Sandwich

Rocky #1

by Catherine Newman

"Oh, honey," I say. "I'm sorry. Don't worry about me! I'm totally good. I'm so, so happy to be here with you."
This is how it is to love somebody. You tell them the truth. You lie a little. And sometimes you don't say anything at all..."

From the bestselling author of WE ALL WANT IMPOSSIBLE THINGS

For the past two decades, Rocky has looked forward to her family’s yearly escape to Cape Cod. Their rustic beach-town rental has been the site of sweet memories, its quirky furniture and mismatched pots and pans greeted like old friends.

Now, sandwiched between her children who are adult enough to be fun but still young enough to need her, and her parents who are alive and healthy, Rocky wants to preserve this golden moment forever. This one precious week when everything is in balance; everything is in flux.

But every family has its secrets and hers is no exception. With her body in open revolt and surprises invading her peaceful haven, the perfectly balanced seesaw of Rocky’s life is tipping towards change…

Genres: Fiction, Audiobook, Book Club, Contemporary, Summer, Family, Literary Fiction

256 pages, Hardcover

First published June 18, 2024

Reviews

[Stacy B · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am the exact target audience for this book. I’m 54 yr old menopausal woman with two grown children who spends lots of time in Sandwich Ma! But this book just did not do it for me. I was annoyed at the places in Sandwich were completely fictional (not that real names of places needed to be used but it’s what makes it fun for locals to read and they did not describe places that actually exist)and a HUGE pet peeve is the audio narrator (who did do a fantastic job otherwise) pronounced Barnstable wrong (it’s more like ‘barn stibel’ not barn STABLE, like horse barn) and if I were the author I would demand that be fixed!
But besides those personal pet peeves, I just found the relationships with her children a little TOO open and there were also comments made that were really over the top, like for shock value, and I am far from a pearl clutcher, but a lot of these seemed really unnecessarily crude.
As for Rocky, the main character, I will say she made me thankful my menopause experience isn’t as bad as hers. She is one angry angry woman on the verge of exploding at any and all times. I almost want to have my husband read it so he knows how lucky he is lol This woman’s husband is a friggen saint. To go with the flow as much as he does.
And although I, as well as many moms, get sentimental about their kids and missing the younger days, she really goes over the top almost to point where it’s creepy.
I did enjoy the ending and it put a lump in my throat but overall, it just didn’t hit the mark for me as a fun beach read.

[Done with TV · Rating 1 out of 5]

So boring. No plot. Ranty. Excessively political. Just liberal woke nonsense for no reason. I’m very pro-choice but I’m not interested in reading anymore books that are just someone’s social justice warrior project. I’m also done with books where women are written as complete idiots but miraculously they are so smart in their career but don’t have the good sense to get through 5 minute of real life.

[Linda Smiff]

This book was annoying.

[Brady Lockerby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this one 🥹 “This is a book about love and change and loss, all packed into an annual family week on Cape Code. And it’s a total delight.”
I don’t know if this one will be for everyone, the writing is different than anything I’ve read before, but I adored it

[Gloria · Rating 1 out of 5]

Might be the Worst Book I’ve Read this Year ( And I Read About 5/week)

Reading this was painful, I had to force myself to finish. Mostly a monologue about one woman’s struggle with her feminine body; abortion, depression, menopause, etc. There really is no generational sandwich, other than the one she creates in her head. Her children are of age and live independently, her parents are elderly but live independently. Her husband should be given a hero award for sticking with her. I can think of nothing positive to say about this book other than I finished it.

[Erin Maggart · Rating 1 out of 5]

I know this got a lot of rave reviews and I know I'm in the minority, but I was so disappointed by this book. I didn't feel the book had much substance nor was it original, and I really don't get reviews saying it's witty. I guess I grew up in a home too dysfunctional to allow me to ignore my willing suspension of disbelief and think there exists such perfect families. It annoyed me. There's no real conflict. When the Mom doesn't want to deal with something she blurts out that she's having hot flashes and/or is menopausal. It was trite. Maybe she could have seen a doctor and tried to deal with her hormonal issues in some way rather than relying on making sandwiches to make her perfect life THE most perfect it could be. I rarely write reviews because I'd rather move onto my next read and, with the quantity of books I read, I feel my time could be better spent not giving my opinion on something everyone else has already given their opinion on. For once, I felt like I needed to justify my review since this has been touted as one of the best new reads. I've never had a perfect life and reading about people that do was really f'n boring to me. The only upside was that this was really short, so I didn't waste much time. And, I got it from the library, so I only wasted time but no money. In case the one-star review isn't indicative enough, I hated this book.

