I liked this book! I loved the setting of Coratia and learning about that country. I also enjoyed learning about making cheese. I found it slow moving at times but i think that is just me and the kind of books I am use to reading.

I listened to the audio book and thought that was a good option for this book. The acting was good.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc of this book!

I tried so hard to get into this book but I constantly found my mind drifting. Ended up having to stop partway though.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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

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.

I really struggled to get into this book for probably the first 1/3, but I kept going and am glad I did! This story is about perseverance and I ended up really liking it. It’s definitely a slower start but eventually if you get immersed into the characters’ lives you’ll want to find out how things turn out for them.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and RBMedia for an audiobook ARC of The Cheesemaker’s Daughter in exchange for an honest review. I had heard so many good things about this book, so I was immediately intrigued and had super high hopes. The story was interesting and there was a lot of heart and emotion, with lots of family drama as well; however, it just didn’t quite live up to my ecxpectations. However, the narrator was amazing, and I definitely found myself enjoying the portions of the book more focused on the actual cheese making and rival cheese makers drama. I wish that the story would have had a bit more of that and a little less of Marina grappling with the state of her life.

The story begins on a rainy day in June. Marina is returning to her childhood home after difficult times with her husband Marco in New York. Back home, Marina's family is facing challenges of their own. There has been betrayal and financial hardship. Marina's father, Nikola, is struggling to keep their family cheese factory going.

Marina has some difficult decisions to make. Where does she want to find herself in the future? Back in New York with her cheating husband? Pursing a new relationship with an old love? Or somewhere else entirely?

I will admit I was interested in this book primarily because I really like cheese. I did get some fascinating descriptions of different cheese making processes along with the story, as well as vivid depictions of the landscapes around the isle of Pag, with interesting croatian history peppered in. There were some things that were a little predictable, but I enjoyed the journey overall. Now I need to find myself some cheese!

A woman leaves her New York City home as her marriage falls apart to return to her Croatian birthplace and the cheese making farm owned by her family. It took me a while to warm up to this book and to the characters, but I was glad I stayed with it as it became a lovely story about home and healing

4.5 stars

Set is 2013 just before Croatia enters the EU, this is the story of Marina, a Croatian woman living in NYC. She's called back home by her father to help with their struggling cheese business.

In her debut novel, Vukovic presents us with a story as bleak and stark as the Croatian coast where it's set. Marina is struggling after a 2nd trimester miscarriage and her husband's infidelity. The family's cheesemaking business is in bad shape, and her father is ill.

But as harsh as the situation and setting is, the people of the area are also strong and hard working. And as difficult as it is for her, Marina brings a fresh energy to the business. This is a story of her healing and finding herself, as those around her desperately need that strength and vision. This is not a romance (thank goodness she ignores the temptation of her married ex-boyfriend), but a strong example of women's and {barely} historical fiction. I'd like to caution readers that it is sometimes a difficult read, but very much worth it in the end. And the glimpse into Croatian culture and cheesemaking was a welcome bonus.