Book Review: Sandwich by Catherine Newman

Hello, readers! After the snow storm we had a few weekend ago, I’ve been patiently waiting for Summer. The only problem is that it’s still cold! So in order to combat the chill I’ve been reading some stories about Summer vacation. In today’s blog post we’re going to be discussing the book Sandwich by Catherine Newman.

Sandwich is a story that I heard a lot about when it was first released. It has been on my TBR list for a while, so I’m excited to dive in and share my thoughts today.

What is Sandwich by Catherine Newman About?

From the beloved author of We All Want Impossible Things and Wreck, 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 firmly in the sandwich generation—caught 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 in this moving work of family life fiction: 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. (from Amazon.com)

Trigger Warning:

This book deals with topics pertaining to miscarriage and abortion. Please take care of yourself and skip this book if you do not wish to read about those topics.

My Initial Thoughts

I think that Sandwich by Catherine Newman would be my idea of the perfect summer novel. It takes place at the beach, it focuses on family drama, and it’s so incredibly real. I’m obsessed with how Catherine Newman wrote the jumbled mess that is Rocky’s mind. She’s constantly obsessing over her adult children, daydreaming of the days of when her kids were young children, and trying to stay calm in between hot flashes and other symptoms of perimenopause.

Rocky is such a complicated character. Her demeanor is a constant change of loving her family (her husband Nick and her kids, who are young adults), remembering the good old days, and trying to maintain the traditions that her family abides by. But things change. People change. And sometimes you have to just roll with the punches and do what you can.

I Enjoyed This Representation of Family Vacation

My family went on beach trips together when I was a kid, but eventually it just kind of stopped. My family isn’t very close, I guess. So I really enjoyed reading the depiction of family vacation in this book.

First of all, I love how the whole family came together. Rocky, Nick, Willa, Jamie, and Maya. It’s nice how their family vacations continued even after the kids left home and Nick and Rocky were left with an empty nest. I appreciate when grown children still make the effort to spend time with their parents. I think that’s a very special thing and it’s something I try to do in my own life.

Even Rocky’s elderly parents came for two days to vacation with the family.

It all felt so relatable. I loved the scene in the ktichen where Rocky is making sandwiches and packing the cooler for everyone to take to the beach. This story is filled with witty observations by Rocky as they do their normal beach things and it made me smile a lot. I feel like a lot of readers will see similarities to their own family vacations.

I Enjoyed Getting to Know Rocky & Her Perspective

The thing that I liked the most about Rocky is how she has a lot of frustrations, but she doesn’t let them fester. She shares her thoughts. She reflects on them. She works it out with the other person if she has an issue with them. And finally, she moves on to the next thing.

I appreciated that because it’s a lot how I treat my life as well.

Nick is like that too, which is why I really liked him and Rocky as a couple. Even when he finds out that she’s been keeping some dark secrets from him for a while, he doesn’t blow up. They agree to talk things out and try to get to the root of their problems. And I think that’s admirable.

I will say that I think she was a little too nosy for her own good. But how could she not be? They were staying in a tiny beach house where everybody was living right on top of each other. Lol. And at least it made for some funny observations.

Ok. I Have to Bring It Up.

There is discussion of pregnancy in this book. There’s discussion of miscarriage. But there’s also talk about abortion and a woman’s right to choose.

That surprised me because for a while I thought this was just a summer beach read. But I was really impressed by how these normal everyday characters were so open and willing to discuss these things.

I saw some reviews on goodreads say that the book was too political, but that’s just nonsense. I appreciated that these characters were having these thoughts and conversations. It definitely not something that all families talk about, but they should. I hope that someday these difficult subjects are discussed more in familial settings.

These Characters aren’t Perfect

But that’s what makes them feel so real. I loved Rocky and her funny family from the very first page of this book. I think a lot of readers will see bits and pieces of their own family in these characters.

In Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts on the book Sandwich by Catherine Newman. This book is really special because it captures the everyday details of life. I loved how even though we only got to know them over the family’s weeklong vacation, I felt really connected to the family members.

This tender story has so many great lines in it. I know it’s a book that I’ll want to revisit next Summer when I’m looking for something Summer-y to read while visiting my parent’s beach house.

P.S. In October 2025 Catherine Newman published a sequel to this book that is named Wreck. It follow’s Rocky’s family as they are back to their everyday lives in Western Massachusetts. Here’s a link if you want to add Catherine Newman’s new novel to your goodreads tbr list.