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Sandwich
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
75 posts | 76 read | 48 to read
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 A total delight.Kate Christensen, author of The Great Man and Welcome Home, Stranger 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 familys 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, andthanks to the cottages ancient plumbingseptic too. This years vacation, with Rocky sandwiched between her half-grown kids and fully aging parents, promises to be just as delightful as summers pastexcept, perhaps, for Rockys hormonal bouts of rage and melancholy. (Hello, menopause!) Her body is changingher 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 familys 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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review
ImperfectCJ
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Mehso-so

This novel is relatable in some ways, while also sappy and a bit tedious, as beach vacations often are. What's not relatable is why someone would go back to the exact same sub-par place for vacations for twenty years. I couldn't handle the sameness, although I guess it's comforting to know you won't have privacy or reliable plumbing year after year? And swimming in a pond is gross. I think I see why living in New England wasn't a good fit for me.

Bookwormjillk Haha yeah. My Massachusetts family has been doing this for 40 years at least and we love it 😂 4d
ImperfectCJ @Bookwormjillk Well, you do you. 😁 Not my thing, but obviously I haven't tried it (my max is three times in the same place), so maybe it's awesome? Except the pond swimming. I've tried that multiple times and know it's gross. 4d
Bookwormjillk @ImperfectCJ that pond did sound gross. 4d
40 likes3 comments
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Allthebookclubs
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Pickpick

A hilarious book about a woman going through menopause. It‘s not just 300 pages of complaining — it‘s sharp, funny, and relatable. I really enjoyed it, even though I‘m not quite at that stage yet. My kids are still young, but it gave me plenty of laughs and things to think about for the future. Book #40 in 2025

3 likes1 stack add
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Pedrocamacho
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Pickpick

This is a fun audiobook about a family trip to the beach. I enjoyed the fact that the family was very loving and also messy.

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Soubhiville
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Pickpick

This short book packs a lot of emotion! Rocky and her husband and two adult children are vacationing on the New England shore for a week. Her menopausal experience and memories of having and raising the kids blend with what they are all going through in the trip to create a whole atmosphere. There isn‘t a plot to speak of, but if you‘re around her age you‘ll likely relate to the bulk, even if you didn‘t have kids. Excellent.

Suet624 I could so relate to this story. 1mo
KAO I enjoyed this one! 1mo
Hooked_on_books Hi sweet Sietje! 😘 1mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 1mo
74 likes5 comments
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Suet624
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Pickpick

Every year for 25 years at least 15 members of the family-my kids, aunts, uncles, grandbabies-spend a week at the ocean in the same funky house. So much of this book reminded me of the type of stays that we have. (Although I have to admit that we have some grumpy times which this author did not replicate.) I break my days down the same way she does. (Monday I‘m so relieved that we have so much time and by Wednesday I start to get sad.) 🔽

Suet624 The main character is a bit too emotional for me but I like the other characters a lot and I think most of the folks going through menopause will relate to what Newman has to say. Newman is definitely a must read author for me now that I‘ve read two of her novels. #offtheshelf (edited) 1mo
AnnCrystal 👏🏼🆒👍🏼💝💝💝. 1mo
BarbaraBB Those weeks sound great! I too found the mc too emotional to be able to relate to 1mo
See All 8 Comments
sarahbarnes Sounds lovely. 💕 1mo
Suet624 @sarahbarnes it‘s always an adventure! 1mo
Reggie Is the Jaba the Hut sand sculpture for real? That‘s pretty awesome! 1mo
Suet624 @Reggie it is!! 1mo
kspenmoll Wow! Jaba! I enjoyed this book for similar reasons- our family stays at Cape Cod- 1mo
56 likes1 stack add8 comments
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Soubhiville
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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My May #Bookspin and #Doublespin. I hope I‘ll have time to get to both of them. The next two months are going to be very busy.

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Enjoy!! 1mo
Suet624 Sandwich is short - I just finished it and enjoyed it. 1mo
MemoirsForMe I keep hearing great things about Kevin Wilson. Will look forward to your review 1mo
52 likes3 comments
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CarolynM
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Pickpick

I‘m at almost exactly the same stage in my life as Rocky, the narrator of this story but I just can‘t relate to her at all. She was so appallingly needy. Her constantly overflowing emotions were tiresome & her suggestion that her calm & steady husband & son didn‘t have feelings seemed just plain cruel. But I enjoyed the bright & breezy writing that brilliantly evoked the atmosphere a summer beach holiday. A low pick.

