I've heard of people serving wine at book clubs but "The Cheesemaker's Daughter" could be the first novel that inspires cheese pairings.

Written by Kristin Vukovic, who grew up in St. Paul, "Daughter"'s title character is Marina, who lives in Manhattan but heads to her native Croatia when her marriage crumbles.

In her 30s, she's not sure what to do with her life but begins taking an interest in her family's failing business. They create Pag, a sheep's milk cheese that gets its distinctive flavor from salty Adriatic waters and herb-filled meadows where the sheep graze (the taste is said to be incomparable to other cheeses, but Manchego and Romano are mentioned).


The Cheesemaker's Daughter
The Cheesemaker's Daughter

"Daughter" is sort of a romance, since Marina may still love her husband or she may dally with the man she left when she departed for college in America, 15 or so years before the book is set. There's a Romeo-and-Juliet complication with the latter pairing, though — that man, Luka, is now married and his father betrayed Marina's father by stealing trade secrets.

But the reason this curdophile enjoyed it so much is that a surprising amount of "Daughter" is about cheese: how it's made, where the flavor comes from, how little changes affect a batch and what judges at international competitions seek. Vukovic's book wears its research lightly but it's clear she knows her stuff, and those details are what makes "Daughter" such a gouda read.

The Cheesemaker's Daughter

By: Kristin Vukovic.

Publisher: Regalo, 305 pages, $18.99.