For the past two decades, Rachel, also known as "Rocky," and her husband Nick have rented the same Cape Cod cottage for a week each summer. This year, their son Jamie and his girlfriend Maya, along with their daughter Willa, join them, with Rocky's parents arriving mid-week. Bringing together three generations of adults becomes quite an ambitious undertaking. Fifty-four-year-old Rocky serves as the story's narrator. She is overflowing with emotions as she reflects on motherhood. Rocky is going through both physical and emotional changes, including the anticipatory grief that comes with adjusting to an empty nest and having aging parents. Like most beach vacations, this one involves plenty of conversations, lots of eating. And, above all, there's an abundance of love.
Author Catherine Newman's novel Sandwich is appropriately titled - not only does the family eat a lot of sandwiches but Rocky and Nick are in that place in life when they are sandwiched in between growing children and older parents. This is a short book packed with so much to relate to if you are in a similar life stage. Rocky's humorous comments about experiencing hot flashes and other changes are intertwined with poignant reflections and admissions. The writing is beautiful. Consider adding this book to your summer vacation reading list.
Rated 4 out of 5 stars.
Contemporary Fiction | Literary Fiction.
Publication Date: June 18, 2024.
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