Enter a wonderful new author into the world of WWII fiction, and what a great debut Sarah Freethy has created! The Porcelain Maker is inspired by an actual porcelain factory in Dachau and depicts the Third Reich's attempts to control the art world and the artists of the time through the story of Bettina, a celebrated painter, and Max, her Jewish architect lover. When Max is arrested and sent to Dachau, Bettina risks everything to try to save him. The story unfolds as Clara, Bettina's daughter, searches for her father's identity through the porcelain pieces created at Dachau.

This book is as much romance as historical fiction, though the history takes precedence. I spent much of my reading of the 1930's timeline on the edge of my seat, waiting for bad things to happen--all the while hoping that Max and Bettina would find their happily ever after. I also learned a lot about the control over the art world that the Nazi regime had, and I felt the frustration of the artists of the day who did not fit neatly into the accepted mold.

What kept me from awarding this a 5-star rating was my lack of connection with the 1990's timeline and Clara's search for her father's identity. It seemed a bit contrived and unnecessary, in my opinion, and I did not understand why Bettina had not told her the truth. Especially as I learned of events as time passed, it seemed a little unrealistic that her mother would not have shared their story with her daughter. This did not significantly impact my enjoyment, however, and I would recommend this novel unreservedly to other historical fiction fans, especially if you enjoyed The Nightengale or The Book of Lost Names, which have a similar feel.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital and physical ARCs of The Porcelain Maker by Sarah Freethy. The opinions in this review are my own.

I enjoyed the dual timelines in this WWII historical fiction. The story is well put together and is easy to follow and Ms Freethy kept me engaged throughout the book.

Many thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for this advanced readers copy. This book is set to release on November 7, 2023.

“I’m afraid there’s no herd of great white horses to warn us when we pass the point of no return. Just the long-drawn-out death of democracy. It seems that people will swallow anything if you feed it to them piece by piece.”

Such a powerful and beautifully written story. While the characters were fictional and not based on any particular person, the Allach Porcelain factory in Dachau was indeed real and the inspiration for this debut. I’d never heard of this porcelain factory before and appreciated insight into the goings on before and during WWII.

I did a combo of print, digital, and audio and loved all avenues. I was completely caught up in the story from the first page thanks to the relatable and interesting characters. Both timelines were done very well and I honestly loved them both equally. This was a fantastic debut!

Thank you St, Martin’s Press for the #gifted copy and arc and Macmillan Audio for the alc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

****Publishing November 7, 2023****

This is a dual-timeline story. The book begins with Clara in 1993 buying porcelain at an auction in hopes of finding more about her father, Max Ehrlich. Clara had never met her father. She knew that conversations about her father and World War II were off limits with her mother. Her housekeeper, Heida, raised her since her mother was not capable because she suffered from severe depression. Clara’s daughter, Lotte, as part of her university studies, helps to find out more about Max and Bettina. This timeline follows Clara and Lotte on their discovery. How will Clara react when she finds out about her father?

The second timeline takes place in Germany. It follows Clara’s parents, Max, an Austrian Jewish architect, and Bettina, a painter from Germany who both attended the same art school, and their experiences during WWII, including Max being sent to Dachau concentration camp for being arrested for working under a false identity.

Each storyline equally drew me in, but I was drawn more to Clara’s story. It was interesting to see her struggles with not knowing her father and living with a mother with severe depression and how that had affected her. Then the emotion Clara went through discovering who her father was.

I loved how the author chose to write this story from an artist ‘s perspective. This made for a heartfelt, heart wrenching, and interesting read. Definitely a must read for those who enjoy reading historical fiction.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press I was provided an ARC of The Porcelain Maker by Sarah Freethy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Porcelain Maker is told in two timelines, one from the POV of Clara Vogel who buys a number of porcelain pieces at an auction in the hopes of tracing it to her father. The other timeline is set in the 1920s-30s and tells the story of Max and Bettina. Their love story is beautifully written and it is heartbreaking to see how the dangers around them break up their relationship. This aspect of Nazism gives a different perspective than most historical fiction and I found that to be both educational and unique. This is a touching, sad, and heartbreaking story full of love and betrayal. The two timelines merge together nicely. I really enjoyed this debut historical fiction read!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the story of two lovers caught at the crossroads of history and of a daughter’s search for the truth.

This tale was inspired by the actual porcelain factory in Dachau and span through the horrors of WW11 and the 20th century. This is an epic story of love and betrayal that starts in Germany in 1929 with two talented individuals Max Ehrlich, an Austrian Jewish architect and Bettina Vogel, an artist, whose drawn love and aspirations were dashed by the rising threat of the Nazis.

In alternate chapters, the narrative moves back in forth in time to America in 1993 with Clara, Bettina’s daughter, embarking on a journey to trace her roots and determined to find the identity of her father....

