Kristin Vuković Talks Cheese, Croatia & Her Debut Novel: The Cheesemaker’s Daughter

Kristin Vuković is the author of the forthcoming The Cheesemaker’s Daughter (August 6, 2024, Regalo Press), inspired by her travels to the island of Pag in Croatia—and of course, Pag cheese (Paški sir). I was lucky enough to meet Vuković in a food writing workshop I taught a few years ago. She shared some early pages of her debut novel, and her work blew me away. Her writing was stunning, her characters felt real, and as a cheese lover, it felt like she deeply understood what made cheese so rich with meaning.

I sat down with Vuković to talk about cheese, family, books, and what makes her tick.

How does your identity as an American with Croatian heritage impact your work as a writer?

My obsession with Croatia is no secret! Growing up with my grandmother’s cooking and hearing Croatian spoken in their home in Dayton, Ohio, I was determined to learn more about this place they were from. I’ve now been to Croatia more than two dozen times! I think that wanting to know more about where our family came from has fueled me as a writer and contributed to exploring the themes of identity, belonging, and home that run through my debut novel.

Tell me about the intersection of cheese and literature—how do they relate to each other?

There’s a line in my novel, “Cheesemaking always leaves fingerprints.” Ultimately, cheesemakers are the authors of their own cheese, and you can taste their unique signature. I think cheesemaking is similar to writing in that you’re always feeling your way through and needing to make adjustments along the way. Cheesemakers take into account time and temperature of ripening and other factors that can change, and writers discover aspects of their characters as they develop and events that can alter the narrative. Cheesemaking is such an ancient practice, and there’s something so elemental about it. On Pag, it’s a way of life for many people, and I love how ingrained it is in the culture of the island. There’s another line from the novel, “The best milk comes from seasons of adverse conditions.” When sheep struggle to find enough herbs to eat, their milk is more flavorful and intense. Sometimes challenges bring out the best in sheep—and in people. The best writing comes from digging deep, and often from challenging experiences.

Do you have any favorite books about cheese?

When I was in the very early stages of contemplating a book set on Croatia’s island of Pag, I read The Telling Room: A Tale of Love, Betrayal, Revenge, and the World’s Greatest Piece of Cheese by Michael Paterniti. I was blown away. He wrote so lyrically about the picturesque village of Guzmán in Spain, and about a betrayal that created two rival cheesemakers. A betrayal and two rival cheesemakers also feature in my novel, and at the time his book was published, I thought, Oh no, someone has already done what I’m trying to do! But what I ended up doing is quite different, and my story is fictional. His book blends memoir, travelogue and history, and I was inspired by his portrayal of small-town life in a Spanish village—and of course, his pursuit of a cheese rumored to possess mystical qualities.

Growing up in Minnesota, tell me about your early cheese experiences. 

Our Wisconsin neighbors are best known for their cheese-loving ways—my parents used to buy delicious cheese curds from Wisconsin, which wasn’t far from our home in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. My early cheese experiences were not very sophisticated: I loved Kraft macaroni and cheese, which I still love as a comfort food—and when my mom made macaroni and cheese from scratch one time for a playdate, my friend and I wanted the boxed version! However, my friends loved the molded green cream cheese frog candies for my frog-themed birthday party at a nature center—they were a hit. I also remember ordering French onion soup at restaurants and eating only the melted cheese and bread off the top, much to my parents’ chagrin.

When did you first discover Croatian cheese?

I discovered Croatian cheese in 2011 while on Pag reporting on a cheese festival for the now-defunct newspaper, The Croatian Chronicle. Everyone ended up dancing on the tables at the end of the night, and I thought I should do cheese reporting more often! I quickly got sucked in and became obsessed with Pag Island and its cheese.

 

When did you know you wanted to write books?

Since I was little, I was always writing and putting on shows with my cousins and friends—I wrote the script, and then we would act it out. I eventually ended up studying acting in Los Angeles, and interned for a script management company. When I figured out I wanted to be a writer (and that it was an actual job) of course I wanted to write a book. I have a Masters of Fine Arts in nonfiction writing from Columbia University, and submitted personal essays for my thesis, since I didn’t have a strong enough idea for a nonfiction book at the time. And then I did travel writing, where I visited many unique places, met interesting people and heard intriguing stories. But I felt limited by diminishing word counts for travel articles, and I wanted to write something longer and also use my imagination. Hence my foray into fiction!

Tell me about the cheese research you did to write The Cheesemaker’s Daughter. How did you go about learning about the cheese world? Did anything surprise you?

The characters in my novel are so closely tied to the land: Their sheep give them milk, and the sea gives them salt, from which they make cheese. To learn more about Pag cheese, I went out with shepherds early in the morning, and visited some small producers as well as the largest cheese factories on the island: Paška Sirana, Sirana Gligora, and Sirana MiH. Over the years, I went on to write more articles about Pag cheese, for publications including BBC Travel, Culture and Roads & Kingdoms where I learned more about cheesemaking on the island and the fascinating history of how Pag got divided centuries ago when a king split the island between two bishops. I was surprised to discover how the same sheep’s milk from the same island can produce such different cheeses depending on the producer and methods, especially when it comes to cheese made from unpasteurized milk.

 

What cheese is in your fridge right now?

Pag cheese! I brought it back in my suitcase from a recent trip to Croatia—and we had some leftovers after a media preview event for The Cheesemaker’s Daughter at Murray’s Cheese in New York City. (I hope you were able to take some home with you, too, Hannah!) I usually have a triple cream, Bijou (goat cheese) from Vermont Creamery and an aged Manchego on hand for last-minute gatherings. And my five-year-old daughter loves freshly grated Pecorino Romano on her pasta! Read more about Pecorino cheeses. 

What are you working on these days?

I’ve been writing some “off-the-book” essays and travel articles related to The Cheesemaker’s Daughter (watch out for a piece about my cheese adventures in Croatia on Fodor’s soon, which explores how Pag cheese is used creatively in dishes and desserts). I’m excited to dive into some generative writing for a new novel idea I’ve been mulling around in my head, and this summer, I hope to create some time for my mind to unspool. But I’m not sure how possible that will be in the weeks leading up to my August publication date!

What do you most want people to take away from reading The Cheesemaker’s Daughter?

I hope that anyone who has ever felt displaced—whether physically or emotionally—will relate to this novel. And I hope that this novel inspires people to find new ways of reconciliation, both within and without.

What is the best part about The Cheesemaker’s Daughter coming out into the world, and what is the scariest/most challenging part?

Unlike Italy or France, there aren’t many books published in the US that are set in Croatia. I’m so excited to share this novel, which has scenes in Croatia—including Pag, Zadar, and Motovun—and Croatian phrases sprinkled throughout. I think these days it’s challenging to get a novel noticed with so many things competing for our attention, and we’re becoming used to getting much of our information in succinct summaries. Changes in the publishing industry have shifted more responsibility for promotion to authors. And it’s scary to have any work published! I think I broke a sweat when I pressed “Send” on my final proofs.

More: Love cheese novels? Read our interview with Mary Wimmer, author of The Art of the Break, inspired by cheesemaking in Wisconsin.