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Sandwich

A Novel

Audiobook
0 of 59 copies available
0 of 59 copies available

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

"Sandwich is joy in book form. I laughed continuously, except for the parts that made me cry. Catherine Newman does a miraculous job reminding us of all the wonder there is to be found in life.""—Ann Patchett, New York Times bestselling author of Tom Lake

"If you like my novels, you will love love love this . . . . I stand in awe, it's just perfect."—Elin Hilderbrand, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Swan Song

"A total delight."—Kate Christensen

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.

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    • Publisher's Weekly

      April 15, 2024
      Newman (We All Want Impossible Things) returns with a slight story about the pleasures of beach time and the trials of middle age. Rocky, an anxious and volatile writer in her 50s, spends a week at her family’s aging Cape Cod vacation cottage with her preternaturally patient and easygoing husband, Nick; their two grown children, Jamie and Willa; and her sweet parents. Much of the novel, which Rocky narrates, has a light, comic tone. She details the ingredients of elaborate picnic lunches, describes swims in a nearby pond and days at the beach, and kvetches about the impact of menopause, which afflicts her with sudden rages and the realization that “activities that may injure you include ping-pong, napping, and opening a tub of Greek yogurt.” This amiable tone contrasts sharply with Rocky’s horrifying memories about the loss of two pregnancies when Willa was a baby. As the week wears on, she feels increasingly compelled to reveal secrets from that period to her family. Although a sudden medical emergency and squabbles between Rocky and Nick add some suspense, the novel gets bogged down in cloying banter and anticlimactic revelations. Rocky may content herself with the discovery that “it’s just everything, all the time. EVERYTHING.” Readers, however, are likely to be less than satisfied. Agent: Jennifer Gates, Aevitas Creative Management.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      This delightful summer beach story narrated beautifully by Nan McNamara has amusing rom-com-style humor yet also delivers a sensitive treatment of a delicate subject. During their annual week in a Cape Cod rental, Rocky and her husband are joined by their adult children. McNamara doesn't provide extensive vocal characterizations, but she charmingly portrays Rocky's negotiation of hot flashes, bad plumbing, a lumpy sleeper sofa, and life-changing revelations from her offspring. When Rocky's reminiscences turn bittersweet, McNamara depicts the depth of her heartbreaking secrets and the remarkable endurance of her family. When Rocky's elderly parents visit, she finds herself sandwiched between the challenges of her adult children and her parents. N.M.C. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine

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