Sandwich - Catherine Newman

In Catherine Newman’s novel Sandwich, Rocky has what seems to this empty nester the best week ever ahead - a week at the beach with her children and those special to them. To this woman who’s lost her mom that she is even going to get some time with both of her parents seems delightful. As is the case, the week is much more complex than a vacation. Life is seldom simple. Newman creates a humorous and thoughtful look at what is like to be sandwiched between parenting your children and your parents. Catherine Newman speaks to me in her novel in a way that I love.

My experience is that the time during and after menopause has been a time of much reflection. For Rocky it is as well. She is anticipating the idea that her son may have a child. She is remembering her own youth and pregnancies. She is dealing with the illness of her mother. She is as are most mothers trying to be all things to all of her family. Her concerns are real. The conflicts abound. I love character development in a Catherine Newman novel. Like the real people who populate my world, these folks are sometimes likable and sometimes not. They are confused; they struggle with their decisions. But they rely on each other and sometimes have the difficult conversations. Through it all, Newman gives us a family who ultimately love each other. They have histories and traditions - like my own family trips to the beach that include doughnuts and ice cream - and a seafood restaurant.

In part because of this setting, I related to Rocky perhaps a bit too well. While our experiences are not the same, our struggles are similar. I would love to be able to, right now, simultaneously be able to care for my grandson and my father. I struggle to find the balance that I seek. I question decisions that I made as a parent and work through what has been a tough history with my dad. Perhaps a week at the beach is just what I need. I most highly recommend Sandwich by Catherine Newman. Also check out Newman’s We All Want Impossible Things, reviewed here.