Praise

“The pictures are exquisite, capturing the essence of small towns in rural Wisconsin and the dairy hives within them. What Robert Frank did in the 1950s, capturing stark images of postwar America, photographer Becca Dilley does for the cheese state, peeling back the shrink-wrap to give us glimpses of Amish milking barns and portraits of hair-netted men with muscled fingers stirring curds. She captures the zeitgeist of artisanal cheesemaking. What Dilley does in her photographs, Norton does in his writing, creating intimate scenes rather than lists of facts.”

Tenaya Darlington, The Isthmus, Nov. 4, 2009 [Link]

“All I can say is that anyone who is curious at all to learn more about the people who make your favorite cheeses should buy this book, read it cover to cover, and soak in its captivating photography.”

Jeanne Carpenter of Cheese Underground, Nov. 15, 2009 [Link]

“A welcome entrant into the growing body of cheese literature. Dilley’s striking photos accompany a look at the state’s certified master cheesemakers, based on dozens of a series of lucid, down-to-earth interviews.”

Andrea Parins, The Daily Page / Isthmus, Nov. 16, 2009 [Link]

“[Dilley's] striking photos enhance Norton’s engaging prose.”

Doug Moe, The Wisconsin State Journal, Nov. 19, 2009 [Link]

A “fabulous new book” by James Norton and “amazing photographer” Becca Dilley. It’s “like a New Yorker magazine filled end to end with news about Wisconsin cheese.”

Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl of Minnesota Monthly, Nov. 23, 2009 [Link] and Dec. 4, 2009 [Link]

The book’s “engaging, down to-earth profiles” feature author Norton’s “charming sense of humor which provides counterbalance to the honest portrayal of the challenges” of cheesemaking.

Laurel Miller, Culture Magazine, Dec. 2, 2009 [Link]

“Not surprisingly, this is a story of Wisconsin as well as the cheese that made the state famous. Through photo images and biographical accounts, The Master Cheesemakers of Wisconsin reveals the hard-working, humble cheese-making residents and the industry that established Wisconsin as the Dairy State.”

Jenni Herrick, Shepherd Express, Dec. 10, 2009 [Link]

“Cheesemakers have for too long been undervalued in our culture, and I’m so glad to see a book that gives them their due. Peruse this photo-rich, artfully written profile of cheddar, havarti and muenster makers, in fact, and you will want to rise from your chair to give them a standing ovation. James Norton’s words and Becca Dilley’s pics bring you right into the factory, where you can breathe in the milk-sweet aroma, soak up the tradition and listen to the stories of more than 40 certified master cheesemakers around the state.”

Terese Allen, The Isthmus, Dec. 18, 2009 [Link]