The Porcelain Maker by Sarah Freethy

In the 1990s, Clara is looking for her biological father who was known as the Porcelain Maker of Dachau in the 1940s. Her mother Bettina is mute on the subject.

The Nazis and Holocaust are presented as absolute villains, as they should be. Max, a Jew, is taken to the death camp and leads a better life than some due to his artistic talents making porcelain figurines. Bettina, a non-Jew and also an artist, is Max’s lover. The side stories are well incorporated, as this tale is woven together between the decades.

This is a good, solid, four star story offered by St Martin’s Press and NetGalley as an ARC for this review. It would be of interest to lovers of historical fiction and many, like myself, who find there’s always something to learn about Nazi Germany and the Holocaust.

Even though I have read many novels based on World War II and the Holocaust, I continue to discover new aspects of that time period. Sarah Freethy's debut novel The Porcelain Maker certainly added to my knowledge. Combining a love story with the brutal details of that time period produced a book that will continue to linger in my mind. I have come to appreciate the use of dual timelines because the contemporary perspective provides much-needed breaks from the horrors of the war story. I loved getting to know Bettina and Max and would have liked to learn a bit more about Clara's growing=up years. Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and the author for an advance copy to read and review.

The synopsis of The Porcelain Maker by Sarah Freethy intrigued me, as I am often drawn to WWII fiction novels. Inspired by an actual porcelain factory in Dachau, this sweeping tale held me captive from the very first page.

The story begins in America, 1993 where Clara, Bettina’s daughter, searches for clues about her father. She follows the sales of unique pieces of porcelain. From the very first pages, I was transported and whisked away to Germany, 1929.

In Germany, we meet Bettina, a painter, and Max, a skilled Jewish architect. Theirs is a whirlwind romance, and I enjoyed the art scene, romance and their young marriage. It’s a dangerous time and soon Max is arrested. They took him to the Nazi concentration camp at Dachau.

As Clara learns more about her parents, we spend time with both Max and Bettina. Max creates exquisite porcelain figures for the Germans and Bettina risks everything to save him. Bettina’s story tugged at my heartstrings even as I admired how brave she was.

The tale that unfolds was beautiful, sad, heartbreaking, and enlightening. I am always amazed how, during the darkest of times, light emerges. The blending of fiction and history was exquisitely done. I researched off page as the author piqued my curiosity.

If you, like me, enjoy historical fiction/romance steeped in history, particularly WWII, you won’t want to miss The Porcelain Maker. It’s one of my favorite historical reads this year.

The Porcelain Maker by Sarah Freethy is a story of love, betrayal and art inspired by the actual porcelain factory in Dachau. From the horrors of World War II to America, two lovers are caught at the crossroads of history and a daughter’s search for the truth. In 1929, Germany, Max, a skilled Jewish architect, and Bettina, an avant-garde German painter, met and the sparks were immediate. Their whirlwind romance takes them to the dazzling lights of Berlin but they are met with the darkness as Nazism becomes the rising threat to all they love and hold dear. When Max is arrested and sent to the Dachau concentration camp, Bettina is determined to rescue him and escape Germany. In 1993, Clara, Bettina’s daughter, is on a journey to discover the identity of her father, a second her mother took to her grave. As she traces her mother’s past, Clara is left with questions as to why her mother fought so hard to keep her past hidden.
While I have a bit of World War II fatigue with the ever growing number of books which feature World War II, I was intrigued by a story I haven’t heard before. I was hooked in by the opening chapter as Clara is tracing down porcelain figures linked to her mother. I loved the electric and flirtatious meeting between Max and Bettina. However, the book fell fast. I was confused by the back and forth in time and places. Who’s who and how they all fit into the story of the concentration camp and the porcelain factory. Sadly, even the emotional moments that should have been more powerful and poignant fell flat. I didn’t care for Bettina or even Clara as she is on this journey. Max was a decent character. Overall, I appreciate the author’s desire to bring the story of Dachau to light, but The Porcelain Maker was uninteresting and too drawn out. However, if you enjoy World War II stories, you may enjoy The Porcelain Maker.

The Porcelain Maker is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

Sarah Freethy's THE PORCELAIN MAKER wonderfully intertwines the stories of the tough choices made, the secrets kept, promises broken, lives changed forever in 1940s war time and 1990s peace time trying to understand family history and uncover the truth. I have to admit that I was dubious about the merits of yet another book about WWII, love, and family secrets, but this one blew up doubts and totally engaged me from the first pages. The relationships felt wrenching, involving, and believable and the entire story was full-on immersion. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

Poignant ww2 historical romance

This is a beautifully written and engaging ww2 historical romance. It is dual timeline, set in the 1990 and 1930-1940 timeframes about a daughter seeking the truth about her mother's background and trying to find her father. The story is woven around pieces of porcelain made in a factory near Dachau, owned by the SS and using the father's slave labor, as well as paintings done by the mother. This is definitely a must read by a new author. I really liked this book!!!

Thank you to the publisher who lent me an e-arc via Netgalley with no obligation. This review is optional and my own opinion.

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.