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Blessed Are the Cheesemakers
Set on a small Irish dairy farm, this tender and funny debut novel follows two lost souls as they try to carve out new lives amid a colorful cast of characters reminiscent of those in the hit film Waking Ned Divine. Abby has been estranged from the family farm since her rebellious mother ran off with her when she was a small child. Kit is a burned out New York stockbroker...more
ebook, 0 pages
Published
July 1st 2003
by Grand Central Publishing
(first published January 1st 2002)
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Cheese lovers, unite! I eat cheese everyday, so the title drew me in. One thing I found charming was how, in the beginning, the cheese was personified as an angry female who was offended at being left in the fridge to rot. This is just one of the odd/fun ways of writing in Lynch's novel. Another neat thing were the "quotes" on the art of cheesemaking. For example, I never thought about how good cheese needs to come from good grass(the cow's food) ... and even the rain, sun, and time effect the c...more
May 29, 2008
Martha
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Vacationers and beach bums
If I could give it 2 and 1/2 stars, I would. Not particularly well-written or all that funny. It was cute. By no means was it a deep and thoughtful romance. It was on the level with Danielle Steele novels (both in story content and complexity of read) versus Anita Shreve. I give it 3 stars because it's fun, quick and perfect for the summer. Those of you who have read my reviews know that I am totally into mindless "chick-lit" right now and this was perfect for me with one personal exception whic...more
This was fun. I think if I were British - or Irish - or Australian - or something - I would have given it another star. The colloquialisms kind of threw me for a loop -trying to figure out how we might say the same thing here in America. The idea - a dairy farm in Ireland that crafts sublime cheese made using milk gathered by pregnant vegetarian young women from cows all named Maria, and the characters including a psychic old man and a farm full of quirky characters- calls Alice Hoffman to mind...more
Set in County Cork Ireland in Coolarney House, where some of the world's foremost farmhouse cheese is produced. It has been owned and operated for generations by two families, the Corrigans, who supply the cows for the milk and the Feehans, who supply the cheesemaking ability. The last two denizens of these families, both named Joseph, are getting up there in years and need someone, preferably family to take over the operations of the farmhouse. Their cheeses are known throughout the world, a fa...more
Feb 03, 2009
Elizabeth
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
a-z-reading-challenge
Hmm, I am beginning to wonder if this might not be a year of food-related novels -- Crescent with its collection of Middle-Eastern recipes, Keeping the House in which Dolly kept calendars noting every meal she had ever cooked for Byron and how he liked it, and now Blessed Are the Cheesemakers, replete with wines and cheeses of the world.
Set in County Cork, Ireland, Blessed Are the Cheesemakers "is an enchanting tale about taking life's spilled milk and turning it into the best cheese in the wor...more
Set in County Cork, Ireland, Blessed Are the Cheesemakers "is an enchanting tale about taking life's spilled milk and turning it into the best cheese in the wor...more
Apr 11, 2012
CookieDemon
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fiction,
chicklit-romance
(This review also appears on Amazon.co.uk)
"Cheese is the new chocolate..."
I've read one of Lynch's other novels `Eating with the Angels,' which I enjoyed- but this is a foodie book I've wanted to get my hands on for a long while. A book about cheese? A romance book at that? How can it NOT be fantastic?!
This quirky novel is set between rural Ireland, bustling New York and the remote Sullivan Islands (in the middle of the Pacific) and focuses on several different characters and their lives, with t...more
"Cheese is the new chocolate..."
I've read one of Lynch's other novels `Eating with the Angels,' which I enjoyed- but this is a foodie book I've wanted to get my hands on for a long while. A book about cheese? A romance book at that? How can it NOT be fantastic?!
