Love story buried in a cautionary tale…very timely! At least 10 stars...
Have you ever watched a movie of a book once read, all the while knowing that the ending will be tragic? That is how I felt reading this beautiful book, wonderfully written with characters you will never forget, nor the peril they endured. Historically, you know what happened at the prison camps. Therefore, as I sit here crying and writing my impressions of this phenomenal novel, I must admit that I am devastated. It takes a well-written narrative to generate that much pain from fiction.
This story revolves around the journey that Clara takes to find out about her father in 1993. Flashbacks allow us to see how her mother Bettina and Clara’s father Max met, loved and were separated by the tragic events of history. I expected a bitter-sweet ending but not one that tore my heart out. However, I am still glad that I read this extraordinary book; one which I could not put down until finished.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book through NetGalley.
So that history does not repeat itself, we are called to remember…

From the very first paragraph, this book gripped me. I loved Freethy’s descriptive choices, how she brought the people to life. The dual timelines blended well, and it was easy to move through. That said, there were times where it got intense, and I had to take a break. It’s a historical fiction about a devastating time… it should be hard for me. I cried for these characters, lost dreams, lost innocense, betrayal… and just not knowing. Having Clara and her daughter move through the book piecing her mother’s history together was an interesting bit of mystery. I loved these characters.

I feel like this one dug deeper into the art scene during the Nazi regime (obviously, as it’s about two artists). I enjoyed seeing that aspect of things, living it through the eyes of an artist. Bettina was strong and vibrant and beautiful… and naive. I loved her, and I ached for her. Max was calm to her chaos and they supported eachother well. The fact that this relationship would have been frowned upon is a sad truth. Max, as a Jew, was one of the “lesser”. I won’t go too far into what they went through, but the pain of betrayal and the warmth of hope… it was all there.
I don’t read many historical fictions taking place during war a year, even though I love them, because they tend to break me. As such, I am pretty picky about my choices. This is one I knew I had to read. It brought a different aspect of Nazi Germany to me, one that I didn’t have a lot of information about. Plus, the summary on Netgalley was so intriguing! While not a light read, or a fast one, this was a definite must-read for me. Five stars!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
As far as adult content there’s a lot to unpack here. Obviously, there’s going to be violence; and some of those scenes will be hard to read. Bullying, gaslighting, shaming, propaganda, sexual content (nothing overly explicit, but still) and language are also issues through the book. Like I said, this isn’t an easy read, but it’s a great one. Still, I would label this one as New Adult and older.


I was lucky enough to recieve an eARC of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review. My thanks!

3.5 stars
The Porcelain Maker is a historical novel with a dual timeline - the first is set in the 1990s and the second begins in 1925 in pre-war Germany and continues through the first few years of World War II until 1942 or thereabouts.

In 1993, Clara Vogel, a woman in her mid-50s, travels from Europe to Cincinnati to purchase porcelain figurines at an auction with the hope that they will provide clues to the identity of her father. Clara's mother, Bettina, had recently died without ever having discussed her war experience with Clara or revealing the identity of Clara's father. With help from her daughter, Clara is searching for information that can identify her father who she knows had some connection to a porcelain manufacturer that operated at a facility near Dachau concentration camp during the war.

In the WWII timeline, Bettina Vogel, a German art student, and Max Ehrlich, an Austrian Jew who is studying architecture at the Bauhaus meet and fall in love in 1925. As the years pass, the two are living and working in Berlin completely immersed in the city's art scene but becoming increasingly concerned about the rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party. The modern art that Bettina creates has been deemed degenerate by the Nazis and new laws strip Jews of their legal and property rights making it illegal for Max and Bettina to marry. Initially hesitant to leave their home in Germany, by the time Max and Bettina realize that they need to flee the country any options they had have evaporated. They have no choice but to rely on a close friend who devises a plan that involves returning to live in Allach where Bettina grew up.

