De porseleinmaker van Dachau

by Sarah Freethy, Caspar Wijers (Translator)

Het is 1929. Bettina, een gevierde Duitse kunstenares, en Max, een Joodse architect, horen bij elkaar. Maar hun liefde mag niet bestaan; de Tweede Wereldoorlog breekt uit.

Zestig jaar later. Bettina’s dochter Clara speurt antiekveilingen af op zoek naar porseleinen beeldjes van het merk Allach, in de hoop zo meer te weten te komen over haar vader, een man die ze nooit gekend heeft. Haar zoektocht leidt haar van de Weimarrepubliek via de roerige jaren dertig en de verwoestende jaren veertig naar het Engeland en Amerika van nu. Zo ontdekt Clara het verhaal van haar vader, over een meeslepende liefde, onvergeeflijk verraad en de grootste opoffering die de liefde kan vragen.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, World War II, Historical, Romance, Audiobook, Holocaust

362 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 7, 2023

About the author

SARAH FREETHY worked as a writer, script consultant, producer and development editor in television before turning her hand to fiction. THE PORCELAIN MAKER is her first novel. She lives in England with her family.

Reviews

[Sujoya - theoverbookedbibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1993, Cincinnati, we meet Clara Vogel, acquiring several porcelain figurines in an auction, among which is a piece called The Viking, which was inspired by one of her late artist mother’s most famous works. Clara’s search for the figure is motivated by her quest to find her father – a man she never met and whose identity is a mystery to her. All she knows is that he was “the porcelain maker of Dachau” – as revealed to her by her ailing mother, Bettina, before she passed away. The porcelain figure has a historically significant maker’s mark, which could be instrumental in tracing its origin and shed light on Clara’s family history. Her quest takes her into a deep dive into her mother's past, Bettina’s life in Nazi-occupied Europe and the man she loved. Told through dual timelines, Bettina’s story begins in 1929 and the Bauhaus movement and how she, a German painter, falls in love with Max Ehrlich , an Austrian Jew studying to be an architect. As they struggle to stay together and make plans to eventually leave Germany, fate might not be on their side.

The Porcelain Maker by Sarah Freethy is a compelling work of historical fiction that revolves around love, loss, courage and artistic expression with an element of mystery at its core. The characters are well thought out and the author captures the time and place in history quite well. Both timelines are well developed and the narrative flows well, though I would have enjoyed this novel a tad more delved deeper into Clara’s life. Art plays a pivotal role in this novel, and I appreciated how the author utilized the theme of artistic expression and interpretation of the time to carry the story forward also shedding light on how censorship impacted artistic endeavors in Nazi Germany in the era leading into WWII. Labeled “Degenerate Art” Bettina’s early works like those of her modernist peers were deemed “unsuitable”, forcing many to abandon their passion and others to succumb to the pressures of creating works of art in keeping with the norms established by the regime.

“They had decided that almost all modern art was an act of aesthetic violence: a plot by the Jews and communists against the German people. Any number of artists, galleries and exhibitions had been attacked by brown-shirted thugs intent on causing trouble.”

This was the first time I came across any reference to Allach porcelain (originally the factory near Munich and the second location outside the Dachau concentration camp) and the patronage of SS head Heinrich Himmler and how the works were meant to symbolize the ideals of the Third Reich. I read a lot of WWII fiction and I appreciate it when a story incorporates an aspect that was previously unknown to me.

I wish an Author's Note on the people and places that inspired this story had been included at the end. I feel that adding such segments enriches the overall reading experience , especially with historical fiction. (I read the ARC and do not know whether the finished copy includes such a note.)

Novels set in this era are seldom happy reads and this novel is no exception. However, this is a beautifully written , emotional story that I would not hesitate to recommend to those who enjoy historical fiction set in the WWII era.

“In the aftermath so many survivors of the Shoah wanted to live the rest of the life they had and to forget. Who can blame them? But it means that we, their children and grandchildren, must do the difficult work of finding out their histories, of keeping that alive. It is essential, I would argue. If we fail to understand and share this learning, then we’re dooming future generations to repeat the same mistakes.”

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the physical ARC and the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The Porcelain Maker was published in the USA on November 7, 2023.