This quirky novel is set between rural Ireland, bustling New York and the remote Sullivan Islands (in the middle of the Pacific) and focuses on several different characters and their lives, with t...more
I'm not sure how to classify this book or rate it. I'm tempted to give it 5 stars just by how wrapped up I got in it but 4 for the writing. The writing isn't particularly stunning and though the storyline isn't exactly simple it's easy to follow. All the characters were surprisingly well developed and realistic, though they somehow find themselves in a very unrealistic (or maybe ideal) setting of a cheesefarm with two crazy old men and a bunch of vegetarian singing pregnant milkmaids. Some borde...more
To give full context, I'm in the middle of a move, tied up with family concerns, and otherwise surviving the end of a particularly nasty winter. I kept this book out of the packed file because I planned to read it and leave it behind.
Within the first few pages, I realized that there was no way I could do that. I have to keep this sweet, loveable book nearby. The magical cheese farm of the Josephs Corrigan and Feehan, with its gaggle of singing pregnant milkmaids and cows that milk best to the S...more
Within the first few pages, I realized that there was no way I could do that. I have to keep this sweet, loveable book nearby. The magical cheese farm of the Josephs Corrigan and Feehan, with its gaggle of singing pregnant milkmaids and cows that milk best to the S...more
This book reminded me of a Maeve Binchy novel. It is a tender tale of redemption and second chances. Deep in County Cork, Joseph Corrigan (Corry) and Joseph Feehan (Fee) make small batches of world famous cheese. Their two families have worked together for many generations, one family providing the milk and the other, the cheese making genius. When we first meet the old boys, they are interviewing for a new dairymaid. Her qualifications must be that she can carry a tune, has short fingernails, a...more
I was drawn to this book by the author's use of a food to bring a story to life. It worked. I love when an author can take something like cheese, and the art of making good cheese, and use it to bring life, healing, and hope to a situation. It is true that when someone loves creating something - whether that be cheese or something else - the passion they have for it infuses their life and the lives of those who come into contact with them.
Abbey and Kit both need some saving and both are led, th...more
Abbey and Kit both need some saving and both are led, th...more
So worth reading, I can't tell you !
Every now and then I think to myself 'I wish I were a cheesemaker...'
Quirky tale of the love inherent in making good cheese and the redemption and reclamation of young women gone 'awry'.
Perhaps it doesn't deserve a 5 star, but I give it that because of the delightful old men that put their love and patience and energy into ripening their cheese...
Laugh out loud funny. Sweet and memorable, the taste lingers in my memory still.
Every now and then I think to myself 'I wish I were a cheesemaker...'
Quirky tale of the love inherent in making good cheese and the redemption and reclamation of young women gone 'awry'.
Perhaps it doesn't deserve a 5 star, but I give it that because of the delightful old men that put their love and patience and energy into ripening their cheese...
Laugh out loud funny. Sweet and memorable, the taste lingers in my memory still.
Blessed Are the Cheesemakers is a fun, cozy read. It’s very easy to get into, and has many likeable characters.
Set primarily in Ireland, the story has elements of magical realism, such as an old cheesemaker with the ability to see into the future, and cheeses with magical attributes.
I really enjoyed the narrator’s voice. You can almost hear a warm smile in her words as she unfolds the story. Although this book addresses some heavy issues (such as alcoholism, adultery and even death), there is...more
Set primarily in Ireland, the story has elements of magical realism, such as an old cheesemaker with the ability to see into the future, and cheeses with magical attributes.
I really enjoyed the narrator’s voice. You can almost hear a warm smile in her words as she unfolds the story. Although this book addresses some heavy issues (such as alcoholism, adultery and even death), there is...more
In my search for a "pleasant" book I thought I had hit the jackpot. This one had two eccentric old guys, Corrie and Fee, making cheese at their dairy farm in County Cork, Ireland, a long-lost grand-daughter come to recover from a bad marriage and a just-fired, self-destructive stockbroker sent there to get his head straight. Great setting, lots of cheese (and wine) talk, a plot that might be a little sappy but still hopefully comforting, a bit of romance, a bit of humour..., what could go wrong?...more
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Really good fast read. Not a deep thinking book, but a really sweet and surprisingly funny romance, but not just a romance and not a sickingly sweet romance. I laughed out loud a few times. Fee was my favorite character. I want to try some good cheese now. My tastes are really low. Cache Valley cheese is my premier.
Abby has been estranged from the family farm since her rebellious mother ran off with her when she was a small child. Kit is a burned out New York stockbroker who's down on his luck....more
Abby has been estranged from the family farm since her rebellious mother ran off with her when she was a small child. Kit is a burned out New York stockbroker who's down on his luck....more
This was a really enjoyable book. I found myself literally laughing out loud at parts. I listened to the audiobook (unabridged, of course) and thought the narrator was really great - definitely added to the character of the book.
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I am reading this a second time and find it as good a read as the first go-through. It takes place in Ireland on a dairy farm primarily, with a little action set in New York City and a South Pacific island. Two elderly Irish cheesemakers, Corrie and Fee, carry on an old fine cheese business. Their customers pay top dollar for their special blue cheese and other types, each given a fanciful name. Corrie and Fee insist on having their cows milked twice a day to The Sound of Music songs by young wo...more
Perfect beach read--and since I am on vacation, I was able to finish it. Any other time and I probably would have set it down. The most compelling part? THE CHEESE! Now I want to be a cheesemaker, sipping wine, living in Ireland and having sex with beautiful NY men. Just enough snark and fun Irish laddies to keep me chuckling. Definitely a lite read. So lite that I can't be bothered with the "gh".
Sexy NYC man in bereavement, woman-who-hasn't-figured-out-how-sexy-she-is both find themselves in Ir...more
Sexy NYC man in bereavement, woman-who-hasn't-figured-out-how-sexy-she-is both find themselves in Ir...more
Although some of the chracters were a bit too two-dimensionally, stereotypically stock and at times it felt like I was reading two totally different books, overall I loved this book. The bad characters had minor parts, and the one part of the book that didn't fit with the other part of the book disappeared fairly early on. The rest was charming and funny and lovely. How can you not love a book that opens with: "'You can't hurry cheese. It happens in its own time and if that bothers you, you can...more
I love love LOVE this book. I don't know how many times I've read it now. It's both a fantastic feel good book and makes me cry every time. The characters are just gorgeous. And who doesn't love the idea of knocked up vegetarian milkmaids milking cows while singing the Theme tunes to the Sound of Music. And the other thing I love about this book, are the reasons why cheeses are made. To be a little vague, instead of celebrating Valentines Day should we be celebrating that means something to each...more
I don't know what I liked about this book. There is no reason why I should have liked it. It's not a book FOR me.
I enjoyed the story arc of Christopher, the 32 year old successful business man whom falls to earth after many a tragic event. I WANT THAT! No I don't. I don't know what I want.
Perhaps it was a romance, I have no idea. It was cute, I enjoyed the characters, and the voices (the audiobook added to the experience).
Overall, I would recommend it for the beach or cheesefest. What is a che...more
I enjoyed the story arc of Christopher, the 32 year old successful business man whom falls to earth after many a tragic event. I WANT THAT! No I don't. I don't know what I want.
Perhaps it was a romance, I have no idea. It was cute, I enjoyed the characters, and the voices (the audiobook added to the experience).
