INFORMATION ABOUT THIS BOOK
Publisher : Harper
Publication date : June 2024
Format: Hardcover, Paperback, audiobook, and ebook
Print length : 240 pages
Genre: Humorous Fiction
WHY DID I CHOOSE THIS BOOK?
I wanted an audiobook that was short, as I was going to go on a long drive. I remember this book having a lot of buzz, and it was under 7 hours. I decided to give it a chance for the drive.
MY PERSONAL OPINION OF “SANDWICH” by Catherine Newman
This was one of those books that I started without really knowing what it was about. I read the info, and it was presented as humorous, and it was good enough for me and for what I needed. But overall, I was not a big fan of this book. It left me at times wanting more, more substance, more realism, more grown-up content.
The story was good, and it was funny, and it was intended to be the narrative of a long, week-long family vacation that has been ongoing for over 20 years. Within the week, we learn about the family dynamics, the marital struggles, the secrets, and also the immense amount of love that this family has for each other. A family story in which the ability to be oneself at all times, with the expectation that we will be accepted and loved as part of a family nucleus, was present throughout the narrative.
It was kind, tender, and funny. At times, I needed it to be less childlike and more serious, especially as we come to understand the ages of the kids and the ages of the mother and dad as well.
PREMISE OF THE BOOK AS FOUND IN AMAZON / GOODREADS:
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 RATING: 3.5
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Catherine Newman is the internationally bestselling author of the memoirs Catastrophic Happiness and Waiting for Birdy, the middle-grade novel One Mixed-Up Night, the kids’ craft book Stitch Camp, the New York Times best-selling how-to books for kids How to Be a Person and What Can I Say?, the novel We All Want Impossible Things, and the novels Sandwich and Wreck, which were both instant New York Times bestsellers. Her books have been translated into twenty languages. She has been a regular contributor to the New York Times, Real Simple, O, The Oprah Magazine, Cup of Jo, and many other publications. She writes the Crone Sandwich newsletter on Substack and lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.
- Wreck: a Novel
- We All Want Impossible Things: A Novel
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