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[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This debut novel starts with a young couple in pre-WWII Germany as the Nazi movement takes hold. Bettina, a German modern artist and Max, an Austrian Jew studying architecture with the Bauhaus movement, are in love. But life conspires against them. As time goes on, Bettina’s art is labeled degenerative and Max faces all the issues of being Jewish in Nazi Gernany.
Meanwhile, in a second timeline in 1993, Clara is trying to uncover the identity of her father. Her mother, Bettina, has never told her who he was. All she knew of him was that he was a porcelain maker.
The story is based on Allach porcelain, which was produced in Allach Germany at a factory owned by the SS. It is marked with a stylized SS on the bottom and was produced using slave labor from the Dachau concentration camp. The porcelain was a personal favorite of Himmler.
The book does best when it concentrates on art - the difference between the approved art the Nazis favored, romantic realism, and the “degenerate art” of the modernists.
But I was less than engaged with the characters or the plot. The romance between Max and Bettina felt cliched and neither character came across as developed. The ending was rushed and missing some major explanations. for example, there was no explanation of how Bettina got out of the hospital and how she and Clara were reunited.. The second timeline with Clara is designed with the single purpose of having someone able to tell the reader what happens to Max.
I will admit to reading a lot of WWII literature and this didn’t cover enough new territory to truly hold my interest.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

[Ceecee · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1993, Clara Vogel buys a number of pieces of porcelain at an auction in Cincinnati. Her purpose? She hopes that by tracing their provenance she will discover the identity of her father which has never been revealed by her mother. In 1925, Austrian Jew Max Erlich is in Dessau, Germany, in order to study architecture at The Bauhaus, the avant-garde art school. There he meets painter Bettina Vogel. Two timelines, one story, Clara’s desperate search alongside Max and Bettina‘s story which starts with a smile and ends with a gasp.

I really love the story of Max and Bettina, which begins with joyful optimism though by 1932 it’s clear the art and artists of the Bauhaus are increasingly under attack as “decadent”. Just for the record, I love the Bauhaus movement! The ups and downs of their love story are beautifully written, with palpable tension caused by the increasing danger around them , which ultimately takes them to Porzellanmanufaktar Allach at Dachau. These two characters are so likeable and it’s heartbreaking seeing the light and joy fade into darkness and desperate survival.

I really enjoy the Bauhaus/porcelain factory angle as I know little about the latter apart from the basics. The author has described them so vividly you can visualise them but it’s well worth looking them up as I have. Nazism in historical fiction is a well trodden path but this aspect gives readers something a bit different.

This is a poignant, touching, sad and heartbreaking story as you’d expect with love, betrayal and art lying at its core. It’s well paced, full of suspense, with characters to like and loathe making it hard a hard book to set aside. The two timelines fuse together smoothly and organically and it doesn’t feel forced.

Overall, a very promising and moving debut novel which I recommend to fans of historical fiction.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Simon and Schuster for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

[theliterateleprechaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

A phenomenal debut!

Can art alone save us?

At the heart of this story is a woman, Clara Vogel, in search of truth who desperately traces the provenance of a porcelain piece, hoping it will lead her to discover the identity of her father. The author weaves this timeline with a Bauhaus Movement timeline featuring two artists, a Jewish architect, Max Erhlich, and a German painter, Bettina Vogel, who strive to live through the Nazi brutality in hopes that their art will live on.

My heart was stretched and I reached for the Kleenex box reading about a man creating beauty in a place that was built for destruction and designed to crush the human spirit. The teacher within was impressed with the rich lexicon and my inner history buff was engaged with a story of hope, courage, and sacrifice. You may appreciate the author’s attention to the power of art, both in peacetime and in the midst of war. My only regret? Illustrations that would have taken this story next level.

This epic story about love, betrayal, and art needs to be on every historical fiction lover's reading list.

I was gifted this copy by St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

[Marilyn (not getting notifications) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Porcelain Maker was captivating, heartbreaking and riveting. It was Sarah Freethy’s debut novel and it was written beautifully. Sarah Freethy took the liberty to explore an aspect about World War II and the Holocaust that I had not known about nor read about prior to reading her book. She chose to scaffold her story around a porcelain factory that was located within the Nazi concentration camp of Dachau. It was the inspiration for her book. The Porcelain Maker alternated seamlessly between two different timelines, 1929 through the years of World War II and the Holocaust and the 1990’s. The characters were well imagined and believable. It was well plotted, tugged at all my emotions and was hard to put down.

