This book is the definition of poignant beauty. I typically do not do well going into a love story that I know is going to be tragic. I could pretty immediately tell that this was going to be one of those books, yet the writing made me want to keep going, and in the end I still loved it, tears and all. The author weaves together the story of Clara, an adult woman in the 1990s, and Bettina, her mother in the 1930s-40s. Clara has recently lost her mother and is trying to find the identity of her father. The only thing she has to go on is that he was a porcelain maker in Nazi Germany. Meanwhile, Bettina’s story follows her falling in love, living as an artist, and navigating the trials of life during such a tumultuous time in history. Overall, it is historical fiction done very well. The writing is vivid and beautiful, and I could see every detail and feel every emotion. The ending brings the two stories together so poignantly. It is a love story, yes, but the kind of love that is sacrificial and affects more than just one person or lifetime. I am so grateful to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Unfortunately, this debut novel didn’t quite meet my expectations.

The story revolves around Bettina, a German Christian artist, and Max, an Austrian architect who is a Jew. The two fall in love but since this is 1929, Max finds it necessary to disguise his Jewish identity for as long as he can. He became a porcelain sculptor. Eventually, he is arrested and transported to a concentration camp. As luck would have it, his talent is eventually discovered and he is sent to make porcelain figurines at Allach, which was owned by the German SS.

But there is more than the story of this somewhat mismatched couple. In an alternating storyline of 1993, we have Clara, Bettina’s daughter who is searching for answers regarding who her biological father is. Though she grew up with her mother, that information was always kept from her. It’s time she discovered some answers.

My Concerns
Slow start.

I struggled to feel an attachment to the characters in either timeline. They just didn’t have the emotional pull that I needed.

It lacked any revelations that couldn’t be figured out.

Multiple timelines are the thing right now, and it needed something to make this story unique. I think more information about porcelain and Allach might have made it more memorable.

Unless I missed something, why didn’t Bettina share with Clara who her father was?

Final Thoughts
While this was a good book, it didn’t stand out as a great one. However, it definitely piqued my interest in learning more about Allach and the Dachau concentration camp.

So should you read it? Sure. It still has lots to offer. And, if you choose the audiobook to listen to, the narration is very well done!

My thanks to #netgalley and the publishers for both the audiobook and book to review.

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 Macmillan Audio. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Even though I’ve been feeling a little burned out by WWII novels, I will read one if there’s something in the blurb that I haven’t seen done before. As the granddaughter of a veteran who was there when Dachau was liberated, as soon as I saw that this book took place there, I had to read it.
The Porcelain Maker is first and foremost a love story. While I suppose it is technically historical fiction, it didn’t make me feel like I was transported back in time. You could pick up the main characters and plop them in a modern setting and it wouldn’t change much.
A little warning regarding the audiobook: If you are sensitive to the sound of narrators swallowing, some chapters might drive you crazy!

This was hard to listen to at times but in the best way. The love portrayed in this was so captivating. I found the time switches a little hard to adjust to at first but was soon fully sucked into the story.

This book follows the tale of a couple during the nazi regime, and it switches from their story to the story of their daughter as she tries to piece together her family's history.

This was beautiful and sad, and it's ok to take breaks while reading it. I did. I told my mom about it, and she asked how a story about the haulocause be beautiful? I wasn't sure how to respond at the time because, to me, it's obvious. The story is beautiful because of the characters' journey and their love and just the general way its told.

A dual timeline between 1993 and the 1930’s/1940’s, this historical fiction read explores the lives of Max, an architect and a Jew from Germany and his wife, Bettina, an artist and not a Jew. While their love was forbidden at that time, they each had to learn to move on, or find each other again. Clara, Bettina’s daughter, in 1993 is on a search to find out who her father was and during this search, unravels an entire history she didn’t know about. I did enjoy the cast of characters as I thought they were all well thought out. The writing flowed effortlessly through the descriptions of each scene and was evenly paced. As tough as it is to read about WWII stories right now because of the current climate, this one was story based and was not difficult to get through. This was a fantastic debut, and I can’t wait to see what Freethy comes up with next.

