Set in alternating time periods, Germany in the 1930s and the United States in the 1990s, this novel tells the romantic story of Bettina, a German artist, and Max, a Jewish architect who is eventually arrested and sent to the concentration camp at Dachau. Much of their story is told through the eyes of their daughter Clara, who endeavors to learn more about her father, whose identity her mother has kept hidden from her.

This is a well-written piece of historical fiction, but I found is pretty slow going at times, so much so that this was hard for me to finish. It was also hard for me to invest in the characters, especially Bettina and Max, who for whatever reason never really seemed to comprehend the horrors they were going through. I definitely enjoyed the more current storyline than that of the past.

All in all, this was a very decent debut novel.

The Porcelain Maker is a moving story of the power of love over hate, passion for creating, the strength of friendships, and the legacy of children. It is beautifully written and emotionally power packed. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys World War II historical fiction or has a creative spirit.
My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, MacMillan Audio and the Autho Sarah Freethy for the opportunity to read/listen to this book before it was released. This is a beautiful debut novel by the author that follows a German woman and Jewish man who fall in love pre-WWII and their journey during her life as an artist and he as a porcelain maker as a prisioner. This dual timeline novel also follows Clara who is in search for the identity of her father in modern day. Such a beautiful, heartbreaking story as WWII stories are. I highly recommend this book, and I cannot wait to see what this author has in store for us next! (Review posted on Goodreads)

The Porcelain Maker is perfect for any WWII novel fans. It's heartbreaking and brings out so many emotions. I love how it is told in duel timeline. Honestly, the only reason why I'm giving this 4 stars instead of a higher rating is because I wasn't able to devote the time I wanted to read this. Normally I can read a book in a day or two, but this one took me two weeks. That has nothing to do with the book and more to do with my life. But what I can say is that this one will be a book I will be rereading one day. I can't wait to come back to it and give it the full attention that it deserves. If you are like me and love historical fiction WWII books, then go read this one because you won't be disappointed!

The Porcelain Maker is a suspenseful story that will capture your attention from beginning to end.

We meet Clara and the year is 1993. She is buying several specific porcelain pieces that will hopefully allow her to find out more about her father.

Her mother was an artist during WWII and never spoke of her father of her life during that time period.

Clara knows that somehow these porcelain pieces are the clues that will give her answers.

The dual time line takes back to WWII where Clara's mother and father meet.

The war tears them apart and their story is gripping, heart breaking and yet full of love, courage, endurance and so much more.

Sarah Freethy has written a marvelous debut novel in The Porcelain Maker and I cant wait to see what is next store for the reader.

Highly recommend you get your copy and settle in for a story that will stay with you for a long time.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the privilege of reading and reviewing this book.

The Porcelain Maker by Sarah Freethy
Narrated by Kristin Atherton

Germany, 1929 Once Bettina, a celebrated avant-garde painter, and Max, a skilled Jewish architect and artist, come together for the first time, they know they belong together, want a family together, and have dreams of living in a house designed by Max someday. But despite all the signs around them, they put off getting Max away from danger until too late. Even Bettina's own family is against Max and eventually he's arrested and sent to the concentration camp at Dachau. It is Max's skill at making fine porcelain figurines that gives him a reprieve from certain death.

I was not familiar with the porcelain factory at the Dachau concentration camp until reading/hearing this story. The making of exquisite porcelain figures in such a horrible place, during such a horrible time, was one of Heinrich Himmler's favorite obsessions. This is the setting where Bettina and Max are once again brought together due to the animals in Bettina's paintings being recreated into porcelain. Bettina is brought in to paint and perfect the porcelain recreations of her creatures and this is the time when Bettina and Max can be together once again and even go so far as to concoct an escape plan for Max.

America, 1993 Bettina's daughter, Clara, is on the search for the identity of her father. Her mother would never talk about her father or about her past, and now, after her mother's death, Clara has found evidence that could lead her to her true father's identity. The evidence lies in porcelain figurines. As we travel with Clara to learn her past, we relive what is mostly a very sad story for Max, Bettina, and so many others. If only Bettina could/would have shared her past with Clara, but some things hurt to much to share.

I was able to both read and hear this story. The digital and audio books allowed me to see and hear unfamiliar words and names. Kristin Atherton's narration seemed right for this story. Both Max and Bettina are so stoic during the events of the story and Kristin's matter of fact narration fits the story so well. The story is heartbreaking but does give a sense accomplishment in the end, knowing that Clara is able to learn more than she could have ever hoped to learn. There is a real sense of circling around in the touching epilogue.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for this ARC.

