Readers' rating:
Publishes
Jun 18, 2024
240 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
From the beloved author of We All Want Impossible Things, a moving, hilarious story of a family summer vacation full of secrets, lunch, and learning to let go.
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.
"Newman imbues Rocky's internal struggles with importance and gravity, all while showcasing her very funny observations about life and parenting. She examines motherhood with a raw honesty that few others manage—she remembers the hard parts, the depths of despair, panic, and anxiety that can happen with young children, and she also recounts the joy in a way that never feels saccharine. She has a gift for exploring the real, messy contradictions in human emotions ... . A moving, hilarious reminder that parenthood, just like life, means constant change." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Newman ... returns with a story about a woman coming to terms with life over 50. As her family gathers for the annual vacation on Cape Cod, Rocky is worn out by menopause and nostalgia ... . she is within the sandwich generation, torn between past and present. Readers in this age group will relate to Rocky's woes, and as the novel's tone becomes more serious, they may identify with Rocky's history as well. This is a quick yet moving read that will stay with readers long after the last page." —Booklist (starred review)
"Sandwich reminds me of Laurie Colwin's Happy All the Time—Newman shares Colwin's ability to write about intertwined happiness and heartbreak (as well as her passion for food). I found myself snorting out loud with laughter, the wheezing kind, then all at once, deeply moved. This is a book about love and change and loss, all packed into an annual family week on Cape Cod. And it's a total delight." —Kate Christensen, author of The Great Man and Welcome Home, Stranger
"I loved reading this book! Not only do I want to send this gracious family a thank you note for having me along for a week at the beach, I'm still laughing out loud when I think of some sentences, and lumping up in my throat when I think of others." —Eliza Minot, author of In the Orchard and The Tiny One
"Catherine Newman nails it all: the hilarious domestic details of family life, the tremendous stakes of our most personal choices, and the vulnerability of loving other human beings wholeheartedly. I feel this book so deep in my bones." —Mary Laura Philpott, author of Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives
This information about Sandwich was first featured
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Photo: Ben Newman
Catherine Newman is the author of the kids' how-to books How to Be a Person and What Can I Say?, the memoirs Catastrophic Happiness and Waiting for Birdy, the middle-grade novel One Mixed-Up Night, and the food and parenting blog Ben and Birdy, and she edits the non-profit kids' cooking magazine ChopChop. She is also the etiquette columnist for Real Simple magazine and a regular contributor to the New York Times, O, The Oprah Magazine, the Boston Globe, and many other publications. Catherine has a PhD, and is the secretary of Creative Writing at Amherst College. She currently lives in Amherst, Massachusetts, with her family.
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