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.

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 sand 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.

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.

Blog Review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: Nov 7, 2023
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Thank you @stmartinspress @macmillan.audio for a copy of this historical fiction. This was a story that starts with Clara's quest in learning the identity of her father. The majority of the story is told in the past time line and really focuses on the relationship between Bettina and Max who are artists that were separated as a result of the war. Their love story is beautiful and heartbreaking. The narrator did a good job bringing all the emotions to life.

4.5⭐️ This is a sad one y’all. 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.

I honestly had a very hard time getting into this book. I usually love split fiction but was unable to follow this story line. I don’t know if it was me or the writing because this is my usual type of book. I finally finished it yesterday and I honestly don’t even remember the ending right now. I really struggled with this review. I wouldn’t be turned off from trying other books by this author but this book was a swing and a miss for me.

I saw it on a front display at barnes and noble yesterday so hopefully it will win for someone else.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

Wow, what a heartbreaking, yet magnificently written book. The history, the detail, the drama - it was done so well. I both read and listened to this and I found both versions to be great. I was never confused, despite the different timelines and some different characters, but instead intrigued. I became devoted to the characters and their experiences and obsessed with the storyline. The topic is difficult, especially given current events, but still well done. Just be prepared for tears!
Thank you netgalley for my advanced copies.

Beautiful, well narrated historical fiction! It was very neat to follow some ins and outs of the Degenerate Art travesty in Nazi Germany. I definitely recommend this book to World War historical fiction readers!

I do wish there had been more context about art styles and what exactly was degenerate and not, but that's me speaking from my lack of knowledge.

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an audio arc to listen and voluntarily review.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the free audiobook and to St. Martin's Press for the gifted ARC!

I really like it when historical fiction reads start in the present or recent history (in this case 1993, my birth year), and then go back in time (in this case 1929). It helps it feel more easily attainable to me if I can imagine at least one character in a period of time I've lived in, if that makes sense.

This was a very impressive debut and I really enjoyed it! I don't always love historical fiction, so when I really enjoy one, it gets me excited!

This was hard to read at time because of the heavy war themes (even harder in light of current events) so the time spent on the romance between Max and Bettina quickly became my favorite scenes.

While I enjoyed it overall, I do think it could have been trimmed down a little as it lagged at parts for me.

This would be fun to read/discuss with a bookclub, especially the ending!

I listened to the audio version mostly and the narrators voices were excellent and she was a great fit in that regard. I did notice quite a bit of swallowing/lip-smacking picked up in the recording which unfortunately became distracting at times.

This will be available for purchase on November 14th!

Another heart wrenching story with a dual timeline. The story of Bettina starting in Nazi Germany 1939 and her daughter Clara 1993 tracing her roots to find out the true story who her father was. The main part of the story is the love between two artists and them trying to escape Germany and it’s brutal upraising against Jews. Max is Jewish who was betrayed and sent to Dachau. He gets a lucky break and is allowed to work again at the Allach Porcelain factory. A pregnant Bettina discovers where Max is imprisoned and sets plans in motion to see him again.
I enjoyed the audiobook version of this book. The narrator was excellent. The story it self brought a little known fact to life of Allach and Dachau prisoners. At least to me. Although I found the story interesting I thought the ending was little rushed. I think I will read the ending, maybe my opinion will change. Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #ThePorcelainMaker

Thank you to NetGalley for an early audiobook edition of “The Porcelain Maker” by Sarah Freethy, narrated by Kristin Atherton. The story is told from different characters' points of view, Clara in 1993, and Bettina and Max 1929-1946, Clara’s parents. Kristin did a nice job of changing her voice for the different characters, even the men.

