Kristin Vukovic Archives - The Litertarian

Sometimes when it feels like life is falling apart, it’s really the opportunity for a new beginning.

The Cheesemaker's Daughter Kristin Vukovic Book Cover

That’s the case for Marina, when she is disillusioned by her life in America, and travels home to the island of Pag in Croatia. Her family’s ancestral cheese factory, Sirana, is in trouble. Her marriage is in trouble. She’s suffering intense trauma from losing a baby in her second trimester. She’s at rock bottom and wants to feel more settled. She wants to feel like she’s home. But when her father sent her away during a terrible war as a refugee to New York when she was a young woman, her life was split in two. Now she doesn’t feel whole in her old life or her new one, and she’s struggling to decide if the best path is the one she left behind, or one that is still waiting to be uncovered ahead of her.

I learned so much in this book: lots of history about Croatia, so much detail about cheesemaking and the whole World of Cheese. It was a delight to read. And compelling! I came in with almost zero context for both, and it rapt my attention all the way through. I guess you could consider me a ‘typical middle American’. We eat cheddar, mozzarella, colby jack/pepper jack, provolone, parmesan, maybe an occasional gouda. Cow’s milk cheeses. Marina and her family make cheese from sheep’s milk, which has a distinct flavor due to the amount of herbs that grow on the island. It sounds fascinating. I’d like to branch out and try more types of cheese, especially old world cheeses. It’s a whole thing. This book did that to me.

Marina’s story is difficult to swallow sometimes. If you’re in the middle of fertility struggles, this one might be a hard read for you, but it may also be healing to read of someone else in a similar position. She has to come to terms with a reality she never thought she’d experience.

I appreciate that this is not a romance. This is the story of a woman coming into her own. There are men in this book. There are relationships to navigate. But this is about The Cheesemaker’s Daughter. I have to say, I grew tired of novels being named The ___ Daughter in the 2000s when everything had a similar title, but this one fits so well. She is the daughter of Nicola, the famed cheesemaker of Pag, and she embraces that.

I am so glad I had the opportunity to listen to this book. I had planned to buy the paperback upon release, but then I was chosen for an advanced listening copy from netgalley and the publisher – Sophie Amoss, the narrator, did such a great job with the foreign words and so many accents to juggle. Croatian, French, English, and even different dialects. If you’re able to, I recommend listening to this one!

If you like books that are a little somber in tone with a message ultimately of hope, I think you’ll enjoy this book.

Details

Title:: The Cheesemaker’s Daughter
Author:: Kristin Vukovic
Genre:: Women’s Fiction
Publisher:: Regalo Press
Length:: 272 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 7m
Audiobook Narrator:: Sophie Amoss
Audiobook Publisher:: RB Media
Published:: August 6th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars