The Mammoth Cheese by Sheri Holman

This book may be the surprise of the summer. I loved it. After having my name on the waiting list at the library for this book, I broke down and bought it at Borders and read it in just a few days. The story centers on a woman who owns a dairy farm in Virginia adjacent to the property owned by a couple that just had 11 babies. The media comes to town to cover the births, and since it is an election year, the presidential candidate who favors farmers becomes interested in the area. When he is elected, the town pulls together to recreate the 1,235 pound cheese that was made when Thomas Jefferson took office.
The book reminded me of Empire Falls and anything by John Irving. It made me laugh out loud. There is also a teenage daughter who has a crush on one of her teachers and a Thomas Jefferson impersonator.

I really started to love the book when I did a little research into the original Jefferson era cheese.