An interesting, well-written debut novel which provides insight into the Nazi views on acceptable forms of art while highlighting the history of a porcelain factory located in Allach, just outside of Munich. Under the control of Heinrich Himmler, the factory manufactured fine porcelain figures from 1936-45 which were so popular that they had to open a second facility and use men from the nearby Dachau concentration camp as a source of labour when local workmen were sent to the war front. Woven into this history of German art is a beautiful story about love and sacrifice - a story of two people deeply in love who are torn apart by a fascist regime, their struggle to survive and the sacrifices they are willing to make to protect the ones they love. A good choice for anyone who enjoys World War II historical fiction!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sending a digital ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

A distressing novel in so many ways but one everyone should read. I grew to care for Max(Aja Friedrich) and Bettina and hoped, knowing it was hopeless, for them to find a way to be together. I don’t know who was more despicable, Karl Holz or his sister, Liesl, but I pray none of us have to ever deal with people like this, soulless, unfeeling monsters. I’m glad Clara found out the truth about her parentage and why her mother appeared unreachable. I loved the art collection presented at the end of the novel but hope we never live in a world as dark and horrific as that presented in this novel. Although I received an ARC, my opinions are my own.

This was a devastating yet beautiful novel about a terrible time in our history. Told in dual timelines, we see the tragic love story of two Germans Bettina and Max, who is Jewish. Their story begins in 1929 on the cusp of the Nazi regime and as time goes on Max is arrested for being Jewish and sent to Dachau, the first concentration camp, which was a labor camp. To say I cried would be an understatement. Their story is so moving.

In 1993 America, Bettina’s daughter Clara begins to search for her father— a secret her mother took to her grave. I liked these chapters but skimmed them more less because I wanted to get back to Bettina’s story. Still lovely though.

I did an immersive read and listened to the 11 plus hour audio while reading the print version and being an American, the accents and specificity in lingo and names that I wouldn’t have said in my own head really brought the book to life for me. Kristen Atherton did a phenomenal job in this task.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press, Sarah Freethy, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the early review copy.

A beautiful and heartbreaking love story shines through this dual timeline story. Love between a German and a Jew in Nazi Germany. Love between mothers and daughters. Love of art. Love of a life’s purpose. Freethy helped me see more clearly how interpersonal relationships challenged by the times in earlier generations have real and significant impacts on relationships formed in later generations. The struggle to survive during war, the struggle to understand families, and the struggle to be true to the self are expertly woven together. I was so invested in this story, and despite knowing how it would have to end, rooted for love the whole way through.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Netgalley, and the author for early access to this book.

This is the story of Bettina and Max. They are lovers in pre-war Germany. Max is Jewish, Bettina is not. As in the case of true love they didn't really believe at first that what was going on around them would have an impact on their love. Bettina is going to be a successful artist and Max is an accomplished architect. They are profitable and they have each other. That's all they need...until the world comes crashing down around them.

Part of the book takes place in 1929 and after. The other timeline is 1993. Bettina's daughter, Clara, has buried her mother and is now looking for answers as to who her father really was and why Bettina wouldn't tell her. The journey leads her to Germany to find people who knew her mother and possibly her father.

This really is a touching book. How could it not be? The brutality of the war is right on the surface of the pages, but right beneath that is hope. Hope just isn't always enough and that comes through glaringly. I would recommend this book as long as you go into it willing to be slightly scarred.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.

I am really torn on this book. Told in dual time lines we learn about Bettina a budding artist in 1925 Germany who falls for a budding architect, Max, who happens to be an Austrian Jew. As they mature into the 1930's with their careers and their relationship, you can guess the eventual problems.

The tale is told in dual timelines, the latter being Clara, Bettina's daughter, in 1993. When Clara goes in search of of some porcelain pieces and is told about the Porcelain Maker of Dachau, there isn't a lot of unknowns about where Max is headed. Clara was never told who her father was and really the only mystery is why Bettina felt the need to hide Max from her.

This was an interesting look at a different aspect of WWII and a concentration camp but I admit I have read so many WWII books that it takes a really great one for me to get excited about it. I liked some of the secondary characters better than the main characters, especially Bettina & Max's friend Richard and and Herr Ostendorff who ran the porcelain factory.