This is a beautifully written debut novel. I loved how the story went back and forth between Clara and Max and Bettina. I always read WWII stories hoping that somehow this will be the story that doesn't break my heart. However, I don't think anything about the events that took place during WWII can be anything but heartbreaking.

I loved that Clara went in search of porcelain to find who her father might have been. She seemed to have a bit of a rough patch there after her mother's passing but by the end of the book things seemed to be looking up for her.

I loved reading about Max and Bettina. Their meeting was not so typical. She was painting a mural on his apartment wall. There backgrounds were quite different but they both loved art. Bettina was a rebel. Max was a bit of a rule follower until following the rules may cost him his life.

Bettina's family was cruel and a bit evil. Her brother was an alcoholic with a evil nature and horrible temperament. To see what she endured as a child at his hand and then the pain he inflicted as an adult make me so sad. Bettina finally getting away from him was a relief. However, I believe she endured a worse tragedy trying to make a safe home for Clara. Bettina was a bit ahead of her time as a feminist. Once she married Karl, I believe she thought she would be free to do as she pleased. Karl became her jailer once she wasn't doing as he felt she should.

Max was such an amazing character. HIs strength and perseverance was everything. I was so glad once he was place in an camp what Holger was able to look after him in some ways. Getting to make the porcelain figures saved him for some time. When he was making the figures that Bettina designed I had hoped that they would get the happy ending that they both so rightfully deserved. However, as I said WWII stories hardly even end the way you want them to.

I highly recommend this book. Sarah Freethy wrote a beautiful story .

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinion expressed are my own.

Thank you to Net galley for the chance to read The Porcelain Maker by Sarah Freethy. This book was a debut author and was good and the genre was historical fiction. A character finds an art piece and seeks out the history of it, discovers the art piece was a connection to the war era. This book wanted me to read it faster. I will be looking forward to reading more books from this historical fiction author.

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.

Enjoyed the book and would give it 3.5 stars. I had never heard of Allach Porcelain before or that it was a subcamp of Dachau. I googled it just to see images of the porcelain. I enjoyed how the book alternated between Clara and her Lotte in 1993 and Max and Bettina leading up to WWII and during the war. I found Max and Bettina's story more interesting than Clara's story. Clara was trying to solve the mystery of her father. Bettina never told her daughter anything about living in Germany during the war or the identity of her father. All Clara knew was that he was a porcelain maker. Clara and her mom probably would have been closer if she would have shared her experiences with her daughter. Holger seemed to help everyone in the book. If not for him, Clara would probably never learned the truth about her mother and father.

Definitely recommend the book, especially if you enjoy historical fiction. I enjoyed the story, characters and writing style. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This story is an impressive debut and I look forward to reading more from the author.

The story alternates between the 1990s and the 1940s. I was equally invested in both storylines and the immense heartbreak in both.

Clara’s search for her father will take her from Berlin to Dachau as she learns of his identity, and what it meant to be Jewish I. The 1940s in Germany.

Bettina, Clara’s mother has always been vague about who her father truly is. As we delve into the story, we begin to understand a little more why she was so vague, the amount of pain wrapped up in the truth.

This story is tragic and heartbreaking. It also illustrates not only the power of art to tell a story, but the power love, true love has when faced with impossible choices.

Thank you to St. Martin’s press for the copy of this book. All views are my honest opinion.

This was a slow moving novel with many words I did not know and an unusual style of writing. I wondered if the author’s native language was not English. I looked her up and see she lives in England.

If you like historical novels set during World War II which include descriptions of art, you may enjoy this.

Thanks to Netgalley.

The Porcelain Maker is a story in two settings: the 1940s during WWII in Germany and 1990s in America. In the 1940s, two artists -- Bettina and Max -- fall in love, but are later separated when Max is arrested and sent to a concentration camp. Bettina makes it her mission to be reunited with Max. In the 1990s, Bettina's daughter Clara is searching for clues to her father's identity.

This is a holocaust story that unflinchingly tells the tale of the rise of Naziism in Germany. It's an interesting perspective in that it shines light on the German resistance movement instead of just painting all Germans as Nazis. It also highlights the power of art for both propaganda and sedition. As the characters face the horrors of the Reich, they cling to creativity, friendship, and love that spurs them on to courage -- a truly heartwarming and heartbreaking story. Narratively, the pacing is slow and the descriptions run a bit long. I sometimes found the book hard to get through, both because of the subject and the lengthy descriptions, but overall, it was a good read..

