By 
Information and Sypnosis
Synopsis (from Amazon):
When Marina’s father summons her to their Croatian island from New York—and away
from her evaporating marriage—to help him save his failing cheese factory, she must
face her rocky past and an uncertain future.
How do you begin again when the past threatens to drown you?
In the throes of an unraveling marriage, New Yorker Marina Maržić returns to her native
Croatian island where she helps her father with his struggling cheese factory, Sirana. Forced to
confront her divided Croatian-American identity and her past as a refugee from the former
Yugoslavia, Marina moves in with her parents on Pag and starts a new life working at Sirana.
As she gradually settles back into a place that was once home, her life becomes inextricably
intertwined with their island’s cheese. When her past with the son of a rival cheesemaker stokes
further unrest on their divided island, she must find a way to save Sirana—and in the process,
learn to belong on her own terms.
Exploring underlying cultural and ethnic tensions in a complex region mired in centuries of war
and turmoil, The Cheesemaker’s Daughter takes us through the year before Croatia joins the
European Union. On the dramatic moonscape island of Pag, we are transported to strikingly
barren vistas, medieval towns, and the mesmerizing Adriatic Sea, providing a rare window into
a tight-knit community with strong family ties in a corner of the world where divisions are both
real and imagined. Asking questions central to identity and the meaning of home, this richly
drawn story reckons with how we survive inherited and personal traumas, and what it means to
heal and reinvent oneself in the face of life’s challenges.
Author Bio:
AUTHOR
Kristin Vuković has written for the New York Times, BBC Travel, Travel + Leisure, Coastal
Living, Virtuoso, The Magazine, Hemispheres, the Daily Beast, AFAR, Connecticut Review, and
Public Books, among others. An early excerpt of her novel was longlisted for the Cosmonauts
Avenue Inaugural Fiction Prize. She was named a “40 Under 40” honoree by the National
Federation of Croatian Americans Cultural Foundation, and received a Zlatna Penkala (Golden
Pen) award for her writing about Croatia. Kristin holds a BA in literature and writing and an MFA
in nonfiction writing from Columbia University, and was Editor-in-Chief of Columbia: A Journal of
Literature and Art. She grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota and currently resides in New York City
with her husband and daughter.
Website: http://kristinvukovic.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Vukovic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinvukovic
Author Marketing Experts tags for social media:
Twitter: @Bookgal
Instagram: @therealbookgal
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Mt1oJ4
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203746307-the-cheesemaker-s-daughter
Praise:
“Kristin Vukovic’s captivating debut novel delves into the intricate tapestry of familial bonds, self-
discovery, and web of obligations that entangle so many immigrants. Vukovic skillfully crafts a
sophisticated and graceful narrative, weaving a tale of a woman’s transformative journey. I
loved this novel!”
– Jean Kwok, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Translation and The Leftover
Woman
“The Cheesemaker’s Daughter is a beautiful exploration of family, identity, and the connections
and responsibilities we have to those who came before us. Kristin Vukovic writes an elegant
novel about a woman who blossoms into the person she was always meant to be.”
– Jill Santopolo, New York Times bestselling author of Stars in an Italian Sky and The
Light We Lost
“Where do we really belong and why? While still reeling from a devastating miscarriage and a
fracturing marriage, New Yorker Marina is also forced to reckon with her roots and her culture,
reluctantly returning to her native Croatia to help save her family’s cheese business. Set against
the backdrop of Croatia’s dark history and the rich, fascinating world of cheese making, this is a
literary page-turner with unforgettable heart.”
– Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You and With or
Without You
My Review
Wow! I loved everything about “The Cheesemaker’s Daughter” by Kristin Vukovic. In this well researched and well written novel, the author provides a sensory feel to the sights, tastes and smells of cheese-making in the Croatian area. This is a captivating, intriguing, memorable and heartfelt novel about family, loyalty, communication, identity, love, trust and hope. There is also the history of war, secrets, betrayal and tradition. The Genres for this novel are Historical Fiction, Family, War, Women’s Fiction, and Fiction. There is also a dash of romance and a discussion of food of the area. The author vividly describes her colorful and dramatic characters.
The female protagonist, Marina is living in New York, but is called back to help her father with the family cheese factory in Pag. Marina starts to get used to the life in Croatia, and renews friendships and acquaintances from years earlier. Marina will have to make a decision to stay and help her family, or return home to a failed marriage. Marina sees how both the traditional, and modern ways of making cheese. Marina is also trying to promote her father’s business despite the secrets, betrayals, and difficulties that arise.
This is such a heartfelt and beautiful story that I highly recommend for others. I appreciate how the author shows that women can be creative, courageous and inspiring. The author also discusses the importance of family, friendship, community, honesty, love and hope.
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