If you haven't read a lot of WWII you'll probably like this book. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

THE PORCELAIN MAKER by Sarah Freethy is a gripping and heart-wrenching dual-timeline story of enduring love, courage and art that spans over six decades. Beginning in pre-WWII Germany and ending in the early 1990s in America, the story is inspired by an actual porcelain factory operating within Dachau. In 1929, as the Nazi regime is on the rise, Austrian Jewish architect, Max, and German modern artist, Bettina, meet and fall in love. But their romance is cut short when Max is arrested and imprisoned in the concentration camp at Dachau. It is Max’s talent for creating porcelain figures, highly favored by Himmler himself, that likely saves his life. When Bettina learns that Max is still alive, she risks everything to help him escape the camp and Germany. In America in 1993, after the death of her mother, Bettina’s daughter, Clara, embarks on a search to determine the identity of her father. It is a secret that her mother has kept for decades. The only clue that Clara has is that her father was a porcelain maker. She is able to procure several pieces of porcelain at an auction in the US that all bear the symbol of the Allach porcelain factory in Dachau. Clara hopes that learning more about the pieces will provide insight into her mother’s life, as well as the name of her father. What follows is the telling of a poignant love story and an exploration of the power of art to change the world. As with any story set in the Nazi concentration camps, the brutality of the treatment of prisoners is difficult to read about, but this thought-provoking tale of forbidden love and courage in the face of unthinkable atrocity will stay on my mind for a long time. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an Advanced Readers’ copy.

As a debut novel I found this book to be very enjoyable.

Set in Germany during the brutality of the Nazi regime a German girl named Bettina meets and falls in love with a Jewish man named Max. Max was captured and sent to a concentration camp and the only thing that kept him from death is his art of making porcelain figurines.

Second timeline: Clara, the daughter of Bettina is searching for the porcelain figurines to find out any information about her father.

I loved the storyline; it held me from the beginning of the first chapter to the last .

I would recommend this book to anyone loving historical fiction.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was drawn into the story from the start. A woman goes to an auction to bid on seeming junk. She bids on a lot of porcelain with hopes of finding more about her father, who she's never met, and had just recently found out about.

The chapters bounce between before and during WWII and the early 1990's. It's about a love story that has endured decades, the rise of Nazism, desperate times, betrayal, and hope. It's about the survival of a young woman, an incredibly talented artist, and a porcelain maker, who is a prisoner in a concentration camp.

I was touched, I was distressed, I was hopeful, and I was happy how the book was wrapped up. This is a book that I'll be thinking about for a long time.

The Porcelain Maker by Sarah Freethy is a mesmerizing love story that is inspired by the Allach Porcelain factory, and the exquisite statuettes that were created there. Allach was acquired by Heinrich Himmler in 1936 and was located near the Dachau concentration camp.
Freethy expertly weaves two time periods together. Clara Vogel is 52 and is searching for her father’s identity. It is 1993 and she has traveled from London to a small auction house in Cincinnati to purchase several Allach figurines she believes could connect her to her father. Clara’s mother, Bettina Vogel, passed away without revealing her father’s identity. Clara discovers a photograph in Cincinnati that’s dated 1941. Bettina is featured with three men in the studio at Allach. Two of the men appear to be wearing concentration camp uniforms under their loose white work coats. This photograph is the fuel Clara needs to continue her search.
Max Ehrlich and Bettina Vogel meet in Germany in 1925 and are drawn together by an intense mutual attraction and their love of art. Max is a skilled architect. He is Jewish and has left behind his wealthy family in Vienna. Bettina is an avant-garde painter from a German farming family. Her family disapproves of Max, and they are not proud of Bettina’s paintings, even though her popularity as an artist is soaring. Max understands the risk of living in Germany and from 1932 on begs Bettina to leave with him. She repeatedly declines and in 1937 the couple must separate. Max is lucky to get a false identity and a menial job at the Allach Porcelain factory. Bettina will live with her family near Allach and continue seeing Max secretly.
Freethy’s characters are fascinating, and the dual plots move quickly. Max and Bettina’s plight remind the reader that life, like fine porcelain, is both beautiful and fragile.

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.

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.

4.25 stars.

While not quite what I was expecting, The Porcelain Maker is beautiful and sad. A wistful portrait of the cost of art in war, and what we do to protect even the chance of a future with those we love.
I’d known about some of the art that was produced in various camps in WWII, but I hadn’t been aware of the prevalence of porcelain as a collectible among the Axis powers, so that part was fascinating.
Overall I’d recommend this one to fans of historical fiction and others who are curious about the history of art produced in wartime.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher, all opinions are my own and a review was not required.