Max and Bettina met in 1929. Their romance was beautiful. They had both fallen in love with each other. Uncharacteristically for that time period, Max and Bettina lived together but were not married. It worked for them. They had moved to Berlin to be in a busy city that offered galleries, other fellow artists and opportunities for Max to use his architectural expertise. With the rise of the Nazi Party, Max’s and Bettina’s lives became impacted by restrictions, regulations and shortages. Even with all the precautions both Max and Bettina took, it was inevitable that eventually Max was arrested. He was sent to the Nazi concentration camp in Dachau. Luckily for Max, his talents as an artist were discovered and he was assigned to work in the porcelain factory. Working there saved Max from a much harsher existence there. When Bettina finally learned about Max’s fate she was determined to find a way to see him. Would Bettina be able to devise a feasible plan to see Max? Could she help Max escape from Dashau concentration camp so they could find a place to live together as a family without the threat of the Nazis finding them?

In the 1990’s, Bettina’s only daughter, Clara, had recently lost her mother. While growing up, Clara, longed to know who her father was. Her mother, Bettina, refused to speak about it. The subject evoked so many emotions from Bettina that eventually Clara gave up asking but those thoughts were never far away from her mind. After Bettina’s death, Clara and her daughter Lotte set off on a mission to find the answers Clara longed to learn. Clara discovered a link between one of her mother’s most celebrated and renowned paintings that was titled The Viking and a porcelain factory in Dachau, Germany. With little hesitation, Clara and her daughter Lotte, set off for Germany. Would those two discoveries be enough to lead them on a path towards solving the mystery of who Clara’s father was and why Bettina refused to share that information with Clara? Can Clara and Lotte reveal the secrets Bettina kept hidden from both Clara and Lotte and that they longed to learn?

Although I realized early on that this story would not have a happy ending, I found that I could not pull myself away from it. Sarah Freethy was brilliant in her storytelling. She combined just enough fact with fiction to make her debut novel an enjoyable read. I admired the strength and non conformity that Bettina exhibited in her earlier years as an artist and then the bravery, hope and protectiveness she showed later in her life. The romance and love that Bettina and Max shared was beautiful and believable. I learned a great deal about the art that was prevalent during that time and the type of art that the Nazis chose to represent their regime and ideals. I never knew that a porcelain factory existed amongst all the horrors that were occurring at the concentration camp at Dachau. What a sharp contrast that factory portrayed compared to the atrocities that were being committed by the Nazis in the concentration camp! The Porcelain Maker focused on the themes of love, friendship, family, commitment, survival, art, devotion, sacrifice, loss, dangers, bravery, hope and resilience. I enjoyed reading The Porcelain Maker by Sarah Freethy and look forward to reading more books by her. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to listen to The Porcelain Maker by Sarah Freethy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Wow!! I can't believe this is a debut novel! I was hooked and reeled in from chapter one. It's a dual timeline with the 1990's as the present story and just before and during the early days of World War II. We also get an epilogue, which I love.
Bettina and Max are the main characters and are really likable. They meet in Munich before the war. Max is an architect and Bettina is an artist. They move in together and are loving life, but this is mid to late thirties and already a black cloud is hovering over Germany and it's people. Max is Jewish and this makes things even harder for the couple. With the help of good friends they decide to escape but not all goes to plan.
What follows is the heartbreak of being apart, of Max's life in Dachau and of a decision Bettina makes that she really had no choice about.
There is quite a bit about art and porcelain making but done in a very interesting way. I learned a lot about the factory in Dachau. Overall though this is a love story, not just between a man and a woman but a love story of the arts and crafts.
There's tremendous sadness throughout the book and however many times I read about the Nazis treatment of prisoners and indeed ordinary people, it still makes my blood boil. It still baffles me beyond belief how they could carry out the horrors they did while still claiming to be human beings.
When I wasn't reading the book, I was thinking about it. When I finished it I sat for a while and contemplated what I had just read.
I can't recommend this book highly enough, especially to people who love books set in the war years and may be a bit weary of them because while still in the genre, it tells the story from a different angle. The ending kind of haunts me!
Definitely looking forward to more books by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an early copy of this book to read.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clara Vogel had been searching for clues to the identity of her father for a long time. Her mother had been a gifted expressionist painter in Germany during the late 1930’s. But during World War II, her career had taken a different path. Clara’s mother never talked about her life during that time, and she never spoke to Clara about her father. However, her mother did seem to be very attached to her small collection of porcelain figurines, and never wanted to talk about those either. When her mother died, Clara became even more determined to find out more about her mother’s life and her father’s identity.

After hearing about an auction of some German-made porcelain figurines in Cincinnati, Clara flew there from London to see if she could acquire the figures. Thus began to unfold a story of love, courage, sacrifice, survival and grief that ultimately brought the answers that Clara hoped to find.

