On the surface, this is a warmly humorous novel about a middle-aged woman sandwiched between her elderly parents and flown-the-nest children which would get a solid three stars. But because this novel is about me but is so much more articulate and thoughtful than I am while still feeling connected to me, I gave it four stars. Be warned - you may not feel the same way!

Set over the course of a week’s vacation in the same cottage in Cape Cod that the family has been coming to for twenty years, Rocky and her husband and their two grown-up kids cook (and a lot of sandwiches are made), eat, and talk, and do the things they have done since Jamie was a toddler and Willa was a baby. Jamie’s long-time girlfriend is with them and Rocky’s parents come to visit for a couple of days.

In seven days, we see how the family has grown together and what their lives are like now. Rocky is in the throes of menopause and is overflowing with rage and grief. There is a secret she has kept from everyone that emerges and there is catharsis. Jamie and Willa are the sort of grown-up children everyone would like: comfortable with themselves, loving to their family, secure in their place in the world. Rocky’s parents are heading into that territory that all parents must head into, but not quite yet.

I didn’t realize until I got to the acknowledgments that this is the same author who wrote Waiting for Birdy - the blog and the book. I adored this because my kids are a similar age to Ben and Birdy and it was a knowing laugh in the sometimes trudge of looking after young children. So many thanks to Catherine Newman and 4 stars all the way.

Thanks to Harper and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

What a small but mighty little novel this is! Newman's Sandwich follows an annual week long family vacation in Cape Cod for Rocky, a 54-year-old mother of two who is going through menopause with all of the feels surrounding that process, her husband, Nick, their two grown kids, Willa and Jamie, and Jamie's girlfriend, Maya. Told with humor and a lot of angst, Rocky confronts her change of life in so many ways, both physical and emotional, through the vacation and through flashbacks with the kids. I really enjoyed most of this book, though at times the angst was a bit much, especially around the kids who aren't kids anymore. Newman's writing is lovely and I will recommend this book widely. Thank you to Harper and NetGalley for the early access in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book is a reflection back on life. There are a lot of bittersweet moments in life and this book addresses them. The topic of termination of pregnancy is discussed so avoid if this is upsetting for you. This Is the first book I have read by this author and I hope to read more of her books. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

As someone who is currently headed toward the sandwich stage, I loved this novel. Catherine Newman has a way of writing just for me. Rocky and I are at least simpatico.....mindfully and artfully written. Highly recommend!

I admit that I was turned off by this book’s saccharine-looking cover, but I loved Catherine Newman’s previous book, We All Want Impossible Things, so much that I gave it a shot.

Sandwich is a slice of life story told from the perspective of Rocky, a woman in her mid-50s, as she spends a week vacationing with her family on Cape Cod.

I don’t think this book will be for everyone, but as a woman in midlife with adult children and a long marriage, I felt so seen. Newman so eloquently described Rocky’s love for her adult children and her nostalgia for their early years. I found myself reading her descriptions of menopause symptoms out loud to my husband, because I knew he’d find them just as familiar and hysterical as I did.

Newman also delves into grief from pregnancy loss, so tread lightly if that’s a sensitive theme for you.

At this point, I will pick up anything Catherine Newman writes, regardless of how much the cover turns me off! 😉

A family spends a week at the beach and many secrets are revealed. At times this book is sad and other times funny.. A very disappointing conclusion.

Sandwich by Catherine Newman ⭐⭐⭐

🔥Slow burn

Lots of triggers..
Menopause
Abortion
Sexuality

You will read all about family issues that most people today experience.
Family vacation to Cape Cod, motherhood-aging, empty nest, keeping secrets

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley for my honest opinions.

I started and stopped this book a few times because it was a bit of a slow burn for me but I was interested in it because I had read a prior book from the author. I also liked the cover as it went well with the season. Anything that jives with motherhood and “life” and I’m there. I would classify this as a contemporary, women’s fiction. Solid 3-3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and Harper for the DRC in exchange for my honest review.

Catherine Newman is a new author for me, but she's written quite a few books prior to this one. The description caught my interest, so I picked it up.

Description:
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.