Bettina and Max are at the start of their careers. Max is an architect and Bettina is a painter. Their love is strong and powerful and it shows in their work. But, with the rise of Nazism, their lives are forever changed. Max is taken away to Dachau and Bettina is forced into a marriage to an SS officer.

I love the dual timelines. The author creates such a great family mystery. This story begins with Clara trying to find out who her real father is. Her mother has kept this a secret her whole life. Since her mother has died, Clara is left to try and put the pieces of the puzzle together.

The story flashes back and forth between Bettina’s struggle to escape the Nazis and save Max and Clara’s struggle to find the truth. And it all boils down to the unique porcelain figurines that Max created in Dachau’s porcelain factory.

The narrator, Kristin Atherton, is amazing. She hit all the right intonations and emotions. This book could not have been narrated any better.

Need a powerful tale which will have your emotions all over the place…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

This story toggles between two timelines. In the 1990s, Clara is searching for the identity of her father, which was kept a secret from her. During World War II, Max and Bettina struggle to stay together as a family as Nazi Germany is on the rise. 

This book is beautifully written with rich details and a creative storyline. The author truly has a way with words.  It's also apparent it's well researched.  For me, though, it didn't hit the mark.  It was hard for me to connect with the characters or stay interested in the story.  It was something I struggled to pick up and finish.  I powered on to see if it would get better.  I think part of what was lost on me was that there was almost no point in telling the earlier storyline because you were able to figure out what happened already in the more present timeline pretty easily.  I also found the timeline with Clara a little more interesting.  I just could not get interested in Max and Bettina's love story.  It seemed more boring than epic. The author shows a lot of promise, and this is decent for a debut novel. If you're interested in a slower paced romance about World War II, then give this one a try.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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.

DNF This book was just not for me. I've read lots of books set during WWII , but this just made me feel uncomfortable even before the war or any of the concentration camp actually started. Again, I have read books that have a lot of sadness and details about the camps, so I do enjoy this era just not this book.

Sarah Freethy's beautifully written, powerful, and moving debut, THE PORCELAIN MAKER, is a heartbreaking story of love, loss, courage, betrayal, and art of two lovers caught at the crossroads of history. Meticulously researched and inspired by an actual porcelain factory in Dachau.

Germany, 1929 We meet two young artists, Max Ehrlich, a skilled Jewish architect from Austria, and Bettina Vogel, a celebrated avant-garde artist.

Their romance begins and leads them to Berlin. They are madly in love. They do not want to be apart when the threat of the Nazis is looming and the rise of Adolf Hitler.

Max is arrested and sent to a concentration camp at Dachau. While there, he uses his talent for making exquisite porcelain figures.

Desperate to save Max, Bettini risks it all to rescue him and escape Germany. All the while, his parents are still living in Vienna, not sure what to do. Both find themselves doing something they are not passionate about to survive. Germans disliked Bettina's unusual art. Max is doing what he can and hopes they can reunite.

America, 1993 (Dona, Cincinnati): A daughter's search for the truth in search of her father to unlock her past.

Clara Vogel-Erlich, Bettina's daughter, embarks on a journey to trace her roots and determine the identity of her father. Her mother has kept this from her, and she does not understand. After her mom passes, she is determined to find her father. She knows he made porcelain in a factory near Dachau. She must find The Viking.

The narrative consists of dual timelines from the two main characters' POVs, Bettina and Clara, starting in 1929 and ending in the summer of 1994, Munich (Epilogue).

The author transports us to the darkness of Nazi Germany as Clara digs further, questioning why her mother chose to leave the truth of her past behind.

THE PORCELAIN MAKER is a captivating story that spans decades from WWII to 21st-century America. The author seamlessly weaves two timelines for an unforgettable journey, uncovering acts of loss, love, courage, talent, and survival.

At the center of the novel is art— from secrets, loss, romance, and mystery. GRIPPING! A stunning debut for fans of historical fiction.

I read the e-book and listened to the audiobook, narrated by Kristin Atherton, and her voice was utterly captivating!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for an advanced reading and listening copy.

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My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: Nov 7, 2023
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