Et cetera : What We're Reading: Sandwich

This weekend I finished 'Sandwich' by Catherine Newman, and within the first couple of chapters I laughed so hard I spit out my coffee; then the laughter turned to tears, and back again to laughter. The book tells the story of a family of four while vacationing for a week in a rental home in Cape Cod. They've taken this trip every summer since the children were little and have continued the tradition into the children's adult lives.

I first became a fan of this author with her 2005 memoir 'Waiting for Birdy,' which detailed her pregnancy in all its beautiful, miraculous, hormonal, anxiety-ridden splendor. In 'Sandwich' she doesn't hold back any punches when ruminating on marriage, middle age, parenting adult children, life with aging parents, and more. No topic is taboo, so as a reader prepare yourself to be ready for anything while riding the narrator's emotional rollercoaster. I thoroughly enjoyed the laughs as well as the emotional release of the tears.

Happy reading!

~Kelly Henkle, Library Director