Wreck - a witty and tender tale of life's beauty and anxiety.

The characters from Catherine Newman's 2024 novel Sandwich, set during a summer in Cape Cod, have returned. Two years have passed, and Rachel, known as "Rocky," and her husband Nick are back home in Western Massachusetts. Son Jamie is married, and their daughter Willa is living at home. Rocky's father, recently widowed, is staying in an apartment behind their house.  The ever-introspective Rocky becomes deeply concerned with two recent developments that cause her great anxiety. One is related to her health - she has developed a mysterious rash that continues to spread and is confounding her doctors. The other is the tragic death of a young man hit by a speeding freight train. Knowing that the victim went to high school with Jaime brings this tragedy too close to her family, and Rocky becomes obsessed with discovering the true circumstances of what happened.

Wreck is a poignant story filled with humor and heart. It was enjoyable to reconnect with Rocky and her family. As with Sandwich, the characters' situations and emotions are highly relatable as they grapple with life's uncertainty. If you are at a stage in life where you have grown children, aging parents, and are facing your own mortality, this is a quick read worth considering. 

Many thanks to Harper Books for the advance.

Rated 4.25 out of 5 stars.

Literary Fiction.

Publication Date: October 28, 2025.

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