This is the story of two young impressionist artists who fall in forbidden love, as she is Aryan and he is Jewish. In 1929, when they meet it was not dangerous; however, as they grow closer and move to Berlin for Max’s job as an architect, the politics are less forgiven. Meanwhile, Bettina’s art has been labeled Degenerate Art, so Bettina is forced to give up her artistic style. When Max is arrested for being Jewish and Bettina realizes she is pregnant, she will do anything to protect her daughter and Max, including marrying an SS Officer.

Meanwhile, you meet Clara and her daughter. Clara grew up with a mother who suffered from mental illness. Raised by her nanny, Clara believed her father was the SS Officer, however, conversations between her mother and nanny made Clara question her parentage. On her death bed, thinking Clara was the nanny, Bettina talked about how the Porcelain Maker was Clara’s father, but who was the Porcelain Maker, Thus Clara began a quest to find out.

The story goes back and forth between WWII and 1993 leading the reader through Bettina’s and Max’s story. The characters were well developed and the author took a true story and made it an interesting historical fiction. If you shy away from WWII books due to the brutality of WWII, this book did not have much. The author makes you wonder just how bad it was in the 1930’s – 1940’s, that caused women to lie to men about their children’s parentage to protect the child. I cannot imagine! I also do not understand how parents go to their graves without letting their children know about their parentage, I personally think this is selfish. We all have the right to know the history of our parents good or bad, as scientists can still not answer the question of nature vs. nurture, so it is important to know where you come from. So if you read this review and the book and are keeping a secret, tell your children the truth!

The Porcelain Maker is a debut novel by Sarah Freethy is heartbreaking story about Max, a Jewish architect and Bettina , an artist. This book takes place over several decades that follows Max and Bettina just before war breaks out and how they were trying to survive and save money to try to flee Germany. Once Max gets arrested he is placed in Dachau concentration camp. He is then placed in the porcelain factory to make porcelain items for the Reich. Clara is searching for these porcelain figures that resembles her mothers painting. TheViking for example was one of Bettina's most famous work and only two figureines are in existance. Clare soon uncovers the truth about her mother's secrets and why she never shared the truth with Clara. This is such a heatbreaking book story of what war really cost the innocent victims. A must read for anyone that loves a great WW2 historical novel.

“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 and audio and loved both. 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 Macmillan Audio for the alc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

Title: The Porcelain Maker
Author: Sarah Freethy
Narrator: Kristin Atherton
Pub Date: November 7, 2023

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Porcelain Maker, a debut novel by author Sarah Freethy, was nothing short of spectacular! Hopeful, heartbreaking, and powerful, I enjoyed everything about this well done historical fiction novel!

In the present day of 1993, Clara is determined to find out the identify of her father. Her mother, Bettina, was an artist prior to WWII and never spoke about her life during the war or of Clara’s father. The only clue for Clara, were porcelain figurines that her mother was very attached to, although never wanted to talk about. In an attempt to acquire the figurines, Clara travels to Cincinnati, OH from London to attend an auction. Told in alternating timelines, we learn about Max and Bettina and their love for one another despite the many obstacles in their way. When Max is taken to a concentration camp, his talent of making porcelain figurines is utilized to the fullest extent, and he does everything possible to stay alive. At the same time, Bettina is doing everything she can to rescue Max and escape Germany.

The Porcelain Maker is a must read for any historical fiction lover. It’s saw raw and heartbreaking but it was so a well written book and I just loved it!

Read If You Like:
🐇Historical Fiction
🐇Emotional Stories
🐇Well-Developed Characters
🐇Books About Courage and Sacrifice
🐇Alternating Timelines

I alternated between the physical copy and the audiobook, mostly listening to this novel. I LOVED the narrator, Kristin Atherton, and felt she was the perfect person to be cast for this role. The pacing was perfect and Atherton drew me in so quickly and I could not stop listening!

“In the end, art and love are all we leave behind.”

Thank you Macmillan Audio for providing me with a #gifted ALC and thank you St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a #gifted advanced copy of The Porcelain Maker!