Wreck

A Novel

By: Catherine Newman

Narrated by: Helen Laser

A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK · INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “Wreck is a delight. What an absolute joy to be reunited with Rocky and her family, the characters we all fell in love with in Sandwich. Newman's prose is laugh-out-loud funny. It's also profound. I couldn't stop reading, even though I didn't want it to end.”—J. Courtney Sullivan, New York Times bestselling author of The Cliffs

“Wreck is the kind of book that pulls up a chair, pours the wine, and dives deep—equal parts hilarious, sharp, and achingly sincere. I didn’t just read it—I felt known by it. A luminous, laugh-out-loud triumph.”—Alison Espach, New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding People

The acclaimed bestselling author of Sandwich is back with a wonderful novel, full of laughter and heart, about marriage, family, and what happens when life doesn’t go as planned.

If you loved Rocky and her family on vacation on Cape Cod, wait until you join them at home two years later. (And if this is your first meeting with this crew, get ready to laugh and cry—and relate.)

Rocky, still anxious, nostalgic, and funny, is living in Western Massachusetts with her husband Nick and their daughter Willa, who's back home after college. Their son, Jamie, has taken a new job in New York, and Mort, Rocky’s widowed father, has moved in.

It all couldn’t be more ridiculously normal . . . until Rocky finds herself obsessed with a local accident that only tangentially affects them—and with a medical condition that, she hopes, won’t affect them at all.

With her signature wit and wisdom, Catherine Newman explores the hidden rules of family, the heavy weight of uncertainty, and the gnarly fact that people—no matter how much you love them—are not always exactly who you want them to be.

Great for woman of a certain age

Rocky is a very relatable character for middle aged women and I always enjoy this author’s books.

Rocky is relatable

Wreck was a wonderful follow-up to one of my favorite books from 2024, Sandwich. Rocky is back, dealing with menopause, trying to understand her current role in life as the mother of adults, and sharing all of her intimate, inner thoughts with the reader. She is real, relatable, and authentic. I love these two books.

So much better than Sandwich

Wow! Catherine Newman has seriously grown as a writer and this new book is a testament to that. I didn’t really like my first encounter with Rocky and family but here they are beyond relatable and richly developed characters. Bravo! I hope we get to continue along their journey (and Newman’s)

I wanted it to be longer!

She is such a great writer and the performance was so well done! I just wish it was longer. I can’t wait for the next book!

Story too short

Never would have purchased this book as it is only five hours long and it’s the same price as a lengthier novel but I really enjoy this author and unfortunately the audio book was not available through the library. Wish she would write longer books that as usual show I thoroughly enjoyed what she had to say