Summary of Sandwich by Catherine Newman

Below is a summary of Sandwich by Catherine Newman, a review, a character guide, and an explanation of the ending. Sandwich is a fiction novel that takes place over one week in Cape Cod during the summer. This is an insightful novel that follows Rocky, her husband, two kids, and parents as Rocky navigates being part of the sandwich generation.

As soon as I read this book, it resonated with me. I laughed out loud while reading this book, but also felt a deep connection to the emotions that Rocky experienced in a given day. I think many women can relate as well, so I wanted to make sure that I did not miss any details. I took notes on the plot and themes. I wanted to be able to provide you with a thorough summary and review.

Kirsten and I chose this book for our Beyond the Bookends Book Club, and we had an amazing discussion with Catherine. If you are thinking about picking this book for your next book club, I also have Sandwich Book Club questions

Brief Summary of Sandwich by Catherine Newman

Every year, Rocky spends a week in Cape with her kids and her parents. This year, Rocky is worried about her parents as they are getting older. She struggles with her role as both a mother and daughter while dealing with menopause. Rocky comes to terms with decisions from her past.

Detailed Sandwich Book Summary

Saturday

The book begins on Saturday. Rocky and her family are at the cottage they have rented for the last twenty years, located in Cape Cod. The toilet is overflowing while Rocky and Nick scramble to fix it. Later, they head to the local surf shop with Willa (their daughter), Jamie (their son), and Maya (Jamie’s girlfriend). Nick forgot the swimsuits at home. We immediately see the quick banter between Rocky and Willa.

Sunday

Rocky and Nick are bickering in line at the “good bakery”. Rocky is feeling unseen. We get a glimpse into Nick’s affable nature when we see him playing Scrabble on his phone with Rocky’s college boyfriend. He also plays with his own exes and Rocky’s ex-friends.

Maya is throwing up in the bathroom. Rocky asks if she is pregnant, but she thinks she ate a bad clam.

First day of sandwich making is “epic”. Everyone wants a different type of sandwich and Rocky willingly obliges.

They head to the beach, where Rocky gets emotional. They begin to reminisce, and Willa states that she wanted more siblings. Rocky wanted more children as well. Rocky remembers how it was at the cottage with the kids when they were young.

Monday

Rocky is thinking about all the changes to her and Nick’s sex life as they have gotten older. Willa wonders if Rocky identifies as queer. We go back to Rocky’s memories of her time at the cottage when the kids were younger.

Tuesday

Maya confesses to Rocky that she is pregnant. She is debating whether or not to get an abortion. She has not told Jamie yet.

Rocky went to the OB last week to talk about the changes happening due to menopause. The questionnaire says “number of pregnancies” and “number of live births”. Rocky comments that it should have a trigger warning.

Willa reveals that she has an anxiety disorder.

Wednesday

Rocky wakes up from a nightmare and finds out she is fighting with Nick after she drank too much and started a fight while playing Settlers of Catan. They make up, and Rocky’s parents, Mort and Alice, arrive at the house.

Willa introduces everyone to Callie, a lifeguard at the beach. Rocky suspects her mom isn’t feeling well, but she lies and says she is fine. Rocky is happy believing the lie.

Rocky became pregnant with a third child when Jamie was four and Willa was a year old.

** Trigger warning: Rocky describes losing the baby.

Willa asks Rocky’s dad about his family in Poland. According to a mail-away DNA test, Rocky is 61% Jewish. Mort reveals that his parents were killed in Treblinka during WWII. Rocky is devastated at the horrible news. Mort insists it was never a secret, but Rocky is shocked that he never shared the information with her.

Mort shares his story and his survivor’s guilt.

**Trigger warning: Rocky is thirteen weeks when Jamie is five and Willa is almost two. At the doctor’s appointment to see the heartbeat, there is none.

Thursday

Rocky and Nick head to the pharmacy after the appointment with the OB. She needs to take medication called Misoprostol. The computer says she had taken that same medication the year before. Rocky insists it is a computer error.

The family all head to the beach. Alice falls over, so they take her to the hospital.

** Trigger warning: Rocky remembers her first miscarriage.

Bloodwork from the hospital reveals that Alice has heart disease. This is not new information, rather, Mort and Alice were keeping it a secret from the family.

Rocky is remembering the summer Jamie was 6 and Willa was 2. She has been having trouble getting pregnant again and decides that she does not want to continue trying.

Mort and Alice discuss options for Alice in the future.

We go back to the summer when Jamie was four and Willa was almost one. She remembers how much she loved the kids.

Back at the house, Willa realizes that Nick does not know that Maya is pregnant, and he is the only one. Willa tells Rocky to make sure that Jamie tells him.

When Jamie was five and Willa was almost two, Rocky took the pills in the car and tried to tell Nick. She doesn’t. The reader now has information that we assumed. Rocky did not have a miscarriage the summer before.

While outside with Willa, Rocky tells her that she has a baby that died in utero and that she needed medication to miscarry.

When Willa was almost one and Jamie was four, Rocky told Nick that she had started to miscarry and asked him to take her to the beach.

Rocky finally tells Nick the truth about what happened with the first pregnancy. Nick is hurt and upset.

Friday

Rocky wonders if her parents will stay an extra day after her mother’s hospital visit

Rocky and Nick discuss her secret. She tries to explain the love and loss she felt after she took the pill and her desperate need to have another child. She hid this from everyone. She tells Nick that Maya is pregnant.

They have a discussion about the fact that Rocky is the one who is the touchpoint for everyone’s emotional well-being. Nick points out that

“… some of it is work of your own making. I don’t really know that you need to be at the center of some of the things you’re at the center of.”

Mort and Alice leave.

Willa and Rocky have a conversation about abortion. Rocky is trying to explain why she wanted a baby after having an abortion.

Rocky recalls that her scars from the c-sections of Jamie and Willa took years to fully heal, and at one point, she had a cyst with a piece of suture in it.

They decide to buy lunch at the deli rather than making it. Rocky and Nick enjoy time in the surf together.

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Sandwich by Catherine Newman Book Review

Sandwich Book Summary Ending (With Spoilers)

After

Jamie and Maya get married.

Alice passed away after a time in hospice.

Rocky and the family adopt a kitten.

The last line of the book has me crying every time I read it. “And we’ll be as young and as whole as we’re ever going to be”

Character Guide for Sandwich

Main Characters

• Rachel “Rocky” – Main Protagonist, Mom
• Nick – Rocky’s Husband
• Willa – Rocky and Nick’s Daughter
• Jamie – Rocky and Nick’s Son

Secondary Characters

• Mort and Alice – Rocky’s Parents
• Callie – Lifeguard, Willa’s love interest
• Chicken- the cat

Shop for Sandwich by Catherine Newman

Sandwich Book Club Discussion with Catherine Newman

Kirsten and I had the pleasure of interviewing Catherine Newman for the Beyond the Bookends Book Club. We had an amazing discussion- this is just a short snippet.

What to Read After Sandwich by Catherine Newman

Frequently Asked Questions

Epilogue

Did you like my summary of Sandwich? Will you choose Sandwich by Catherine Newman for your next book club? Will you read Wreck, the follow-up to Sandwich?