I’m a sucker for New England beach books and I really enjoyed this poignant and witty take on middle age, menopause and caregiving in its many forms by Catherine Newman. I really love her voice (which, to me, is very much how we middle age ladies actually talk) and I also love a character driven novel, which this very much is. Literary fiction by and about women is my favorite genre, and this hits all the right notes. Grab it if you want a smart beach read. And if you haven’t read her first book, We All Want Impossible Things, I highly recommend doing so ASAP. Can’t wait for her next novel!

SANDWICH by Catherine Newman was a remarkable read. The main character, Rocky, is caught between raising her kids and caring for her aging parents. She is both funny and transparent as she shares her week at the Cape, interspersed with flashbacks to past vacations. The story is a wonderful exploration of relationships, secrets, and the importance of communication during times of transition. Everyday activities and meals are seamlessly woven in, making the vacation and story feel authentic. It's the perfect summer read for anyone looking to reflect on family and life's changes.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book looks deep into motherhood and how it changes overtime and how we move through it.
A beautiful look at being a mother, that many mothers will feel and relate to.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

“𝘚𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘺, 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴.”

𝗦𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗪𝗜𝗖𝗛 is a short book that packs a big punch. In just 240 pages, Catherine Newman exquisitely captures what it is to be a woman in her 50s, a mother, wife and daughter facing a future that may be shorter than her past while trying to hold on to the people that she loves. I can’t remember a book that made me feel as seen as this one did.

“𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩. 𝘛𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭. 𝘛𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺, 𝘚𝘢𝘮𝘦.”

Set during a family’s yearly vacation to Cape Cod (I assume near Sandwich), matriarch Rocky is part of the generation “sandwiched” between her aging parents and her adult children. She’s menopausal and imperfect, questioning decisions she made in the past, trying to do her best even when she knows she’s failing, while facing an uncertain future. I found myself wanting to hug her, to share a bottle of wine with her, and to yell at her; while our circumstances are different, there were so many moments when I saw myself on the page.

“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘳 - 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘺 𝘰𝘧.”

Newman’s voice is so unique, and her prose hits you right in the heart. I laughed and cried more times that I can count. This book may not be for everyone, but it was everything for me.

Thanks to Harper for the copy to review.

4.5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Books for the E-ARC. This covered so many important subjects menopause, empty nest, abortion, miscarriage, marriage, anger, bitterness, and death But it did it in such a way that I didn't want it to end. I absolutely enjoyed the one week vacation that Rock and Nick and their now grown kids Jamie (as well as his GF Maya) and Willa and then Rock's parents were a part of. I felt all of it I was there in the mist of all the conversations and the pain and everything happening.

This gem of a book is out in the world now, and I just loved it.

Sandwich, by Catherine Newman, is on the surface about a family - parents, young adult kids, and grandparents - vacationing at Cape Cod at a favorite beach rental and eating a lot of sandwiches. But really, this book is about the all-encompassing, joyful, nauseating, terrifying, life-defining experience of motherhood and family. I laughed out loud and teared up, and found myself saving quotes to remember later.

“The children become the adults. It’s too beautiful to bear—and too much to be worthy of.”

and

“And this may be the only reason we were put on this earth. To say to each other, I know how you feel. To say, Same. To say, I understand how hard it is to be a parent, a kid. To say, Your shell stank and you’re sad. I’ve been there.”

and

“…and what she told me was that I didn’t need to draw so many conclusions, to make so many decisions. That I could just live with all the different parts of a life as they were. That I could be happy even though nothing would ever be perfect. And this was so close to what I’d already been thinking myself that it astonished me.”

Catherine Newman, Sandwich

Thank you to @netgalley and @harperbooks for the advance copy of this book!

Sandwich by Catherine Newman follows fifty-four-year-old Rachel or “Rocky” as is called by those close to her, over the course of her annual family trip to Cape Cod. We meet her husband Nick, her adult children – daughter Willa, son Jamie and his girlfriend Maya and her elderly parents also join them for a few days in their rental cottage. There is a lot to manage and Rocky is the middle of it all. We follow her as she navigates the demands of her family, her own struggles with bouts of melancholy and mood swings (not to mention the hot flashes) brought on by menopause and is often overwhelmed by memories of the years gone by – some happy and some not so much.