Special thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Tragic historical fiction set during World War II with a dual timeline in the 1990’s. Clara and her daughter are on a mission to find the identity of her father through artwork that was commissioned years ago by Nazi Germany. This was a finely researched debut novel dealing with the art world and the dismal reality of war. I received this advanced copy from the publisher for a fair review.

I am sincerely praying that this book has been through the hands of a good editor, because there's so much promise in it! The storyline of Max as a porcelain artist was very interesting and a new take on WWII historical fiction stories. I also loved Bettina and the references to expressionist and abstract art. I wish they could have been based on real people, but maybe history wasn't very obliging for Max and Bettina's character references.

Sarah Freethy weaves her story with very rich descriptions, although at times they become a bit overpowering. The beginning lagged at a bit, due to those wordy sentences, which sometimes repeated information that had already been presented. There were also egregious grammar/spelling issues, like "Max's" begin rendered as "Maxis." Again, things that I'm praying a good editor has filtered through before final publishing!

I'd definitely be interested in reading more from Ms. Freethy, as she had a nice storytelling style and kept my interest once we got past the slower beginning.

The Porcelain Maker is World War II fiction that is impressively different than the typical, especially from a debut author. The story is told in two timelines. Clara Vogel is a woman in the 1990s who is trying to discover more of her mother’s history, particularly the identity of her father. The story is told in her time as well as the World War II timeline of her parents’ story. Her father is a Holocaust victim, but his story is very different, probably because he is an artist whose skills are utilized by the Germans. Most of his storyline setting is in the factory where he works with porcelain. Clara’s mother is also an artist whose true artistic vision was subjugated to what the Germans wanted in their art. Clara’s journey and her parents’ story made for a great read.

Historical fiction is my favorite genre, and The Porcelain Maker did not disappoint. I've read many WWII books, but had never read about the porcelain making. I nice find, adding lesser known facts about the happenings during the war and the treatment of the prisoners during that time.

I was given an advance reading copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley.com in return for a fair review. This book was a very interesting read. The story of two artists in Germany (one Jewish) in the years before and during World War II was compelling. Max and Bettina fell in love during difficult times. Political circumstances separated them and Max ended up in the Dachau prison camp. While remaining a prisoner, he worked in a porcelain factory where beautiful pieces were created at the request of Nazi official Heinrich Himmler. Bettina chose to marry another Nazi officer to protect herself and her unborn child. She never gave up on Max and eventually discovered his whereabouts. This story struck a chord with me as I once worked with a gentleman who was one of the GIs that liberated the prisoners at Dachau. He could barely speak of it without tearing up at what he had seen. While I enjoyed the story of Max and Bettina, I did not care for the back and forth story of Bettina's daughter, Clara, and her daughter, Lotte, in the present day. Hence the four-star rating. The book based on Max and Bettina would have read just fine. It seems like this a trend in historical fiction that I don't feel is necessary. Just tell the story without bringing in the extras.

These comments and review are my honest opinion.
I put off reading this book as I was not sure I would like it, especially since it dealt in depth with WWII. But when I finally started reading it, I could not put it down. The characters, the vivid scenes and the pace of the book written in dual times made this a captivating read. This is a book of love, separation and the horrors experienced by those who were held in concentration camps.
Had it not been for the artistic talents of Max Ehrlich, an Austrian Jew and German born Benita Vogel, their love, their lives and the life of their child, Clara would have been so different. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this early copy of this heart wrenching, but also extraordinary good debut book.

Set primarily in Cincinnati, Ohio and Germany in 1993 and in Germany just before and during World War II, Sarah Freethy’s The Porcelain Maker is beautifully written, with gorgeous descriptive language, and is in one sense an ode to love and to the importance of art and creative processes. It is also a heart wrenching, gritty read depicting the horrors of WWII and fascism, including the abject and unfathomable hatred and brutality toward Jews and others espoused by the Nazis and the lasting, generational trauma wrought by such evil. Sadly, the latter aspects resonate deeply given current events both within and outside the United States. .

This was well done for a debut novel, though I felt it could have benefited from both a bit more character development and a less rushed conclusion. Overall, 3.5 stars rounded up due to the importance of the messaging and the descriptive prose.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.