This story vividly describes the scenery, characters’ tragic circumstances, the concentration camps, the beautiful art work and the evilness of the times. Both timelines are brought together beautifully and in a memorable way. The story is rich in vocabulary and the depth and texture of the narrative is not overwhelming. The era is right up my alley I should have enjoyed this story, most reviews I read say this is an outstanding historical novel.

But what went wrong? Most of the time I simply couldn’t stay focused on what was being said. Why? First: the romance between Max and Bettina’s was quite banal and their characters lacklustre. Second: Max and Bettina story moved at a very slow pace, borderline boring. Third: the last part seemed rushed and too many questions flashed in my mind that I never found answers for, maybe my mind wander too much..... But I did enjoy Clara and her quest for the truth.

Even with its qualities ,this novel was a chore to read.

The Porcelain Maker is another heart wrenching story that takes place during WWII. Although Freethy takes a different approach, it just didn’t quite have the oomph necessary to keep my interest the way it should have. Centering her novel around art, there were definitely some intriguing moments, but the characters lacked development making it difficult to connect with any of them. A book that had more potential than it actually delivered. A dual read/listen, I found that I preferred the audio book over the book as the voice was quite pleasant and the book came across on the dry side. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ARC and ALC of this book.

Special thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. It is a Historical Fiction written along two different timelines from the 30's/40's amid the rise of the Nazi Empire to the 90's. In the 40's it tells the story of a forbidden love and the lengths they will go to to keep their love hidden and the the 90's timeline is a search for family information using art. The book bounced back and forth each chapter which I was able to follow, it just never had the wow factor for me or the emotional connection.

The Porcelain Maker was a beautiful story about reconnection after a terrible separation before ww2 started. I had no idea about the Nazi porcelain making at Dachau and I read a lot of WW2 hist fiction. great debut!

This was such a moving story. Immediately after finishing I did some research on the porcelain made at the factory in this story and was stunned that some of it is still available to buy! I was so touched by this love story and the imagined consequences of WWII on the world of art. This was a truly unique read!

Thanks to Netgalley and the author and publisher for an advanced copy to read.

This is the story of crossed lovers of different races in Germany leading up to WW2 while in the present a woman's daughter searches for the truth about her father.

What a beautiful and heartbreaking story. Readers are going to be moved by Max and Bettina's story. Two people for whom love trumps all. It doesn't matter what religion, or culture you are from they just know that they are meant to be together. Now if only the world felt the same way. Sadly with the Nazi party on the rise Bettina and Max must find a way to survive. When plans of escaping go awry and Max is taken to Dachau Bettina is forced to find a way back to him while protecting their unborn child.
This story blends the past the present beautifully together, allowing for Clara, Bettina's daughter to learn the truth of her past, along side Bettina's fight to find her lover and get him to safety. This is a great book for book clubs or lovers of historical romances in general. I can't wait to recommend it in the near future.
Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

The Porcelain Maker was such a beautiful story of how love can endure during the most difficult times. Blending love, art, and survival into a story about two people who would move the earth to be together. A woman who wishes to escape her home and begin a life with a man she adores, a man who must flee the Germans to start a life with the woman he loves. If only it were that easy. When Max tries to flee he is captured and sent to the camps. His saving grace is his talent as an artist, a sculptor. He’s sent back to his former employer to continue his work but his heart isn’t in it, he misses Bettina and the future that was stolen from them. Can he outlive the evil surrounding him and reunite with his love? Is she waiting for him? Does she even know where he is? Max creates a Viking statue that will tell Bettina that he’s safe and waiting on her to find him. Can Bettina get into the porcelain factory to see Max? Can she somehow free him? And will the two ever have their happily ever after?

This debut WWII historical fiction was beautiful and heartbreaking. While the "plot twist" was easily predictable, the entire story was well worth the read to get there. This novel also does a good job of portraying "fresh" points of view on the horrors of WWII. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy.

Main Characters:
-- Clara – mid-40s, of German descent but lives in England, on a mission to discover who her father is since her mother’s death three years prior
-- Lotte – Clara’s daughter, recently moved in with her mother to her grandmother’s flat, working on a statement of intent for her degree about her grandmother’s artwork
-- Max – left his native Austria at 19, an architect and talented sculptor who met Bettina at a party in the late 1920s; they moved together to Berlin in the early 1930s to study at the Bauhaus
-- Bettina – a painter whose work tended more toward expressionism, which did not meet the approval of her family
-- Holger – oversaw the porcelain factory where Max worked
-- Ezra – worked with Max in the porcelain factory

Sarah Freethy’s debut novel transports the reader from an auction in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1993 to early 20th-century Germany as the Nazis came to power. When the story begins, we find Clara as the sole bidder on World War II era porcelain figurines. She asks the auctioneer for the name of the person who sold the pieces. When the auctioneer hesitates, she reveals that she hopes to find the identity of her father, and the auctioneer gives her Ezra’s name and address.