Thank you to author Sarah Freethy, St. Martin’s Press, and Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC of this poignant debut novel!

[Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!! Fabulous read!!

Why wouldn't Clara's mother ever tell her who her father was?

Now that her mother Bettina has passed and she has a daughter of her own, Clara is on a search to find out on her own.

We follow Bettina and Max, artists, during the war where they are separated when Max gets arrested and makes porcelain pieces that represent Germany and creates them to save his life and while Bettina does everything she can to find and save Max. Will they find each other?

We then move to 1993 as Clara deals with her mother's death and her search for answers. Will she find what she is looking for?

A beautiful, but heartbreaking debut that introduces us to the decorative Allach Porcelain telling how they were made and where they were made. Very interesting.

Fascinating information about the factory and the porcelain. Marvelous research.

Historical fiction fans will devour this book.

Don't miss it...you will be with Max as he endures his time in Dachau, as Bettina waits for him, and as you hope for the best. 5/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Sharon Orlopp · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not for me.

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bettina Vogel is a German modern artist and she meets Max Ehrlich at a party, he’s Jewish and from Austrian and studying to be an architect. They fall madly in love, Germany is on the brink of change, with the ominous threat of Nazism and the rise of Adolf Hitler.

Bettina’s art is labelled degenerative, as we know the Germans hated this style and destroyed paintings, Max and his parents who are still living in Vienna don’t know what to do, they should leave and soon.

The narrative has a dual timeline told from the two main characters points of view, Bettina and Clara, it starts in 1929 and ends in 1994 and it’s very easy to follow.

After Clara’s mother passes away, she’s trying find her father and uncover why her mum would never tell her who he was. All she knows is he made porcelain, in a factory and near the town of Dachau.

The story is based around the Allach porcelain factory, here the pieces were made using labour from the nearby concentration camp and Heinrich Himmler came up with the idea for both. From 1936 to 1945, the factory made white porcelain figures, mainly cute animals and later household pottery and the pieces had the SS insignia stamped on the bottom of them and Himmler wanted it to represent German culture. When Max was arrested Bettina didn’t know where he is, and she had to make a difficult choice, later she found out he was at Dachau, working at the porcelain factory and she want's to see him.

I received a copy of The Porcelain Maker by Sarah Freethy from Simon & Schuster Australia and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A story about lost love and the impact the war has on the two main characters Bettina and Max’s romance and relationship. Art is a focal point of the narrative and so is loss, secrets and mystery, afterwards Clara's left trying to put together the pieces of a puzzle, this takes patience and time.

It was really interesting reading about the Allach porcelain factory, I had never heard about it before, how could the beautiful animal figurines be made in such an inhumane place, four stars from me and a great debut novel by Ms. Freethy.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to believe that there could possibly be any new story angle to WWII and the Nazi concentration camps, but this is one of them.

In this debut novel, readers will learn about the creation of fine porcelain figurines in Germany during WWII under the direction of the leader of the SS, Heinrich Himmler.

The author takes a dual timeline approach to the story surrounding the fictional lives of Max, a young Jewish architect, and Bettina, a budding German artist, who are drawn together by the art scene in Germany in 1929. In America, in 1993, it is Bettina's daughter Clara who becomes the focus of the other part of the story, as she is trying to find the father she never knew.

If you read a lot of historical fiction that focuses on WWII, then you already know about the sense of urgency people felt to escape the country as Hitler and his SS troops steamrolled their way through Europe. But, for so many, those avenues for exiting the country quickly closed. It's then that Max is arrested, separated from Bettina, and sent to Dachau. I feel that the author did a great job of building the tension around these events.

While Max's artistic talents are used in forced labor at the porcelain manufacturing facility near Dachau, Bettina makes some unbelievable sacrifices in an attempt to become reunited with Max and help him escape.

The story doesn't spend too much time on the atrocities and the hellacious period in the concentration camps, which I was glad, but it does touch on the raw emotions involved in being separated from those we love and the bravery involved in making unpopular decisions that may lead to the death of a loved one or oneself.

Inevitably, a dual timeline novel often suffers from one part of the story being judged to be better than the other part. Personally, I enjoyed the story of Max and Bettina the most. The character of Clara and her search for lost information as a means of tying the past to the present was good, but I found it to be less captivating.

