Catherine Newman’s latest novel is a study in laser-focused love. The joys and emotional perils of being sandwiched between aging parents and young adult children are offered up here with humor and a keen sense of observation. It is astute and honest, but that doesn’t even begin to cover it. Lovely and weird, SANDWICH holds its happiness and sorrows in equal measure.

For the past 20 summers, Rocky; her husband, Nick; and their children, Willa and Jamie, have spent a glorious week in a cozy and run-down cabin in Cape Cod. Their time there is full of traditions: big meals, days at the beach, book sales, games and more. When Willa and Jamie were little, the vacation sometimes felt like work as Rocky dealt with diapers and tantrums, slow-walking toddlers, big fears and minor injuries. But now that they are 20 and 24, all but totally flown from the nest, Rocky misses their childhoods even as she revels in their adult conversations and accomplishments.

"It is astute and honest, but that doesn’t even begin to cover it.... SANDWICH is tender-hearted in the best possible way and a revelation itself."

This year’s week at Cape Cod looks to be more of the same: swimming, drinking, talking, eating and relaxing. For the past few years, Jamie’s long-term girlfriend, Maya, has joined them, and Rocky’s parents will come out for their usual two days, so the cabin will be full --- just the way Rocky likes it.

But this year turns out to be different. Secrets will see the light of day, and some of the human frailties that Rocky has tried for so long to strengthen on her own must be confronted. SANDWICH is a fairly short novel and a breeze to read, even when it is tackling some super tough topics. Still, there are some big reveals that a careless review could ruin. Readers should trust that they are in Newman’s capable hands. She will make you laugh out loud, nod your head in commiseration and cry. Amongst days of fancy treats, bottles of wine, late-night skinny dips, and lazy, sandy afternoons, the book offers up intense explorations of motherhood, family trauma, regret, reproductive options, menopause and marriage.

The cast of characters is small but all finely drawn types, though the females are written with more nuance. Willa stands out, and not just because she gets a lot of page time. She is like a Greek chorus for Rocky if the Greek chorus was one cherubic yet anxious undergrad with an acid wit and the power to heal with her snuggles. Rocky herself is an everywoman but also singular in her experiences, dreams, talents, fears and foibles. Funny, wise and fretful, she is a great fictional guide through the all-too-real themes that Newman is examining. The book is not just about loss, but loss is threaded through it because loss is threaded through life. Here it is balanced with celebrations, unconditional love, understanding, pleasure and the power in sharing the truth.

More than halfway through the novel, and halfway through the week that it covers, Willa tells Rocky that “this week is proving to be very revelatory.” Indeed it is, as it tears open some wounds and heals others for Rocky and her family. SANDWICH is tender-hearted in the best possible way and a revelation itself.