The narrative is presented from Rocky’s first-person PoV and spans a week in the characters’ lives, with past events being shared as flashbacks as present-day events evoke nostalgia and Rocky is reminded of past events. The pacing is on the slower side, which suits the nature of the story. This is a story about what it means to be a family - the shifting dynamics within, navigating the ups and downs, growing together and giving space for individual growth, making memories, evolving, holding on and learning to let go. The author addresses several sensitive topics, including parenting, sexuality, motherhood, marriage, aging, family secrets, sacrifice and much more with maturity and insight.

Beautiful prose, relatable characters and realistic situations, plenty of love, laughter and food (and of course, sandwiches) as well as tears and frustrations, and some truly heartfelt conversations and poignant moments make for a quiet yet incredibly thought-provoking read!

Many thanks to Harper for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Sandwich is a great book for anyone who has aging parents and young adult children. There are so many family dynamics that will feel relatable. This is an enjoyable summer read.

Once in a great while I will read a book that touches my heart and leaves me speechless, exhilarated, and sad that it's finished. That's exactly how I feel about Catherine Newman' s beautiful novel Sandwich. The reader has the pleasure of meeting, Rocky, a 54 year old menopausal woman, at times loving life and all it offers, and at other times struggling with previous decisions and in a state of angst/guilt. Nick is her loving, patient, yet not overly sensitive husband; Jamie is her brilliant, funny and loving son and Willa her gay, wonderful and sensitive daughter. Mort and Alice are Rocky's parents and Maya is Jamie's girlfriend. What a stellar cast of characters. The story takes place during a summer week that the family spends at Cape Cod- a twenty year tradition. There were times I laughed out loud and times I wept. I loved this book, and am extremely grateful to NetGalley, Harper Collins Publishers and Catherine Newman to have been able to review an ARC of this terrific book, my review reflects my honest opinion. FIVE STARS

Sandwich (Catherine Newman)

#Sandwich #NetGalley

Any women who have felt that they were a part of the “Sandwich” generation will welcome sitting down on a summer’s day to read this story. Those who are not sandwiched will also enjoy the setting, characters and look at a life that are offered in this title.

As I read this one, I thought of the many kinds of sandwiches that there are for Rocky. It is not just between her children and older relatives. She is in the middle of the sandwich between her regular life and this one week away. Rocky is also sandwiched between her past and future.

Readers will enjoy getting to know Rocky and those around her. They will also enjoy some (virtual) beach time as they turn the pages of a story that can be funny, nostalgic and reflective..

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper for this title. All opinions are my own.

I have not yet finished this book. I may be a little to angsty for me. The jump in time lines is a little distracting.

This book was not for me, so unfortunately it's a DNF.

Sandwich centers around a family's yearly Cape Cod vacation. The narrator is Rocky/Rachel, who is in the throes of menopause, while also learning to navigate relating to her adult children and taking care of her aging parents.

I made it a little over 25% of the way through the book, but I just had a really difficult time finding the motivation to keep going. The writing is sharp and quick-witted, but sometimes jarring. The MC would just randomly throw in a crude or disturbing sentence in the middle of describing what would otherwise be the normal events of a family vacation. I think this can be partly attributed to the almost stream-of-consciousness way that the story is told; sometimes, there's just no filter.

What also made it difficult was just how mean the MC would be when interacting with family members, especially her husband. I understand that this can all be blamed on menopause. But it became almost impossible to be sympathetic to the MC at times because not only would her actions be mean and unprovoked, but her thoughts would be equally as mean.

I think I came in expecting this book to be a lighthearted beach read that would make me want to visit Cape Cod for the summer, but I just didn't get that vibe. However, I do think this book would appeal to readers who are in a similar stage of life to the MC (or have a loved one who is going through it).

Special thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers for sharing this digital ARC with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

It’s been awhile since I’ve done this, but it feels appropriate in this case - here are five things I loved about this five star read:

1) The prose is just exquisite. It’s touching and funny and a bit melancholy, and, while I’ve never been exactly in the MCs shoes, a lot of her thoughts and feelings really resonated with me.

2) I genuinely loved every single character. They were each so well-rounded and unique, and the way they interacted and showed their love for one another was just wholesome.

3) The setting - as a Massachusetts girl at heart, I’m a sucker for a good Cape Code beach read!