Overall, I would recommend it for the beach or cheesefest. What is a che...more
This book starts out rather tasteless in vocabulary and character situations, but I continued to read along as it was a book club choice. However, by the second half of the book, I was skimming through pages to the end just so I could participate in it's discussion. The author is working hard to create a unique read with every modern-day situation pulled together into an old-fashioned and mystical setting. I don't think it worked. It takes more than a cheese farm to heal people whose lives have...more
Corrie and Fee have made special and exotic cheeses at their Irish dairy farm for many years. Corrie’s granddaughter, Abby, has lived on a small Pacific Island with her husband who is developing a water source for the Islanders. Kit, a stockbroker, has problems which cause him to leave his job. Abby and Kim meet at the diary farm. They, along with other workers, find a way to work through their problems. The art of traditional cheese making adds an interesting flavor to the story. This is a boo...more
Throughout the book I kept thinking... I don't really care for this book. I felt like it just didn't mesh well. It seemed like Lynch was reaching from all different corners of her creative mind to come up with these circumstances for her characters. HOWEVER, with that said... she brought it all together in the end nicely. I am not sure if I care for her writing style. I feel like there were so many good pieces of her story and such a good basic underlying idea for the plot and just wasn't execut...more
(3.5 stars) Three stories come together in an Irish dairy farm. Corrie and Fee are the elderly cheesemakers, who are desperate to find the next generation before it is too late. Their operation is a labor of love, with many quirks, including pregnant, vegetarian milkmaids who milk to the Sound of Music. Abbey is the granddaughter who was taken away from the farm by her mother, and after marrying at a young age, she lives on a Pacific Island with her husband who is obsessed with irrigation. When...more
WOW, did this novel disappoint. I got the audiobook from the library because the title intrigued me and I know I had heard it somewhere before (FYI, this book has NOTHING to do with Monty Python's "Life of Brian"). While I'm all for quirky stories with quirky characters - I am a fan of Christopher Moore's work, after all - there were moments in this story I was reminded of the old saying, "I am willing to suspend my disbelief, but not by the neck until dead."*
The title characters are Joseph Corr...more
The title characters are Joseph Corr...more
More chick-lit that's not really for me. Too predictable (except for the "dead" wife), to the point where I kept figuring out way, way too far in advance what was going to happen throughout the book.
The characterization, to me, was off from the beginning. Kit, for example, was too effeminate to be a believable NYSE maverick, and, no matter what the circumstances, there's no way a woman like Abbey would take him back so soon. I also quickly got tired of Fee literally reading everyone's minds; mak...more
The characterization, to me, was off from the beginning. Kit, for example, was too effeminate to be a believable NYSE maverick, and, no matter what the circumstances, there's no way a woman like Abbey would take him back so soon. I also quickly got tired of Fee literally reading everyone's minds; mak...more
Nov 21, 2008
Kimberly
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Former Irish tourists, cheese lovers, and people needing a sense of family
Recommended to Kimberly by:
Dixie
This book was, at the risk of sounding cliche, magical. I would have read it just for the way the dialogue is written in a blatant Irish accent. The relationship between the two cheesemakers and their little "family" is so tender. The ending actually produced blurry vision; I was surprised to find myself crying. And the ill will they harbor for their pasteurizer, Old Fart Arse, made me chuckle a few times. If you're sensitive to graphic sexual references, though, I'd skip this book.
This was loads of fun, and I really enjoyed reading this. The two protagonists were pretty boring by themselves, but the cast of supporting characters - the loving and good natured housekeeper, the temperamental Lucy, the two affable old cheesemakers, even the townspeople who you see for only a scene or two - they carried the story along. I wish the story was longer, though. There were things I wanted to see resolved that never were, but all in all, a good read. A bit slow the first half but it...more
Apr 27, 2008
treehugger
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audiobooks,
chicklit
This was a really cute book! Read by an Irish woman who did her very best to do an American accent, an Australian accent, and even a desolate Pacific Island accent! That really lent an air of humor to her reading :), but she did a pretty good job, with a hint of an Irish brogue just behind them all.
I LOVED the different voices of the different characters in this book, and don't know if I would have enjoyed it half as much if I had been reading it rather than listening to it.
It's the story of a...more
I LOVED the different voices of the different characters in this book, and don't know if I would have enjoyed it half as much if I had been reading it rather than listening to it.
It's the story of a...more
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Sarah-Kate Lynch is quite a cranky journalist of several decades who prefers making things up to recording them accurately. This is not very good if you are a journalist, which may explain (a) the crankiness and (b) why she now writes novels.
She also writes two columns in the New Zealand Woman's Weekly, New Zealand's best-read magazine. One is about nothing and the other is about books.
Sarah-Kate...more
More about Sarah-Kate Lynch...
She also writes two columns in the New Zealand Woman's Weekly, New Zealand's best-read magazine. One is about nothing and the other is about books.
Sarah-Kate...more
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