[Jude (HeyJudeReads) Fricano · Rating 5 out of 5]

"And this may be the only reason we were put on this earth. To say to each other, I know how you feel. To say, Same. To say, I understand how hard it is to be a parent, a kid." Catherine Newman, Sandwich

I laughed, I cried and I laughed some more. Family, parenting, love, Cape Cod and the underestimated smell of being on the beach that brings both clarity and relaxation. Sandwich is a wonderful representation of how families live - love - disagree and how they endure. Marriages, aging parents, children who grow to find their own love and the complicated dance of a marriage between two that ebbs and flows over the course of several decades. There is no sweeter story than that of family - and with that comes all the heartaches and tribulations - and culminates with love.

[Sujoya - theoverbookedbibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sandwich by Catherine Newman follows fifty-four-year-old Rachel or “Rocky” as is called by those close to her, over the course of her annual family trip to Cape Cod. We meet her husband Nick, her adult children – daughter Willa, son Jamie and his girlfriend Maya and her elderly parents also join them for a few days in their rental cottage. There is a lot to manage and Rocky is the middle of it all. We follow her as she navigates the demands of her family, her own struggles with bouts of melancholy and mood swings (not to mention the hot flashes) brought on by menopause and is often overwhelmed by memories of the years gone by – some happy and some not so much.

The narrative is presented from Rocky’s first-person PoV and spans a week in the characters’ lives, with past events being shared as flashbacks as present-day events evoke nostalgia and Rocky is reminded of past events. The pacing is on the slower side, which suits the nature of the story. This is a story about what it means to be a family-the shifting dynamics within, navigating the ups and downs, growing together and giving each other space for individual growth, making memories, evolving, holding on and learning to let go. The author addresses several sensitive topics, including parenting, sexuality, menopause,motherhood, miscarriage,marriage, aging, family secrets, grief, sacrifice and much more with maturity and insight.

Beautiful prose, relatable characters and realistic situations, plenty of love, laughter and food (and of course, sandwiches) as well as tears and frustrations, and some truly heartfelt conversations and poignant moments make for a quiet yet incredibly thought-provoking read!

Many thanks to Harper for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel was published on June 18, 2024.

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[emma]

i'm constantly one small push away from making new england my entire personality

[JennyG · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just no.

There is a difference between taking artistic license and then there is just flat out distasteful. This is the latter for so many reasons. I don’t even know where to begin.

Between the non-traditional dialogue writing style and vivid descriptions of the morning after pill, miscarriage of her child in the ocean, abortions (picking up blood clots in the toilet and all), I am just flabbergasted. Not to mention the Oedipal relationships with her kids. I don’t understand the love for this book whatsoever.

I would give this book zero stars if I could. Worst book that I have read in a very long time.

[Deborah · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s not clear who this book is for. It’s certainly not for women with grown children because it will give you an anxiety disorder if you don’t have one. I lost count of how many times the women said “I’m the worst.” I’m pretty sure one of them was a man living as a trans gay woman. It felt like misogyny thinly disguised as humor. Only it did not make me laugh. It was cringy. The men are all cluelessly floating through life bothered by nothing. They even said “men have reason and math in place of where feelings would be.” Really, what year do you live in? The main character is full of angst and self-loathing and self-absorption. Her family tells her she’s a narcissist a few times and she laughs. She should listen. And the family is weirdly enmeshed. They eat every meal practically sitting on top of each other and do everything together. It’s not a book for men obviously since they are minor players. And it’s not for young adults because they are treated like children. It’s not a good tale for anyone that I can tell. It’s one very neurotic person who has written a book for herself to vent I guess.