Ruthiella 😻😻😻 2mo
LeahBergen Lovely model! 😄 2mo
Bookwormjillk I agree with you about Rocky. I had a hard time with a main character that‘s such a main character. 2mo
See All 7 Comments
BarbaraBB I agree with both you and @Bookwormjillk 😀 2mo
dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 2mo
Rissreadswithcats I really loved this! 2mo
Suet624 I found her really emotional which got a bit tiring but I didn‘t see her as needy. I‘ll have to think about that. 1mo
66 likes7 comments
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TheBookgeekFrau
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this slice of life family story. Being close to the MC's age, there was quite a bit I could identify with.

26/80

April #BookSpin @TheAromaofBooks

#ReadingMyTBR #Reading2025 @DieAReader

DieAReader 💖💖💖 2mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2mo
55 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Amor4Libros
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Pickpick

I loved this book SO much! It just felt like such a real account of a family‘s life. Audiobook was excellent!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

CarolynM I‘m reading and enjoying this at the moment 😄 2mo
Amor4Libros @CarolynM I was so pleasantly surprised that I already started listening to another one of her books and loving it as well. I‘m so happy to hear you‘re having a great time, too! 🤗 2mo
56 likes1 stack add2 comments
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TheBookgeekFrau
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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"Picture this: a shorelined peninsula jutting into the Atlantic Ocean."

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

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Amor4Libros
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Current audiobook… Needed something a little bit less intense 😅

tpixie I did enjoy this 💛 2mo
Amor4Libros @tpixie I‘m liking it, too! 😊 2mo
tpixie @Amor4Libros 💛💛💛 2mo
53 likes3 comments
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TheBookgeekFrau
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Starting my April #BookSpin

46 likes2 stack adds
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OriginalCyn620
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Pickpick

I‘m not sure how I feel about this book…I mean, I liked it but something about it also grated on me but I can‘t say exactly what. I kept going back and forth between liking the MC and not liking her. A low pick!

#bookspinbingo
#pop25 - book that features a character going through menopause

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3mo
37 likes1 comment
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Hanna-B
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
Pickpick

A great book, including love and grief, our family ties and memories of times past. Some profound insights mixed with sandwich fillings

#catherinenewman #menopause

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Erin.Elizabeth10
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Pickpick

I loved this book! It‘s about a family on summer vacation at Cape Cod, told from the perspective of the mom. The title references how she feels “sandwiched” between her young adult children and her aging parents. The characters grapple with things like menopause, sexuality, pregnancy, marriage, and more. I thought the writing was very witty, the topics were dealt with well, and the setting was a taste of vacation. Good book!

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MallenNC
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Mehso-so

I expected to really relate to the MC here but I didn‘t like her much. It may be that the book was too much in her head. She was way too involved with her kids. I understand it was partly about having to let go and find your role once your kids were grown, but it didn‘t fully work for me.

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kspenmoll
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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My 4 choices this month. I fiction, 1 non-fiction, 2 historical fiction mysteries

Read4life Great month!! 💙🩷💙 3mo
kspenmoll @Read4life thanks! All wonderful reads! 3mo
43 likes2 comments
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intothehallofbooks
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Mehso-so

I wish I could have loved this one! I DID love the first 2/3 so much, where I found myself identifying SO HARD with the simultaneous exhaustion and joy of motherhood and the conflicting feelings of watching your kids grow up to be successful and great and then moving out.

But I was so disappointed by the last 1/3. All of Rocky‘s issues and feelings just got to be too much. In the end I found her unbearable and I felt sorry for her poor husband.

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LaLove
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
Pickpick

This book captures all the emotions of this specific phase of life. It was perfection.

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kspenmoll
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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It was wonderful to immerse myself in the Cape Cod world of sun, sand, salt air, ocean breezes, picnics on the beach, sticky fingers, wet bathing suits,towels with their seaweed smell flapping on a clothesline, & family love & acceptance, while outside in my world, cold wind bit my cheeks, & fluffy snow covered what once was brownish grass.