When she visits the assisted living facility where Ezra lives, she is told that he had recently passed away with no known family. Somehow, she is allowed into his room where she discovers a photo of Ezra with her mother and two other men—Holger and Max—and realizes that Ezra and Max had actually been in a concentration camp during the war.

Interspersed with the chapters of Clara trying to find her father’s identity, which early on she believes is Ezra, are the chapters that tell Max and Bettina’s story.

The book delves into an obviously difficult history based in Nazi Germany during a time when Max and Bettina would be forbidden to be together. Max’s artistic abilities along with his friendship with Holger, who has his own secrets, save him from the worst experiences of the labor camps. Nevertheless, he and Bettina clearly didn’t escape Germany together since Bettina died in England around 1990, divorced from the father Clara knew as a child, without ever having mentioned Max, Holger, or Ezra.

The vast majority of the book covers the love story between Max and Bettina and how the porcelain figurines came to be. I suspected early on, as we are expected to, that Clara is Max’s daughter. For some reason, Clara is more confident that Ezra is her father and that she might be one of his daughters renamed.

While I appreciated Max and Bettina’s story, it moved extremely slowly. I am not typically a reader of historical fiction. What drew me to this story was the expectation that it was equally about Clara’s search to discover her father. For the most part, the chapters alternated, but Clara’s chapters were 4-5 pages whereas Max and Bettina’s chapters were 20-30 pages at a time. It really dragged things down for me. And the father “reveal” to Clara felt so matter-of-fact and anticlimactic.

This is a tragic and sad story. The author did her research here, that is clear. If you enjoy historical fiction, this might be for you. It is a solid debut.

Wow! This story was incredible and inspired by an actual porcelain factory in Dachau. The horrors that people and mostly Jewish people had to endure is beyond comprehension. The story starts right before the war starts but as social tensions are rising. Bettina is young artist that is quickly gaining popularity and meets a Jewish architect named Max and they quickly fall in love. Germany starts advancing in Europe and before long Max is captured and taken to Dachau’s work camp. He is allowed to work at the porcelain factory next to Dachau and Bettina does everything she can to help him. This story goes back and forth from WWII to 1993 with a mystery. Clara in 1993 is trying to untangle her past and find out what happened and why she didn’t ever know anything about her parents past. Thank you so much to the author, Sarah Freethy, Netgalley and the publisher St. Martin’s Press for an advanced audio copy and a paperback copy! What an incredible Debut book!

I am a fan of stories about WWII because it is so interesting to delve into the lives of the individuals involved in and impacted by the war and the sacrifices that individuals were willing to make and who was willing to do the "right" thing even if it cost them their lives. This is a debut novel and the story is well-researched and written with a focus on the art world and the porcelain figurines made at the Dachau concentration camp. I was unaware of the use of slave labor at the Dachau concentration camp to develop porcelain figurines and the existence of a line of SS figurines.

The novel is one of a love story between Max and Bettina, a couple who meet in Germany in 1929. Max is a skilled Jewish artist and Bettina is a skilled painter. For a period of time, the two artists have a whirlwind relationship while gaining notoriety for their talents. With the rise of Nazism, Max is eventually arrested and finds himself at a concentration camp in Dachau. However, Max becomes an asset to the Nazis because he is skilled at making exquisite figurines. Bettina, at the same time is forced to alter her artistic talents to focus on a version of art that is more acceptable to the Nazis and finds herself in a relationship with a Nazi art dealer. She is hoping that she can use this relationship to try and save Max.

The story alternates between Max and Bettina's relationship and the 1990's, where Bettina's daughter is on a quest to find the true identity of her father, a person her mother refused to talk about. During Clara's quest, we are enlightened of the dangers Max and Bettina faced and the lengths individuals would go to in order to survive another day.

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

#ThePorcelainMaker #SarahFreethy #St.Martin'sPress

I really wanted to like this book, but sadly just found it fair. Some of the plot gets mired in details about the art world, while some parts strain credibility.

I found this to be one of the better WWII books. I appreciated the search Clara and Lotte went thru to find the history of their mother/grandmother.
Bettina and Max’s story was inspiring. Ms. Freethy is quite the storyteller, her descriptions and attention to detail was refreshing and well researched.
If you enjoy historical fiction, this is one to pick up and spend several hours hearing once again the atrocities that were done during WWII, and the sacrifices and courage so many people showed. This has heart, family and a lot of love.
I was provided an uncorrected ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a voluntary review if I so wished, I thank them. This is a 5-star.

Thank you so much for the honor of reading this amazing work by Sarah Freethy. This was an incredible story of the Allach Porcelain factory located next to Dachau in Germany.

I appreciate learning more about this horrendous time in our world. I learned more about the art during this time period including works not approved by the Nazis labeled as DEGENERATES. These artists were arrested and sent to labor/concentration camps and were later found to be killed.

This is also a beautiful love story between Max and Bettina and their illegitimate daughter - Clara. It's a daughter's quest to find out the identity of her biological father after her mother's death.

A must read!!!