[Jeanette DeSantis · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. This book just wasn’t for me AT ALL. I found the main character Rocky to be extremely annoying, self-centered, self-serving, crude, and honestly, just bizarre. The woman is in her fifties and talking all misty eyed about her pregnancies (as if they were yesterday) non-stop, talking about her menopausal symptoms non-stop and her reproductive parts non-stop. Ew. She acted as if her hot flashes gave her license to act obnoxious. The vulgar, disgusting vocabulary and crass, filthy language was so unnecessary and unpleasant to read and took away from the story. It also took away from the beautiful setting of the Cape which I will admit the author tried very hard to capture. I felt like the entire story was the main character’s own personal inner and outer monologue which was so SCHMALTZY and so CRINGE. Who in reality talks this way? The dialogue was so choppy and frenetic. Who was saying what?? You really couldn’t tell. Her children were 19 and 23 but the author wrote them as if they were very young children. Her husband was written as a weak, spineless, enabling fool. I really didn’t invest in any of the characters because frankly they weren’t even remotely likable, not one of them. I’m very disappointed because it seemed like a book I would have enjoyed because I spent many childhood and adult summers at the Cape. I put it down a third of the way because it actually was becoming painful to listen to any more of the main character’s whining, vulgarity, and her enamoredness/obsession with her grown children. (Again, CRINGE.) So disappointing because it had a great premise and the potential to have been a very good book. Really missed the boat. Just not an enjoyable or pleasant read at all. What on earth was this author thinking????

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doubling down on everything I said originally having now listened to this as well as reading the Kindle version. Adding I cannot believe this book is only a couple of hundred pages long. Man is it good! And boy do I love sandwiches.

ORIGINAL REVIEW:



I spend soooooo much time in my reviews declaring “while I wasn’t the target demographic for this one” or “go read reviews by people who actually can relate to this plot/these characters” but I’m here to tell you THIS. STORY. WAS. WRITTEN. FOR. MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Rocky (Rachel, but everyone calls her Rocky), Nick, the kids Willa and James (and James’ long-time girlfriend Maya), and eventually Rocky’s parents Mort and Alice are spending their yearly week at a rental house on Cape Cod. This annual tradition has been going on since the kids were just wee little babies. They’ll eat lobster, get their suntan on while swimming in the Atlantic and looking for hermit crabs, they’ll attend the annual library sale, get ice cream in town – you know, all the typical touristy type things. All while Rocky is in the throEs (edit because the grammar police have pointed out I'm an idiot who doesn't know how to spell) of menopause.

I am a true believer that everyone should read whatever book synopsis, title or even cover (I mean, look at that house!) strikes their fancy. And lord knows I got the FOMO real bad so I read tons of things that I really should have just left on the library shelves. But this might be a case where you end up with a “meh” reaction at best or might actively dislike Rocky if you aren’t experiencing the “joys” of what she’s going through . . . .

“there are still other manifestations that you have never gotten a single rotten whiff of until they’re happening specifically to you. Like the fact that your vagina sweats in the night. It perspires! This same vagina that so stubbornly refuses to produce any other type of moisture that when your gynecologist’s nurse asks if you’re sexually active, you laugh, shrug, make a so-so sign with your hand. “I’m going to put yes for that,” she says, cheerfully. “Some active volcanoes haven’t erupted in fifty years!” Your gums recede. You are covered in weird growths, as if a toddler has gotten a sheet of mole stickers and stuck them all over your breasts and armpits. Everything needs to be biopsied, except for the one under-boob skin tag that has actual tentacles, like an octopus; this is apparently so normal that the mammogram person barely looks when you show it to her—“That’s totally fine!”—but then she puts a festive little donut sticker over it so the radiologist won’t mistake it for a tumor. You have so many nipple hairs and most of them are white now. And your period does a kind of horror-movie swan song as if it is finally realizing its Freddie Krueger aspirations.

As a gal who is willing to practically slit my husband’s throat for daring to ask questions like “why do you have all that underboob sweat????” when we’ve only taken a five minute car ride (in frigid air conditioning, no less) to go get cat litter and a rotisserie chicken from Sam’s Club, Rocky was my type of butthole and now she’s my new best friend.

Allllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll the Stars

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a light, sweet, beachy read, as the cover of this book would infer, move along because this isn’t it.

This book, clocking in at a mere 240 pp, manages to smother you with miscarriages, abortion, grandparents killed by Nazis, a super woke obnoxious daughter, and way over here in 2024 there is even a mention of Covid and a request to wear a mask. It even goes as far as to mention Sandy Hook. Depressed yet? No? Ok, how about incessant talk of menopause?

I guess I wasn’t the right audience. Adding a star for the beautiful cover, as misleading as it was. And there were a couple of cute lines. All in all, I was underwhelmed.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the beginning of a new series for the author. This first book is set in Cape Cod. Over a one-week period. And for readers, how can you not help but be mesmerized by the scenic beauty and mouth-watering food described by the author?