Read4life I‘m waiting for my library hold to come in. I‘m glad you liked it!!! 💙🩷💙 4mo
Suet624 A friend just gave me this. I loved her first book. 4mo
kspenmoll @Read4life Initially I thought Rocky was over the top hut that feeling passed quickly! 4mo
kspenmoll @Suet624 I have her book. Now I need to read it! 4mo
Suet624 @kspenmoll I think you‘ll like it. 4mo
44 likes5 comments
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kspenmoll
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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CBee YES!!! Loved this one. ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️ 4mo
julieclair Wow. Stacked. 4mo
54 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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Rissreadswithcats
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Pickpick

This book made me catch my breath more than once whilst reading it. I felt like the author was tapped into my thoughts and feelings about life, aging, menopause, family etc Many passages sent me back into the delight and despair of motherhood with small and grownup children. The smell of small children, of the beach and ocean. Many passages resonated with me so strongly that I shared them with friends. Newman is now a must read author for me. ⬇️

Rissreadswithcats Both her books have been 5 ⭐️ reads. Litsy A to Z letter N @Texreader 4mo
CBee YES YES YES I felt the exact same way. It was refreshing to have someone describe so much of what I‘m going through. So glad it did with you too ♥️ 4mo
MrsMalaprop Wow! Stacked 📚 4mo
See All 6 Comments
CarolynM Great review. Moving this up my TBR🙂 4mo
MrsMalaprop Would you recommend it for a book club read? Have to choose a book next… 4mo
Centique Im so glad you liked it. 😊 Shes a must read author for me now as well xxx 4mo
33 likes1 stack add6 comments
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BookNAround
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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It snowed here in the South so I‘m calling a personal snow day and staying in to read. Ozzie is pleased with my decision. And because it‘s freezing outside, I‘m reading about a week on Cape Cod in the summer.

TheBookHippie ❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️ 5mo
AnnCrystal 😍❄️💕😻💝. 5mo
dabbe #awesomeozzie 🖤🐾🖤 5mo
Leftcoastzen Yay Ozzie ! 4mo
69 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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rachaich
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Pickpick

Gosh, very different to my expectations and very insightful into menopause and mid life and families. I think it's well written and the plot, as such, is inclusive of necessary backstory.
Nicely done!

23 likes1 stack add
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thecheckoutstack
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Pickpick

An amazing portrait of womanhood in middle age in a beautifully mundane and relatable life.

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CSeydel
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Finishing up this slim but powerful novel recommended by @CBee and I‘ve been pondering how to articulate my feelings about it. Just a few pages before the end I came to this poignant, eloquent passage that I felt sums up [one of] the book‘s themes. I appreciate how well Newman‘s writing captures the feelings of family life in middle age, so that even though the details of my marriage & family are quite different than Rocky‘s, I can relate.

CBee I‘m so glad you‘ve enjoyed it! You‘re way ahead of me - am currently reading I‘m Sorry You Feel That Way and loving it. But a bit slow going for some reason 🤦‍♀️ Sandwich just put into words things I feel currently in midlife, especially related to menopause. Very poignant and a much needed book I think! (edited) 5mo
CSeydel @CBee Haha sorry I‘m not trying to be competitive - Sandwich is so short and so easy to read that I ended up staying up way too late last night finishing it. Take your time with I‘m Sorry You Feel That Way! It has a lot of emotion and it‘s worth savoring! 5mo
CBee @CSeydel oh no, I didn‘t take it that way. I‘d forgotten how short Sandwich is. Plus, I‘m trying (semi successfully) to read more than one book at a time. I don‘t know why it‘s so difficult for me! 5mo
47 likes1 stack add4 comments
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thecheckoutstack
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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2 things:

1) I love this book
2) My husband bought me a pillow for the bath that I was very skeptical about for Christmas and now can‘t live without. If you, like me, are a chronic bath reader, treat yourself. It‘s worth it.

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tpixie
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Enjoying this short book about a woman ‘sandwiched‘ between her grown children & her parents. A great read with great characters, family secrets, & family dynamics.
I can‘t remember which Litten love this book and triggered me to read it, but thank you!
#BlameItOnLitsy

squirrelbrain There‘s a few of us that loved it - I think it was mentioned by someone on a post comparing it to/ contrasting it with All Fours. 5mo
tpixie @squirrelbrain yes, I just scrolled through the book‘s posts and it been popping up for the last 4-5 months. I‘ll have to check out 5mo
62 likes2 comments
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Sapphire
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Pickpick

This book is funny at the start especially for those of us truly living the sandwich generation experience (and menopause)But this book wrecked me in the end. It‘s good but proceed with caution.

