up with aging and saying goodbye to yesterdays. Poignant and sentimental, shot through with goofy, ridiculous and funny slapstick moments to ease the throat lumpiness some. Winsome and warm and unafraid to delve into heavier issues around being a woman, a mother, a lover. Sweet and satisfying.

A quick hit novel at 240 pages! I loved We All Want Impossible Things by this same author so I was thrilled to get my advance copy!

Rocky and her family descend on the Cape for their annual family vacation. Her kids are now grown, her parents are aging and as she is in the throes of menopause and hot flashes she reflects upon her life, her choices, her kids, her body and more.

I could relate heavily to so many themes in this book. I’m certainly not as far along in life as Rocky but I’m getting there! And now I’m scared AF for menopause! Good lord. Aside from that, I do love this authors humor and the banter and family dynamics were wonderful. This certainly isn’t a big dramatic novel and those looking for “something to happen” won’t really find this here. But if you enjoy slice of life quiet novels that get down to the details of what condiments each character enjoys on their sandwiches then you’ll certainly savor this one.

Thank you very much @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of Sandwich by Catherine Newman. Rocky is a writer and has spent many years doing a week long family vacation on Cape Cod. This year she is there with her husband, adult son and his girlfriend, adult daughter, and her elderly parents. It is not an extravagant vacation, but they love it and the best part is the traditions they have built over the years. It’s a fairly light read where really not much happens, but you get to know the characters, and hang out with the family. Fun especially if you are a Cape person!! #netgalley #sandwich @catherinenewman #advancedreadercopy #capecod #bookstagram #booklover #reader #bookblog #lovetoread #fictionreader #bookreview #bookrecommendation #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #readallthebooks #booksbooksbooks #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #booknerd #whattoread #readingtime #bookaddict #ilovetoread #ilovebooks #needtoread #readallday

Well written and tense tale of one family's annual Cape Cod vacation in the same cottage they've rented for decades. Centered on the mother, Rocky, as she navigates life with adult children and aging parents, as her own perimenopause causes havoc in her moods and body. Somewhat explicit, trigger warnings for abortion, miscarriage.

3.5 Stars

This is a story of generations of family, of love and loss, but also, so much more than that. This is a quiet story, overall, a story where there is a growing sense of changes to come as the younger generation of this family is on the verge of finding their own way, their own life, in the near future. Three generations, each with their own issues, desires, memories and fears.

Set on the Cape, this is an annual event for the family to join together, and while they are all eager to see each other, there is also a sense of each generation not truly understanding the other fully, but also being accepting of the changes over the years.

This story revolves mainly around Rocky, a mother who is navigating menopause,
her now grown children’s lives, and the difference between her life at their age, and the freedom to be themselves, to choose the life they want. Rocky’s parents, and how they are navigating her mother’s health, which is declining.


Pub Date: 18 Jun 2024

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Harper

4.5 stars

Catherine Newman's sophomore novel SANDWICH features matriarch Rachel (Rocky) who goes back to the same annual Cape Cod rental for a week with her children in their early 20s and her husband. The memories of past summers, with one specific summer in particular, come back to her as she is reconciling that she's moving to a new phase of womanhood and parenthood.

I had presumed that the "Sandwich" title analogy would be to having elderly parents on top of children of her own. That may indeed be true, but there are also other analogies that would also work. Rocky's parents don't make an appearance until at least halfway into the book, and Rocky's daughter Willa takes second billing in this novel. I enjoyed her immensely as a character. She's insightful, passionate, and would be a delight to have as a daughter. I loved the mother-daughter relationship here.

The big "secret" in this novel is not really a secret, as you are given many hints and the author gently leads you there. That's a positive for me because what Rocky is wrestling with doesn't come out of nowhere, makes sense, and is in line with what the reader knows. It was just the right length to make an impact but not be too long. As a reader, I felt at peace when I ended this novel.

While I really liked Newman's first novel, I even liked this one better!

P.S. I love this golden summer beach house cover.