Is this the ‘sandwich’ of the story, or just a metaphor?

Actually, there is more to the meaning of ‘sandwich’ here. Which makes this a perfect title for this book.

What does it mean when one is considered the “sandwich generation?” In simple terms, it refers typically to working adults who are concurrently caring for both their children and their aging parents.

And in this case, it is Rocky’s story, from her point of view. Rocky is a woman in her 50’s who is going through menopause and managing her aging parents and soon-to-leave-the-nest children. The story realistically highlights that feeling of being in the middle, and not quite knowing how successful one will be in managing it all. As well as, the struggles of being both a mother and a daughter and coming to terms with decisions from the past, as well as making decisions in present time.

And, as serious as this sounds, it still has a way of being a humorous and readable story that is also relatable.

Have our kids already grown up so fast? And, when did our parents get this old?

I remember a few years ago, when my husband and I were the ‘chosen’ ones to take care of our aging parents, suffering from onset forms of dementia (my husband’s parents) and Parkinsons dis-ease with Lewy Body dementia (my mother). Our siblings helped as best they could, but from a distance. So, the full responsibility of their care, fell on us. And, even if our kids were grown and raising their own families and living their independent lives, they still had a way of needing us, too. And, when all those responsibilities hit us, at once, it sometimes felt challenging, taxing, worrying, hard and emotional. Lots of big decisions to make, while sometimes flying from the seat of our pants, to do so.

With this story, in many ways, it almost reads like a series of contemplative thoughts on being a mother and going through menopause. Appreciating the memories of when the kids were young, to recognizing where things are now in this ‘sandwich’ circumstance.

As much as this stage of life is behind me, who couldn’t relate to the challenges of how all these physical and emotional changes can affect someone’s well-being? Especially when we are talking about menopause.

And yet, the author has a way of making us giggle through a lot of those hormonal moments. As unfunny as it may all feel at the time. But Rocky’s behavior didn’t always make her the most likable character.

Still, the moments felt real, and believable. Making this story rather engaging and heart-felt.

Triggers: abortion, miscarriage

[Carrie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm dazzled that this has got so much hype. The mother and daughter were particularly unbearable.

[Linda (Lily) Raiti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahh, give me a story about a 50 year old woman, throw in menopause (identifiable & relatable), add poetic, entertaining, atmospheric writing and we have the perfect literary sandwich combo, worthy of gobbling up.

Sandwiched between generations - her now adult children and her loveable, aging parents, Rachel, aka Rocky takes us on a journey of a family annual week holiday at Cape Cod. There is self growth, passage, grief, relationships, family joy, loss, secrets and revelations to be had.

Written with incredibly clever humour but also with sweet, tender-heartedness. Rockys internal monologue curates memories from her own childhood, her marriage (early on and now) and raising her “perfect and beautiful” children.

It’s rare a book can make me laugh out loud and weep in equal measures as Sandwich did. Her candid vag and lady bits talk - told both from child bearing to her now old saggy aging one had me literally cackling - nearly all from my own similar experiences.

The raw and visceral emotion Newman brings to the narrative is written with unabashed vulnerability and introspection, seemingly deliberately and yet intricately observed.

“ Nick immediately pulls off his Red Sox T-shirt and Red Sox cap and asks Willa if she wants to swim. ‘Nah.’ She says. ‘I’m lazy. I’m just going to lay in the sun for a while.’ Nick catches my eye because lay instead of lie, but we don’t say anything because we’re trying not to be colonialist grammar-police fucktrumpets or what ever it is Willa has accused us of being.”

5 freaking stars 🌟

🤩 Huge thanks to the wonderful team @penguinbooksaus @catherinenewman for this absolute winner! 💌

[Terrie Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sandwich is about three generations of one family being brought together for their annual family vacation. All have a unique voice but the one resounding voice heard above the others is Rocky’s. Along with her husband, she is sandwiched between her parents and two adult children.

The main focus of this story is their extended family as seen through Rocky’s eyes and heart. It’s bold and tender, full of humor and sadness, and her first-person narrative exposes her secrets, fears, and regrets. But mostly, it's a story about deep, endearing love.

I read Catherine Newman's previous novel We All Want Impossible Things and fell in love with her simple writing style, emotional storytelling, and perfectly imperfect characters. My first response after reading it was "Wow, what a ride!".