The only thing that I found lacking was an Author's Note at the end of the book; the inclusion of more of the facts surrounding the Allach porcelain factory. Because it is so frequently used, especially in historical fiction, I find myself expecting to find this feature, which is greatly appreciated and can add to an overall rating. Of course, I took my own trip down the Wikipedia rabbit hole to learn more about Allach porcelain and see pictures of the actual items that were made, and I would encourage other readers of this book to do the same.

I received a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[*TUDOR^QUEEN* · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 50%

This is a piece of historical fiction employing dual timelines from the thirties to the nineties. It delves into the rise of the Nazi element and persecution of the Jews. There is a forbidden love story that grounds the book, and a search for family information in the future timeline. Another focus in the book is art in the forms of porcelain making and also with paintings created in the modern (abstract) vs. classic styles. My personal reaction to this book is one of depression navigating the subject matter, and a lack of interest in the story overall. I invested myself 50% into this book, but lost the desire to even find out how it all ends.

Thank you to the publisher St. Martin's Press for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

[Deacon Tom (Feeling Better) · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing story! I highly recommend this wonderful story which is full of memorable characters like artist Bettina Vogel, Max Erhlich, and Bettina's daughter Clara who is looking for her father.

The plot set in 1993 and the WWII time frames was amazingly full of action, historically accurate and also a charming love story.

The Porcelain Maker comes to life when Max is sent to Dachau where he begins to work at the porcelain factory

This is truly a well - crafted story that is a very fast read. I was immersed in the book hoping Bettina Vogel, Max Erhlich both would survive the Nazis oppression.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

[Marie Barr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great historical fiction from this debut author. I wish I could have seen drawings of the figurines in this book. I could not stop thinking about them. Set in Germany in 1929 and USA in the 1990’s. This is Clara’s journey to find out the truth of who her father is. Full of love, heartbreak, betrayal, this is a poignant novel that was captivating. If you like historical fiction, you will like this book.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Thanks to NetGalley st martins press and the author for the chance to read this amazing work of art.

[Paulien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ik moest er aan het begin even inkomen, maar eenmaal in het verhaal wil je doorlezen. Je gaat meeleven met Max, Bettina en de volwassen Clara, ontzettend goed geschreven. De porseleinfabriek kende ik niet, daar ga ik zeker nog wel onderzoek naar doen op Google.

Dat de schrijfster haar research heeft gedaan werd mij op haar website duidelijk, maar ook in haar dankwoord noemt ze een hoop experts op die met dit boek mee hebben geschreven. Aanrader!

[Maren’s Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ This was heartbreakingly sad. An emotional love story between Jewish architect, Max, and a bold new artist, Bettina, who fall deeply in love only to be torn apart when he is thrown into the Dachau concentration camp. At its core, this is a story about how far we are ultimately willing to go to protect those we love, as Bettina sacrifices everything to try to save Max from the Nazi camp.

The book is broken into several parts, and alternates between two timelines - that of Max and Bettina in 1929-1940s and 1993 when Bettina’s daughter Clara is determined to get to the bottom of who her father is by figuring out who the “porcelain maker” is, I felt like I connected more deeply with the past chapters featuring Bettina and Max, then I did with Clara’s chapters. Regardless, this is a beautiful and powerful book that feels very timely given the rise in world wide antisemitism.

I listened to this one on audio and have to say how standout Kristin Atherton was at narrating this pretty large cast of characters, while still managing to make each one feel unique in performance. She really made the story come to life for me, and made the emotional connection that much stronger.

ʀ ᴇ ᴀ ᴅ ɪ ғ ʏ ᴏ ᴜ ʟ ɪ ᴋ ᴇ :
•ww2 fiction
•stories about artists
•forbidden love
•emotional books
•dual timelines

Thank you {partners} St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copies.

[Brooke - Brooke's Reading Life · Rating 3 out of 5]

**3.5 stars**

I always appreciate reading a WWII novel that's a bit different and explores the war from an angle that I haven't seen before. This novel is an example of that, being set in and around the Allach porcelain factory in Germany. Featuring dual timelines, one storyline centers around artist couple Bettina and Max in the pre and during WWII time period while the other storyline is in 1993 when Bettina's daughter Clara is attempting to learn more of her history, specifically who her father is. I would say that while enjoyable enough, the book did drag a bit and felt slow at times. It felt at the end there was some unanswered questions in order to wrap everything up. Bettina's storyline has a very strong focus on art, and the relationship between her and Max in a time where their love is basically forbidden.
Overall: I liked this book, it was something different for the WWII period.

