In Catherine Newman's third novel, Wreck, a winsome sequel set two years on from Sandwich, a family encounters medical uncertainties and ethical quandaries.
Rocky is a 50-something writer and mother of two young adults. After Rocky's mother's death, her 92-year-old father moved into Rocky's in-law apartment. Rocky and Nick's son, Jamie, now works as a junior analyst for a New York City consulting firm. The engaging plot turns on two upsetting incidents. "In one single day, in two different directions, my life swerves from its path," Rocky divulges. First, she notices a mysterious skin rash, which, along with abnormal blood work results, eventually points to an autoimmune liver condition; second, news comes that Miles Zapf, one of Jamie's high school classmates, has died in a collision between his car and a train. Was it suicide or an accident? A moral complication arises: Jamie's firm advised the railroad company.
As one New England fall unfurls, leading to an emotionally climactic Thanksgiving Day, Rocky airs her fears over her prognosis, her father's infirmity, and her children's future. Empathy is a two-edged sword--she can't stop imagining what Miles Zapf's mother is going through. Newman (We All Want Impossible Things) writes autofiction that's full of quirky one-liners and will resonate particularly with anyone facing mental health and midlife challenges. There's family drama aplenty but also the everyday coziness of family rituals, especially those involving food. This warm hug of a novel ponders how to respond graciously when life gets messy and answers aren't clear-cut. --Rebecca Foster, freelance reviewer, proofreader, and blogger at Bookish Beck