This year’s vacation, with Rocky sandwiched between her half-grown kids and fully aging parents, promises to be just as delightful as summers past—except, perhaps, for Rocky’s hormonal bouts of rage and melancholy. (Hello, menopause!) Her body is changing—her life is, too. And then a chain of events sends Rocky into the past, reliving both the tenderness and sorrow of a handful of long-ago summers.

It's one precious week: everything is in balance; everything is in flux. And when Rocky comes face to face with her family’s history and future, she is forced to accept that she can no longer hide her secrets from the people she loves.

My Thoughts:
It is funny how secrets kept eat away at you over time, but they always seem to come out in the end. This book is a celebration of family and the interrelationships that evolve and build over time. You can be so close and loving and yet feel alone at times. Rocky is central to this book and menopause has hit her really hard. Things culminate during the family vacation at the beach where they stay in the same place they always stayed each year as a family. The book is filled with love and the memories the family has accumulated. And yet Rocky has a secret that is tearing her apart. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes books about family or books about keeping secrets.

Thanks to Harper through Netgalley for an advance copy.

Sandwich by Catherine Newman is a slim, quiet novel narrated by Rocky, a mother in her mid-50s, and her family who are spending a week in Cape Cod (Rocky, as a mother and also as a daughter to aging parents, is 'sandwiched' between generations - though she also does make many sandwiches in this book). This thoughtful, reflective read is an easy slice-of-life novel that tackle some major themes, including menopause, abortion, and women's sexuality in a conversational writing style. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for this honest review.

The title has multiple meanings -- Sandwich is a city in Cape Cod (where they vacation every summer), the narrator "Rocky" is in mid-life and is facing the "sandwich" - an empty nester yet still worries about her twenty-something kids and her aging parents. Sandwiches also show up frequently in their beach lunches -- she puts potato chips on her sandwich - -something I do too. Rocky is incredibly relatable to me and I particularly liked her descriptions of when her children were young and the smell of their hair, etc. I savored this book and my only critique is for some reason, the reveals near the end felt rushed to me. But still this does not diminish how much I liked this book. I am still thinking back to some of her descriptions.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper for an ARC and I voluntarily left this review.

I flew through this book, and it’s been awhile since I’ve done that. Partly I think it was because this book was so relatable as a mom with kids who are nearing adulthood. I underlined so much and I laughed so much. I’m not sure this book would hit the same way for someone who isn’t in or approaching this stage of life but I’d think anyone could still appreciate the wonderful writing. And I’d love for my husband to read it so he might know what to expect in the coming years.

Sandwich follows a family on their annual trip to the beach where they’ve been going for years. The kids are now in their 20s and living on their own and Rocky (mom) has lots of flashes back to when the kids were little while at the same time appreciating how much fun they are now as young adults. She’s also going through menopause and dealing with all the physical and emotional ups and downs that creates.

Please be sure to check the CW or message me if you want to know. There are some heavy topics but Catherine Newman also brings so much humor and authenticity to her writing and I just loved it.

Thanks NetGalley and Harper Collins for the eARC.

I was unprepared for how much I would love Catherine Newman’s novel, Sandwich. The story is narrated by Rachel, fondly nicknamed “Rocky,” a fifty-something mother who is spending the week in Cape Cod with her husband, her young adult children and her aging parents, on their annual family vacation. Sandwich has the spirit of a women’s fiction book, the writing of a literary fiction novel, and the tempo of a page-turning bestseller. Thank you to Ann Patchett and her wonderful blurb for ensuring that I didn’t pass on this glorious novel.

My favorite part of Sandwich was in its character portrait of Rocky – she’s smart, tired, and incredibly loving, but also sometimes a real jerk (we’ll blame the menopause); she’s also extremely funny, emotionally intelligent, but also somewhat pushy, and probably too secretive for her own good. She’s anxious and hopeful, wistful and fun, and she’s so very very overheated (yes, again, menopause). In short, Rocky is a complex woman who contains multitudes and I am here for it!

This was also a fascinating book to read following Claire Kilroy’s Soldier Sailor; even though Sandwich is a much more joyful depiction of motherhood and marriage, it depicts a number of the same tensions.