[Erin Clemence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.

Expected publication date: November 7, 2023

1929: Bettina is a German artist, trying to make a name for herself in the avant-garde world. Max is a Jewish architect, about to embark on his own adventure by contributing to the design of the Autobahn. The two meet through a mutual friend and the connection is instant, and soon the couple begin planning for their dreams of a life together. But preparations are underway for World War II and now it is not only frowned upon for the two to be involved, it is also dangerous. But Bettina and Max are determined to find a way and use their individual artistic talents to return to one another.

1993: Throughout her entire life, Clara never knew the identity of her father. Her mother, Bettina, kept that secret close to her chest and, after Bettina’s death, Clara begins to wonder if she will ever uncover the truth. But she stumbles upon a porcelain figurine among her mother’s possessions that provide Clara with clues as to whom her father could have been. Returning to Germany with her adult daughter in tow, Clara seeks to uncover the truth about her past and unravel the secrets that Bettina took to her grave.

“The Porcelain Maker” is Sarah Freethy’s debut novel. Freethy comes from a background of writing, including screenplays, and her first attempt at creative writing serves to prove this. Freethy is definitely not an amateur and her novel is creative, emotional, powerful and unsettling (in the best way).

The story is told in dual timelines from the perspectives of both mother and daughter equally. Bettina, an artist, is trying to make a name for herself, which, of course, is made exponentially harder by the fact that she is a woman. With the harbinger of war in the background, Bettina begins the novel as a lovestruck, naïve young woman who, despite this, is relatable and likable. Once the war inevitably changes Bettina, she struggles to see beauty in a world that was once rife with it, yet her connection with the reader remains strong. I cheered for Bettina until the very end. Clara, too, was confident and intelligent and Freethy made it easy to see the world through her eyes as she tries to discover who she is.

“Porcelain” is a story about World War Two but it is also so much more. The star-crossed romance between Bettina and Max. The beauty of art and the power it has to change the world. The complicated yet incomparable love between mother and daughter. There are many themes and all are thought-provoking and emotive but overall, Freethy’s debut novel will make an impressive entrance, and leave an equally impressive mark on the reader’s soul.

[Bonnie DeMoss · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Porcelain Maker is a heartbreaking dual timeline novel set in both World War II era Germany and in the U.S., 1994. In Germany, Bettina is a German artist and Max is a Jewish architecture student. They fall in love, but with the rise of the Nazi party, their relationship and very lives are threatened. Max ends up in the Dachau concentration camp and is forced to work in the Allach Porcelain factory run by the S.S. In 1994, Clara is trying to find out the name of her father and is searching for clues, including special porcelain pieces made at the Allach porcelain factory.

The story is so sad throughout, and is a more realistic look at WWII Germany. Anyone looking for a completely happy ending will not find one, but that makes this version a bit truer than some of the other WWII fiction out there. The audiobook is well narrated by Kristin Atherton.

Readers of WWII fiction will appreciate this look into the sad history of the very real Allach Porzellanmanufaktur.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from St. Martin's Press. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

[CYIReadBooks (Claire) · Rating 5 out of 5]

It began at a quaint countryside auction house. Clara Vogel had been informed that the Viking figurine she’d been searching for, would be auctioned. Clara already owned a Viking statuette. But she had an alterior motive for acquiring another piece. Clara wanted to find the owner of the figurine in hopes that the person would help her find and identify her father — The Porcelain Maker of Dachau…

The Porcelain Maker is one of the best historical fiction novels that I’ve read this year. It’s up there in the top five for me. Hard to believe that this novel is the author’s debut. I could swear that author Freethy has been writing historical fiction since forever.

The story unfolds between two timelines — the 1940’s and the 1990’s. Of significance is that the 1940’s was a tumultuous period with the German occupation of Europe. It was a time of uncertainty especially for people of non-German ancestry. And Freethy’s writing captured the heartwrenching essence of the period.

Fast forward to the 1990’s. Freethy expertly engages the reader with Clara Vogel in her search for any and all clues that would lead to the discovery and identification of her father as well as learning of her artistic mother’s past. The reader is led through a series pictures, interviews, and flashbacks to gain knowledge of her mother’s as well as father’s history. It was suspenseful and full of plot twists.

The characters in the novel are fully developed and fleshed out. I really got a sense of the stature, personality as well as appearance. And with any fully developed character, there are those characters you’ll hate and those other characters that you’ll love. There was a good mix of both in the novel.