4) The structure - how it covered both a short period of time (their vacation) and a long one with all the flashbacks was an incredibly effective storytelling method.

5) This one is confusing but bear with me - it somehow felt like both a complete story and just the beginning of one, in a way I felt wholly satisfying.

Thank you to Harper and Netgalley for this ARC. Sandwich is out tomorrow!

Thank you to netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review. This is a solid 4.5 star book rounded down to 4 because the liberal agenda of sexuality was just a little too blatant and unnecessary for the development of the story. As the daughter spoke down to her mother who was just trying to connect with her in a loving and open way. Rachel is dealing with middle age and growing children. The challenges of menopause and the transition of her marriage into the empty nest phase. The story follows them on their yearly trip to the cape. Short, sweet and redeeming: i enjoyed the majority of it.

I was looking forward to this book about a family who vacations at the same rental house in Cape Cod every summer. This summer the kids are college-aged and the grandparents are showing their age. Rocky, the mother, is trying to enjoy their time together but has her own issues. Perhaps it was the timing of when I read this book, but it was just okay for me.

This is a beautiful and honest book. It will definitely make you feel things -- especially if you are a woman careening toward or in the midst of middle age (ha!) but I think mothers of all ages will love this book as well. It makes you think about family, about getting older . . . it will make you laugh, make you rage and it's a seriously quick read mostly because it's hard to put down. Definitely recommend!!

Sandwich comes out next week on June 18, 2024, and you can purchase HERE!

We're at the cottage— the same one we've been renting every summer for twenty years. It's late afternoon on Saturday.

We've been here for approximately one hour. Less, maybe.

We know better than to overwhelm this ancient septic system-there's even a framed calligraphy admonition hanging over the toilet that says, DO NOT OVERWHELM THE ANCIENT SEPTIC SYSTEM!— but, well, here we are.

Thank you Harper for this amazingly witty, insightful, and pitch perfect (for me) novel. Sandwich by Catherine Newman is a charming, nuanced examination of a women at midlife, with all the very real notes on hormones and rage and menopause, and the reconciling of past and present.
Newman makes this story somehow about simultaneously letting go and holding on in a way that just worked in subtly moving ways; the main character, during a family vacation, finds herself examining the past as she sees herself changing and aging and as her family around her, particularly her children (in their 20s) are moving into next steps in their lives. The book is an ode to the messiness of love and parenting, of aging and growing, of accepting that loved ones are flawed and we are imperfectly perfect... that perhaps it is how the imperfections all still fit together over time.

I laughed but also felt teary, nostalgic in a way for the main character's memories and for the connection I felt to the writing, the style, and the use of family vacation as a springboard for reflection and growth.

SANDWICH by Catherine Newman is a touching story of family, parenting, secrets, and letting go of the past. For twenty years, fifty-four-year-old Rocky has looked forward to her family gathering at the quaint beach house they rent every year. It is a place that holds fond memories for everyone, but this year, things are a bit different. Rocky is “sandwiched” between her aging parents, who are experiencing health issues and her adult children, Jamie and Willa, who are facing several major life challenges. Not to mention that Rocky herself is going through menopause which leaves her alternating between puzzling bouts of rage and moments of sadness. When Rocky’s parents join the family for a few nights, secrets are revealed that lead to plenty of drama. The poignant banter between Rocky and her kids was a delight. Her emotions were portrayed with candor, compassion, honesty and humor. I enjoyed this heartfelt story of family and love and I look forward to reading more from Catherine Newman. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

Not just a vacation

This book, told in present day and flashbacks based on the children’s ages at the time, is filled with drama and angst. Rocky, the Mom, vacillates between happiness that her whole family is together for one precious week on the Cape each year to mourning the losses and her menopause.

I like the setting but would have enjoyed more specifics, there was really nothing mentioned about the location other than the title. The book moved along quickly, it was funny in parts and desperately sad in others. Lots of descriptions of the female anatomy and its regular functions, I think it’s ok, not a favorite, but I’m sure others will like it.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

This was an interesting story - made me look at the meaning of "sandwich" in a different way.

Rocky, is in her sandwich years - right between elderly parents and grown children. And is the chief sandwich maker for that family on their decades old family tradition of spending a week at the Cape. This story is told over that week long vacation - little bits of each family member, there is a lot of growth, family memories, history, and new discoveries.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.