5 Books To Read If You Loved the Book Sandwich
Books about motherhood, mid-life, family, Cape Cod, and summertime for readers who loved 'Sandwich' by Catherine Newman.
I finished Sandwich by Catherine Newman in one sitting, just over two hours. For one thing, I love a marathon reading experience, and for another, I couldn’t put it down. It is enveloping and emotional and introspective. This short novel takes place over the course of one week as Rocky and her husband take their annual family vacation in a slightly dilapidated cottage on Cape Cod. Rocky is 54, in the “sandwich” phase of life between grown children and aging parents. Her parents appear for two days to enjoy the beach, drawing a full picture of midlife around Rocky and her reflective, menopausal mood.
Full of nostalgic reminiscences, deeply human anxieties, and a whole lot of love, the early chapters of the book had me nervous it would be too precious for me, but I quickly began to enjoy both Rocky’s first person narration and the peek at how mothering changes, for better and worse, over the years. A few books came to mind as I was reading, so I’m sharing those with you today.
Content warning: in Sandwich, Newman discusss pregnancy, abortion, and miscarriage—with tenderness—but also with grief and guilt, and difficulty. If these topics are tough for you to read about, take care.
Life is a seesaw, and I am standing dead center, still and balanced: living kids on one side, living parents on the other. Nicky here with me at the fulcrum. Don’t move a muscle, I think. But I will, of course. You have to.
Sandwich by CatherineNewman
Books to read after Sandwich by Catherine Newman
Bomb Shelter by Mary Laura Philpott — Rocky’s anxieties over her children and their choices—and her parents and their physical ailments—reminded me of Mary Laura Philpott’s earnest fretfulness as depicted in Bomb Shelter, a collection of essays about gripping tightly to those you love despite the world’s insistence on inflicting pain, surprises, and everyday aging. Both Philpott and Rocky narrate, and parent, with humor and heart. Their love for family, tradition, and motherhood is palpable but realistic, not too syrupy sweet—and both books explore existential questions with a lighter touch.
The Lido by Libby Page — This novel follows the unlikely friendship between an elderly woman and a young journalist as they fight to save their local swimming pool. It’s a heartwarming and uplifting story about community and connection.
You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith — The marriage at the center of Sandwich is, overall, a happy one. Rocky gets annoyed and angry with her husband (partly hormones, partly his stoicism in the face of emotional events), but they are a team; he is always lovingly in her corner. Smith’s memoir follows the dissolution of her marriage, but it still perfectly pairs with a novel about nostalgia, parenthood, and standing on the precipice of change. Smith writes about her kids with the same heart-baring love and honesty as Newman’s narrator. Both books made me feel seen and empowered as a mom, and as a woman.
The Summer Book by Tove Jansson — We discussed Jansson’s slim novel-in-vignettes on Novel Pairings a couple of years ago, and it remains at the front of my mind for readers who enjoy introspective, quiet stories filled with nature and intergenerational relationships. Six-year-old Sophia lives with her grandmother on an island on the Gulf of Finland, where the pair spends their days roaming around the island and pondering existence. The setting comes alive in Jansson’s sparse prose, but the most poignant aspect is the love between grandmother and granddaughter, as well as the steady march of time.
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett — Last summer, Patchett’s buzzy release easily topped my best books list with its precise prose, reflective tone, and warm family story—not to mention the snippets of small town summer theater, Midwestern setting, and influence of Our Town. It’s such a seamless pairing for Sandwich that I hardly feel the need to explain it—both books depict midlife motherhood with the unique challenge of parenting grown-ups, a strong sense of place and tradition, and contemplative flashbacks. These feel like sister novels, and I can almost guarantee that if you loved one, you’ll love the other.
Have you read Sandwich? I’d love to hear about your experience, or your additional recommendations, in the comments.