I can’t say enough good things about this novel. Only that if historical fiction is in your wheelhouse, The Porcelain Maker is a must read. Five outstanding stars.

I received a DRC from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

[BookWormBecky · Rating 5 out of 5]

5.0. Don’t miss this one!

*This surprise book showed up in my mail last week! So exciting! Thank you to St Martin’s/ Macmillan for this wonderful book!

Allach, auction, figurines…

The spellbinding story of two artists, Max & Bettina in Germany 1925- 1940s. Max, who is Jewish, becomes separated from Bettina. A tale of love, hope, endurance, perseverance, sorrow, and courage.

Bettina’s daughter Clara has always questioned her roots. When her mother dies in the 1990s, Clara begins her search for more information concerning her mother’s past life and her mysterious, unknown father.

A duel timeline will tell the tale of forbidden lovers and later the search for a family history.

Available 11-7-23.


*A winning debut! I will definitely read future books by this author!

*One of my favorite reads of 2023!

*Great cast of characters!

*Book 1 paints a picture that grabs your attention!

*A huge twist around 45pp from the ending! I did not see it coming!

* Highly recommend!

*Info/photos of Allach porcelain are online. The figurines are stunning. A tragic backstory.

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first glance, this will seem like just another historical fiction work about WW2…dig deep and you’ll find it is not…
This is a story of two people deeply in love, in one of the most dark and troubled times in history. A time when evil ran rampant and unchecked. When innocent people had to make unthinkable life choices, just to survive. And many of these threw caution to the winds, in order to make at least a small glitch in the wheel that churned out atrocity after atrocity, guided by mad men.
And the mental images of the porcelain creations will stay with the reader for a long time…

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absorbing, sincere, and expressive!

The Porcelain Maker is a rich, engaging tale predominately set in Germany from the mid-1920s through WWII, as well as 1993, that takes you into the lives of two main characters. Bettina Vogel, a young woman who, through determination and resilience, uses her artistic talents to help the resistance and stay as close to the one she loves as she possibly can; and Clara Vogel, a middle-aged mother who, after her mother’s passing decides with the help of her daughter to embark on a journey to discover the true identity of her father who seems to have had a connection to the acclaimed porcelain maker of Dachau.

The prose is eloquent and well-turned. The characters are lonely, strong, and brave. And the plot, including all the subplots, intertwine and unravel seamlessly into a heartfelt saga of life, loss, secrets, surprises, separation, heartbreak, betrayal, desperation, tragedy, survival, danger, friendship, the horrors of war, and enduring love.

Overall, The Porcelain Maker is an evocative, sentimental, moving debut by Freethy with compelling characters that I devoured from start to finish and one which I highly recommend for anyone who loves a well-written WWII time-slip tale.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Marinino Čitateljsko Carstvo (MK) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Petica kao kuća 🫶🥹⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[MicheleReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's 1993 and Clara Vogel has traveled from England to attend a small auction in Cincinnati where she purchases what appears to be a collection of low-value porcelain figurines. But while the maker's mark of "SS'' reveals a provenance that is tragic, the items could lead Clara to uncover the identity of her father. The dual-timeline story switches to 1925, Weimar, Germany where the love story between Austrian Jewish architect Max Ehrlich and Christian German artist Bettina Vogel begins. As life in Germany becomes more oppressive and restrictive, Bettina and Max realize that their relationship has put them in danger. The couple relocates and Max, under a new identity, gets a job as a sculptor at the Allach Porcelain Factory, which is owned by the SS. A second factory is later opened at Dachau, where Max is eventually sent. Clara, aided by her daughter, starts to unravel the mystery of her father, whose identity had been hidden from her.

Author Sarah Freethy, in an impressive debut, has written a well-researched, interesting and moving story. Told through fictional characters, The Porcelain Maker is set in one of the most horrific death camps of WWII and the porcelain factory was an actual place. The story did a good job detailing the changing environment in Germany as the Nazi Party deemed all modern art, including those in the Bauhaus Movement, as degenerate forcing Bettina to change her art style. The love story and the sacrifices each made for the other tugged at my heart. There are so many WWII-era books to choose from and as someone who has read many of them, I found this to be a unique one. I was very touched.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and BookSparks for the opportunity to read this book in advance.

Rated 4.25 stars.

Review posted on MicheleReader.com.

