The Mammoth Cheese: A Novel

"But there is one woman in town for whom Brooke's visit means so much more. Artisanal cheesemaker Margaret Prickett is struggling to save her centuries-old family farm. Suffering through a messy divorce and trying to raise her rebellious thirteen-year-old daughter, Polly, Margaret pins her farm's salvation on the sweeping amnesty Brooke promises America's independent farmers. With the help of her farmhand (and Thomas Jefferson impersonator) August Vaughn, Margaret works single-mindedly to get Brooke elected. In his honor, the two decide to re-create the Mammoth Cheese, a 1,235 pound wheel of Cheshire made by Thomas Jefferson's supporters and transported to Washington in 1801. As winter progresses, and the town's excitement over the "Frank Eleven" begins to wither, Three Chimneys turns its attention to Margaret's hopeful gift.