24 likes1 stack add
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britt_brooke
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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It was a fantastic reading year!

Favorites: Sandwich, In the Weeds, Ask Not, From Here to the Great Unknown, Migrations

The few stats I like to track:
library books — 119
nonfiction — 73
five star reads — 26

I have a “best of 2024” shelf on goodreads if you want to take a look. If we‘re not already connected, I‘m britt_brooke there, too. 🩷🩷

CoverToCoverGirl Fantastic year!🎉🎉 5mo
britt_brooke @CoverToCoverGirl Thanks, friend! Hope you discovered some great ones in 2024, too! 5mo
Ruthiella Nice work! 👏👏👏 5mo
See All 11 Comments
BarbaraBB Fab year 🩷 5mo
LeahBergen What a great year you‘ve had!! 👏 5mo
Cathythoughts Brilliant 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 5mo
britt_brooke @Ruthiella @BarbaraBB @LeahBergen @Cathythoughts Thanks! Happy New Year, my friends! ✨ 5mo
tpixie Great stats! I‘m listening to and enjoying 5mo
britt_brooke @tpixie So glad to hear! 🩷🩷 5mo
Suet624 Fantastic! 5mo
71 likes11 comments
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BittersweetBooks
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Maybe love is grief imploding. Or maybe it‘s love expanding. I don‘t know. I just know you can‘t create loss to preempt loss because it doesn‘t work that way. So you might as well love as much as you can. And as recklessly. Like it‘s your last resort, because it is 👙⛱️🦞

marleed That‘s beautiful 💕 5mo
19 likes1 stack add1 comment
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angel1
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Panpan

⭐️⭐️/5
Decided to take a break from Christmas reads and thrillers…went with this one but it just wasn‘t for me, just OK🤷🏼‍♀️

19 likes1 stack add
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Centique
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Pickpick

Spent most of today reading this on the sunny deck (sun has gone now!) Felt like being on holiday myself. Newman writes in a conversational style that is easy to read and i felt a lot of similarities (age, an adult child). So this telling of a family vacation where she is sandwiched btw one generation and the next while going through menopause was a delight. It also delves into some serious stuff so potential for a few shed tears here too.

Rissreadswithcats This sounds like my life sometimes! Stacked! 🥪 6mo
elkeOriginal I have heard good things about this one! 5mo
64 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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britt_brooke
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A family visits their favorite Cape Cod cottage where they‘ve amassed so many memories. The kids are now grown, yet still young. Their interactions are relatable, sweet, brutally honest, and often funny. But there are secrets, too; accidental and intentional. The idea of preemptive grief hit home. Being a human is hard. Identifying with others is paramount. It‘s a quick read, but packed with a ton of heart. One of my best of 2024!

70 likes4 stack adds
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NovelNancyM
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this novel - a great setting of Cape Cod, well developed characters and the messiness of life. Rocky is menopausal and sandwiched between her adult children and aging parents. The story reminded me of others by Ann Patchett and Elizabeth Strout.

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Acoleman
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Mehso-so

Just ok for me. I enjoyed the nostalgic aspects of having grown kids. But the menopause stuff was a bit much for me

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monkeygirlsmama
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Pickpick

A short and sweet #audiobook worth checking out.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

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BkClubCare
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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I laughed. I could relate. It was a quick read and one that made me only want to read read read! Love books that I can‘t put down, that suck me in, that have characters who are enraging and enraged, inconsistent and witty. This book is not about sandwiches the food - though a few are described. This is not all about the Cape Cod town of Sandwich Mass - though it provides the setting. This is about a menopausal woman navigating life between👇

BkClubCare her adult children and her aging parents. #Nov2024 Book102 (edited) 7mo
mcctrish I loved this book 7mo
BkClubCare @mcctrish - Rocky was on 🔥 7mo
tpixie I‘m listening to this now. It‘s so good. 😊 5mo
43 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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BkClubCare
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Starting this one because it just came off a many week library hold; comes highly recommended.