All in all, this book is sharp, witty, heart-wrenching, gorgeously written, and infused with summertime feeling. Please consider this my official nomination for Sandwich to be included in @fictionmatters’ next unconventional summer reading list.

A sincere thank you to Harper and NetGalley for the ARC. And shout out to Catherin Newman, who I recently learned is a fellow Amherst alumna! (So glad we can now say, Go Mammoths! instead of Go Lord Jeffs!)

TW- infertility, miscarriage, abortion

i really enjoyed this one. it wasn’t incredibly relatable for me but just hearing rocky’s perspective on life as an older mom of two was really sweet. she’s funny and enjoyable and loves the people she loves. i also really enjoyed how close knit this family is and how open she is with her kids.

thank you netgalley for the ARC!

Oh, how I loved this book! Maybe it’s because I’m experiencing similar issues in this stage of my life and can relate to her, but I do believe this author is an exceptional writer. The title, Sandwich, could be taken in many ways. I believe it refers to the name of a small town, but it could also represent the in-between; aging, parenting adult children, caring for elderly parents, and years-long marriage woes. (She also makes sandwiches a lot during the week spent on family vacation. lol) But, anyway, it’s just a really good, slice-of-life novel. It takes place over one week as the whole family vacations in Cape Cod. There’s a lot of flashbacks as main character Rocky contemplates decisions she made over the years and as she comes to terms with the effects of those decisions. Some might feel like the subject-matter is a bit too “woke” at times, but I was able to overlook that and appreciate it for its simplicity and depth. It probably won’t appeal to everyone but if you enjoy Ann Patchett, or good family dramas, like The Paper Palace, you will probably like this.

3.5 stars. Thank you to Net Galley and Harper for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This a story that takes place over one week as "Rocky" (Rachel) who is in her 50s is taking a vacation in Cape Cod with her husband, two twenty-something child, and her son's girlfriend. If is told chronological as each day passes but is filled with flashbacks of various times in Rocky's life to give background information for the present. There are secrets and great writing about how Rocky feels physically and emotionally in midlife, how much she adores her children, and her love and frustration with her husband. It's a story about life and how we process all of it, finding ways to move on and come to peace with the decisions we make.

Rocky is back on Cape Cod for the summer with her husband, Nick and her two grown children Willa and Jamie. Her aging parents also drop in. The book spans one week at the beach house, but packs a lot into it in such a short, concise book. Rocky is struggling through menopause, watching her parents get older and her kids leaving the nest.

This book felt nostalgic in a summer beachy sorta way. We head to the Jersey Shore each year with our family and friends and a lot of the descriptions of the beach and Rocky’s parenting hurdles felt so relatable. The book infused a lot of humor while covering more serious topics. I will say that for the first half of the book I felt the humor was almost a bit crass for my taste but it got better.

Pick this up as you head to the beach or your little birdies fly the nest!

Sandwich is a slice of life novel, following Rocky and her family on their annual week-long summer vacation in Cape Cod. Her two children are now young adults, her parents are aging, and her husband remains a steady presence in her life throughout their highs and lows.

I enjoyed this story which has themes of family, motherhood, and love. It explores a variety of relationships. This isn’t a long book and it didn’t take me long to become invested. The conversation style was easy, even when more substantial topics were involved.

Sandwich is set during a week of vacation but there are also many flashbacks, providing more insight into Rocky as a character. All of the characters felt realistic, and while understanding that Rocky is coming to terms with this new stage of her life, she was a bit angsty for me — 3.5 stars

This was a sweet, simple story. I tend to not really enjoy books that are really focused on motherhood and pregnancy so probably wouldn’t have picked this up had I known that was the theme but I enjoyed it,

Sandwich by Catherine Newman is narrated by the main character of Rocky who is dealing with menopause while trying to enjoy her week at Cape Cod with her adult children, husband, and her parents. The book is well written and you do feel Rocky's challenges with menopause as she tells the story with frequent flashbacks to earlier times. In this case, I didn't love this storytelling mechanism and sometimes found it distracting. That might just be me though so I'm rounding up my 3.5 to a 4 as I believe it is well written and will be enjoyed by many readers, especially those in the same phase of life.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of Sandwich in exchange for an honest opinion. Sandwich is available now.