How does Newman pack so much believable life and living into novels that are barely over 200 pages?

I was hooked on Sandwich seconds after reading its short prologue. It's my favorite read of 2024 and I highly recommend it. Thank you, Catherine Newman, for another great ride!

5⭐

Thank you to Harper and Catherine Newman for the DRC via NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Mal Mro · Rating 1 out of 5]

It’s hard to think of a protagonist I’ve been more irritated by. I couldn’t wait for this awful book, with its boring platitudes (and often offensively narcissistic, navel gazing, and vapid), to end so I could finally be out of this insufferable woman’s head. I’ve never been happier to leave a narrator behind.

[Brandice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sandwich is a slice of life novel, following Rocky and her family on their annual week-long summer vacation in Cape Cod. Her two children are now young adults, her parents are aging, and her husband remains a steady presence in her life throughout their highs and lows. ⁣
⁣
Overall, I enjoyed this story which has themes of family, motherhood, and love. It explores a variety of relationships. This isn’t a long book and the conversation style was easy, even when more substantial topics were involved. ⁣
⁣
Sandwich is set during a week of vacation but there are also many flashbacks, providing more insight into Rocky as a character. All of the characters felt realistic, and while I understood Rocky was coming to terms with this new stage of her life, she was too angsty for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Books for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Carolyn Viola · Rating 1 out of 5]

What an unfortunate decision to ‘sandwich’ some beautiful writing about menopause, marriage, grown children/empty nests, and aging parents, between a woke agenda that delegitimized the novel. It was the ‘And Just Like That’ of books, checking every box. ‘Trans men can have babies!’ ‘My body my choice!’ These are actual words in this book.

Regardless of your stance on abortion, the main character’s frequent dialogue with her daughter about abortion rights was inauthentic and clearly based on the author’s personal agenda. And the ending with her son felt purposely callous just to prove her stance on abortion.

It’s important to read about lived experiences that aren’t our own to gain understanding and common ground, but even more important that those experiences are described in a way that feels real.

I wanted to read a family saga set on a beach with deep characters. I got an MSNBC novella.

[The Lit Homebody · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐

“Maybe grief is love imploding. Or maybe it’s love expanding. I don’t know. I just know you can’t create loss to preempt loss because it doesn’t work that way. So you might as well love as much as you can. And as recklessly. Like it’s your last resort, because it is.”

• It made me feel grateful, sad, contemplative, hopeful
• Filled with family vacations on the Cape, a strong yet gentle female MC, a realistic marriage, growing children and delicious sandwich recipes
• It made me want to book a trip to the Cape, make a tuna salad sandwich, schedule brunch with my mom, tell my husband I love him
• Search "Coastal Cottage ambience" on YouTube for the perfectly paired reading vibe
• Listen to "All in Good Time" by Fiona Apple and Iron & Wine after the last page
• If this book was a food/drink, it would be a tuna salad mixed in a bowl with "Scandinavian mushrooms printed around its enamel"; tuna, mayo, heaps of celery, pickled pepperonccini peppers, and a splash of juice from the pepper jar. Wrapped in foil, with a package of Vienna Fingers cookies, a big bag of cherries, dill-pickle potato chips and a big mason jar full of water with lemon slices in it (pg 28)

Good for book club - Yes
Good as a gift - Yes w/ caveat (tw: miscarriage/fertility struggles, aging parents)
Should I get the physical copy - Yes
What season should I read it in - Mid to late summer
Audiobook narration - 5/5

Note: Catherine Newman, you did it again. This book made me feel BIG, BIG feelings. I cried a lot and parts of it were really difficult, but oh my goodness was it beautifully written. What a stunning story of family, how we love, fight, disagree, come back together, grieve, celebrate, and laugh. So sweet and tenderhearted, I could listen to this over and over and over again. It won't be for everyone, but I loved every sentence.

[Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

i can see why this wouldn't work for everyone, but WOW did it work for me. i laughed and cried and enjoyed this SO much

cw: miscarriage, abortion, death of a loved one

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Late to the party on this one, but so glad I finally got here. Beautifully rendered exploration of three generations of family on vacation for a week on Cape Cod, shared from the perspective of Mom in the midst of one hell of a difficult menopause -- and, yes, it is the Mom who is both the mother to two grown kids and the daughter of two elderly parents, making the novel's title a brilliant pun. Sure, they are vacationing in the beach town of Sandwich, but Rachel (aka, Rocky) is a walking embodiment of the Sandwich Generation. She is 54 and stresses about her kids and her parents; she is the glue that keeps it running; she can have a brilliant perspective on all of it one moment, and be on the verge of losing her shit completely the next. What propels this lovely novel forward are the secrets Rachel holds, and whether she can keep them to herself or (finally) let it all out before the family once again goes their separate ways at the end of the week. A gem of a novel: real and funny and moving.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is getting a lot of attention and many five star reviews, so I had high hopes going into this story.

I was expecting a well rounded story about a family’s annual vacation to Cape Cod and a touching look at the interactions between the members and generations of this family. Unfortunately, it concentrated more on the topic of women’s reproductive health: pregnancy, miscarriage, abortion, and menopause.

It had some lighter moments, but I felt that the MC was way too annoying and narcissistic (even her family said she was).

Overall, I liked it. I just didn’t love it and would hesitate to recommend it.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a strange thing to be exactly the target audience for this book and yet feel that if you had to read one more page, your head would explode. Or is that feverish frustration just another hot flash coming on? Because they seem to be on a 20-minute cycle with me these days. That prickly heat which starts in my cheeks, spreads across my sternum in a red wave, tucks its slimy wet palms under my arms—it feels disconcertingly like an oncoming panic attack, which also seems to be my new menopausal BFF... which... crap. I'm supposed to be writing a book review.

Look, Catherine Newman is hilarious. This book made me LOL, hard, more than once. It also made me weepy. But I also kind of loathed it, for profoundly personal reasons that are all tied up in my own story as a Gen Xer who is now a middle-aged divorcée and a would-be mother who knows all too well the anguish of miscarriage. Ultimately, the bits that moved me to laughter or to tears weren't enough to hold the latitude I so badly wanted to give. They were flash-bang moments of deeply-relatable female angst in the midst of droning melodrama centered on a privileged and sheltered family that was so Instagram-ready with raging faux-humble I was all a-gag on my spoon. The melodrama is almost entirely in Rocky's head, the protagonist and mother of two well-adjusted adult children she is desperately trying to tuck back into her womb. Granted, menopause makes for unrelenting (personal) drama, but Rocky just wore me out.

There was much about this book that made me very sad and weary, which was likely not Ms. Newman's comic intent. There are also lots of sandwiches in the story. Rocky is forever making sandwiches (meant, of course as a coy reminder of the book's Big Theme: a woman generationally sandwiched between her grown children and her aging parents). I'm a big fan of sandwiches, personally. Just not so much this one. It gave me heartburn.

[Dee (in the Desert) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up for the humor. A week in the life of an extended, multi-gen family as told by Rocky, a mid-fifties "empty nester" woman with a lot of issues. I liked, but didn't love this one - there was a lot I did connect to, I've been through the change & am caring for my Mom and I, like many, many women, do have a reproductive history with some loss & a few regrets. But this was a tad slow & just too much of the FMC's obsessive thoughts for my personal taste. It does make some good points, so perhaps others will get more from it than I did. That said, as a "Childless cat lady", I really, really loved "Chicken", the family cat, and how various family members all gave him a voice! 😻😻😹 meow!

[Meagan (Meagansbookclub) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m shocked I liked this book, especially after hearing a LOT of bad reviews for it and people telling me I’d hate it. Did that make me like it even more?? Haha, I don’t know. I don’t know what it is about prickly main character females that just make me root for them. I loved how irreverent this was. I found myself relating to a lot of the motherhood aspects and the nostalgia we hold onto as our kids grow up. I didn’t think the history reveal with the grandparents was necessary, and maybe the novel being so short didn’t allow for a full character arc, but I did like it!

[Anne Marie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I finished the book not really knowing what happened within it. Just didn’t click. It seemed like a bunch of “agenda” stringed together in sporadic scenes.

[Belle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here, most likely is the best book of my reading year.

I feel heard and validated. It’s all I need.

Marriage, Motherhood, Menopause in all the wonder and horribleness.

*be warned that there is a lot of vag humor going down in these pages.

*be warned there is a smidgen or even a smattering of left leaning political agendizing going down in these pages and it centers around abortion. If that’s gonna make you mad, sad or otherwise spoil your day just leave this one on the shelf.

AS FOR ME, I adored this whole beautiful everything.