Reuben Sandwiches are my favorite with balanced and generous proportions of melty Swiss, sauerkraut, and sauce. MUST be on marbled rye. You?

And, yes, I have stood on this pier of Sandwich MA though I doubt it was at sunset time. But this matches my other post for today. My favorite place on Cape Cod is Pocasset. No real reason other than 👇

BkClubCare I worked there, and could thus get free parking for the beach. 7mo
TheBookHippie Yummmmmmm. 7mo
Deblovestoread My favorite! 7mo
tpixie Yes! Please may I share a Ruben sandwich 🥪 with you! It looks delicious!!! (edited) 5mo
tpixie @BkClubCare fun! 🚗 🏖️ 5mo
44 likes5 comments
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Kboltz
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Pickpick

Short and sweet and I loved it. If you are or were or could have been a mother this read is for you. Beach week with the family…this is a great quick read.

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Karisimo
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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#daysdevotedto #sandwich

I read this and very much identified with a lot of the emotions!

@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Eggs Brilliant 👏🏻 7mo
39 likes1 comment
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mcctrish
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Pickpick

Absolute true love for this book! I have laughed so hard I‘ve cried over and over while reading this and my heart has broken too many times. It‘s an absolute gem to read right now when women‘s reproductive rights are being taken away from them. Despite the laughter ( because if you can‘t laugh, you‘ll cry) there is a heavy message underlaying this story about what a woman bears in this life as a daughter, sister, wife, mother

sarahbarnes Great review. 🩵 7mo
59 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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kspenmoll
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Amiable My library hold for this book finally came in today! 🙌🏼 7mo
Eggs Sounds good 😌 7mo
kspenmoll @Amiable Yay! It‘s a short book, so I hope I get to it- this prompt reminded me that i had it! 7mo
60 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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mcctrish
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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I started this last night, really late for me, at 10 pm. The day got away from me and I was so tired I only managed 2 chapters. I was laughing so hard I was crying and then I didn‘t want to go to sleep. It may be finished today. I love peanut M&M‘s although I didn‘t think of them as a kids candy, they are more a I need to survive this day strategy

Aims42 I always rationalize that Peanut M&Ms have protein in them so therefore, it‘s a healthy snack 😇 7mo
Ruthiella They have nuts - a protein- so they are a meal! 😜 7mo
mcctrish @Aims42 absolutely and the way I added that extra shot of protein needed when I was pregnant 🤣🤣 7mo
See All 7 Comments
mcctrish @Ruthiella exactly ( what kid wants healthy candy 🤷🏻‍♀️) 7mo
Aims42 @Ruthiella @mcctrish Great minds think alike! 🙌😂 7mo
Deblovestoread Glad I‘m not alone in thinking if it has nuts it health food! 7mo
mcctrish @Deblovestoread a Top Tier health food 7mo
39 likes1 stack add7 comments
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ncsufoxes
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Pickpick

I‘m at the stage in my life where I can relate to this book…aging parents, kids growing up, hormonal changes. I listened to it over audio & was a quick listen. For the most part I liked it, some parts irked me. I‘m adding a trigger warning since abortion is discussed a few times in the book.

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bio_chem06
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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I‘m trying so hard, but I‘m finding myself really pushing to stay with this one. Read because it‘s small and may be worth the ending or bail?

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HeatherBookNerd
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Pickpick

A 54 year old woman, Rocky, returns with her husband and adult children to the same vacation spot they have visited for over 25 years. While at the beach, Rocky wanders through a series of old memories, family traditions, ponderings of the past, and questions about the future. She tackles all aspects of womanhood—menopause, parenting, misogyny, childbirth, marriage, miscarriage, aging parents, sex. A lovely book with honesty, warmth, and humor.

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kellock
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Pickpick

Loved it. Quick read. Nothing much happens but I like that in a story.

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kellock
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Next up on kindle . . . I've seen this crop up with good reviews.

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Readaholics
Sandwich: A Novel | Catherine Newman
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Pickpick

The best beach read is set at the beach. This book reminded me of the Dutch House with how warm the writing was to read. It‘s a great story about a family growing, bending but never breaking. It tells the story of a life well lived via a lot of flashbacks and memories - both good and bad.