[Hannie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ik heb de laatste tijd verschillende oorlogsverhalen, zowel fictief als waargebeurd, gelezendie ik erg goed vond, maar deze spant de kroon. Het is interessant vanwege de invalshoek en doordat het boeiend is geschreven. Ik wilde steeds weer verder lezen. Het was dat ik door werk en andere dingen niet meer kon lezen. Anders had ik het boek eerder uitgehad. Het verhaal zit goed in elkaar en komt zo geloofwaardig over dat het zo waargebeurd had kunnen zijn. Al klopt een belangrijk detail in het verhaal niet met de werkelijkheid. Zo is kamp Dachau volgens Wikipedia aan het begin van de oorlog een tijdje niet gebruikt als concentratiekamp. Dat wetende klopt de tijdlijn in het verhaal niet. Toch stoort mij dat niet heel erg. De schrijfster heeft echt een goed verhaal neergezet. Door de gekozen invalshoek is het boek anders dan andere oorlogsboeken. Ik heb ook verschillende waargebeurde oorlogsverhalen gelezen en dat is toch net even anders dan fictieve. In een roman heb je de vrijheid om het verhaal zo te schrijven als jij wil en kun je de werkelijkheid mooier maken dan die is. Toch kun je bij dit boek merken dat de schrijfster daar niet voor gekozen heeft. En doordat het wel op waargebeurde feiten is gebaseerd laat het boek ook zien met welke verschrikkingen de gevangenen te maken hadden. Een aanrader. Ik las dat dit het debuut van deze schrijfster is. Hopelijk schrijft ze nog meer van dit soort boeken in de toekomst.

[Natalie "Curling up with a Coffee and a Kindle" Laird · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one.
I'm always a little apprehensive reading WW2 fiction these days, expecting them to be similar.
I knew within a few pages of starting this that I'd love it. There's a lot of intrigue in the opening chapter to hook the reader and drive the pace of the story forward.
The plot then opens up to involve more characters, and by then, I was truly invested.
A very interesting story that taught me about an area of artefacts I knew little of.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a gripping sometimes heartbreaking page turner. Every atrocity of this war reopened my horror. I never thought about the art and whose talented hands would create it. This was about finding answers and trying to understand the meaning of it all. I’m still shocked every time I read about World War II. Every. Time.
I read some of this novel but I mostly listen to the audiobook. The narrator was Kristin Atherton and she was excellent. She brought it together in a very personal way.
Thanks Macmillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Porcelain Maker is a dual timeline story that is set during WW2 and 1993 in Germany. Bettina Vogel is a German artist and Max Ehrlich a German architect. They meet at a party full of artists and are immediately attracted to one another. They fall in love, but being Jewish in Hitler's Germany is not safe. Max is reported to the SS and sent to Dachau. Bettina's work is considered degenerative, and although some people still sell it and want it, she can not make a living. She marries an SS man to protect herself and when she has a daughter, she is trapped. Max works in the porcelain factory in Dachau and is kept safe by the man who runs it. He and Bettina meet there for a time, but eventually are found out. In 1993, Bettina's daughter and granddaughter are in Germany trying to find out who Clara's father is. Tracking down porcelain figurines and who originally owned them gives her clues. Will they find her father?

I enjoyed this beautifully written story. Although it is set in Dachau, a camp for Jews, we don't see a lot of the horrors and Max is safe working in the factory. I really enjoyed the love story between Bettina and Max and how much they tried to keep each other's sprits up, as well as what they were trying to do with their porcelain figurines. I will say that I enjoyed both timelines, but enjoyed the past more. It was interesting to see how Clara was able to put information together to help in her search. One of the reasons I enjoy historical fiction is that I like to learn about things in the past that I don't know about. I knew that the Jewish prisoners were used as slave labor in the factories around the camps, but I knew nothing about Allach porcelain factory. Himmler's plans for this factory making beautiful white animals with the SS insignia to demonstrate German culture and workmanship, may have kept many alive, but still prisoners under terrible circumstances. This is a story that is not too heavy considering the time it is set. It is also hopeful and showed how some of the Germans would still do what they could to help the Jewish people. I definitely recommend it. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Kristin Atherton. She does a nice job with the voices and storytelling. You would have thought there was more than one narrator, especially with the male and female voices.

[Joanne Eglon · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐

Wow! A wonderfully written debut.

A different spin on Nazism.

Poignant, sad, heartbreaking, emotional story about the Allah Porcelain factory and a forbidden love.

Full of suspense.

Two timelines and likeable characters.

Broke my heart and actually made me cry.

Will stay with me for a long time.

Would highly recommend 💕