I was given the opportunity to read and review The Porcelain Maker by Sarah Freethy by NetGalley.
This book was very good. I couldn't stop reading because I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. Bettina, an artist and Max, a Jewish architect are in love. They live in Germany as Hitler rises to power and watch the changes in their country until Max finally loses his job because he is Jewish. As the situation declines, they flee Berlin. Bettina goes home to her family, who she is not close to, and Max gets a job in a porcelain factory. The factory manager realizes he has artistic talent and gives him a job designing the porcelain figurines. He is eventually found by the Nazis and is imprisoned at Dachau Camp. Bettina and Max never lose hope that they will be reunited, sending messages to each other through their art. This is a must-read for any World War II historical fiction reader.

If you love historical fiction based in the setting for World War II and generational stories within one book this is for you! I have read several historical fiction books within this setting and really loved the story and and characters that Sarah Freethy brought forth.

The story of the Porcelain Maker is about how two artists fall in love and try to weather through the storm that is leading up to and through World War II. Jumping from present day (1993) to various places in Germany, including Dachau, we learn about how Clara is learning not only about her mother but about her heritage as well. Throughout the book we learn about how art was impacted and is still impacted today during the war and how important it is to communicate to one another in order to save our loved ones memories.

My favorite thing about this book was actually learning about the porcelain factory that was right outside of Dachau. When I think of Dachau I think of the terror that went on there, not even realizing that there was a porcelain factory that Jews worked at and made highly sought after fine pieces of porcelain. This porcelain was in fact another version of propaganda and pieces can still be found today online. While reading this book I actually went in search of information about the porcelain factory and its items because it was so interesting. Rarely does a book cause me to go and do more in-depth research because the story is so interesting, but this one did!

I highly recommend this book, the story line is well thought out, enriching and makes you stop and evaluate your own family history. Thank you to Netgalley and MacMilliian for the opportunity to read this digital ARC.

A story of World War II from the perspective of artists in the Bauhaus as the Nazis take power. Sarah Freethy has captured the sense of freedom as artists moved into abstract expressionism but it is tempered by the coming darkness. Her descriptions of how nationalism intertwined into all parts of life including the arts were chilling. She portrays a frightening world of casual evil and widespread, often random violence where any nonconformity is seen as unpatriotic and subject to eradication.

The story is centered on two artists-Max and Bettina-who find themselves caught in the net of Nazism. Max is arrested and sent to Dachau where his skill at porcelain making saves him while Bettina risks her life to free him. The story unfolds as Bettina's daughter searches for the identity of her father, uncovering family secrets and historical horror.

The story had some basis in fact as there was a porcelain factory in Dachau. I requested the book because it portrayed a different perspective on the Holocaust.

I received an advance copy of The Porcelain Maker in return for an honest review.

What a beautiful story! And from a debut author? I had to verify that! I enjoyed how it moved between the 90's and WW2. I always like seeing how the past is influencing and/or explaining the present in books. It was easy to follow along and get swept away in all the things!!!

Thanks to #NetGalley, #SarahFreethy, & St. Martin’s press for the ARC copy. The author is very clear that although this reflects historical events, it is a work of fiction for our reading experience. Even though Bettina & Max are not real-life characters, I was completely immersed in their story. Beautiful, tragic, yet heartfelt, they pull you in with their sense of adventure, daring, and determination. Their story comes full circle with Clara and Lotte taking place in 2 separate time periods - WWII and the early 90’s.

What are you willing to sacrifice for love? Yourself, Good/Evil? Thought provoking read for this genre on many levels. Loved this one!

This historical fiction with a WWII connection is told in dual timelines. Clara has never known who her real father is and her mother dies without telling her his name. Clara pieces together things she remembers being told by her nanny and a bit of information her mother had revealed and begins her search for answers. With the help of her own daughter, a wartime love story is revealed as Clara learns not only who her father may be, but also many other things about her mother's past. Thanks, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with an ARC ebook to read and review.

If you like the author Kristin Harmel and historical fiction you will like this book about 2 artists in a concentration camp during World War II. Well written, a little too much description In some places, but worth reading.

I’m conflicted with this book - I wanted to love it more than I did.

The author tells a beautiful story that, at times, really captured me. I also liked that the subject matter was new to me despite all the ww2 era historical fiction novels I’ve read. I was compelled to research Allach porcelain and the Dachau camp while reading the book to learn more about them.

However, the book had such a slow start that I initially struggled to stick with it, and I never fully bought in to the love story of Bettina and Max (we learn how they met and then the story jumps to them already living together) or why Bettina couldn’t bring herself to tell Clara about her father even later in life once she was an adult. Another thing that bothered me in the beginning (but I didn’t notice as much later on) was the descriptive vocabulary that at times seemed forced or over-the-top, as in my opinion, it could have been said more simply without losing any context. Instead, I kept having to use my dictionary look up tool to make sure I was following along correctly. Because of this and the slow start, if I wasn’t reading the book for the purpose of providing a review, I may not have finished this one. BUT, as I sit here thinking back on the full experience, I’m glad I stuck with it because the story came together for me in the middle and finished strong (if not a little rushed). I would recommend this book to fellow historical fiction lovers of the WW2 era and my rating is a 3.5.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Carefully crafted, this book presents the beauty of passionate romance and expressive art. I never thought much about the creation of intricate porcelain pieces before reading this story. Now, it’s on my mind.

The book also shows the dangers of WWII causing severe anxieties. There was no escaping from the violence for many that suffered from physical and emotional pain.

Just before the war in 1925, Max met Bettina with the instant power of love. He was Jewish from Austria and she was German. Their relationship was a red flag for the Nazis. However, one could feel the intensity of their hearts.

They were in art school in the town of Dessau, Germany. She was wild about exploring abstracts and he was studying architecture. He smiled when he saw that she had painted giant female figures just before a party in a modern form. He couldn’t decide if they were “beautiful or terrifying” as if that was part of life.

The story had another POV in the early 90’s where Bettina’s daughter, Clara, was searching for her father. Her mother refused to disclose any information about her father’s identity and now she was gone. But she gave her one hint: he was the porcelain maker of Dachau.

It's a powerful portrayal of relationships with the brave people that were in situations of unbearable conditions. It showed how important love helped them to survive along with the thoughts of their family members.

It’s well written and gives the reader a view of how the porcelain factory was important to Heinrich Himmler, leader of the SS. It made me shiver with the evilness of this man during this time. It’s a story that felt believable; I didn’t want it to end.

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy with an expected release date of November 7, 2023.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: November 7, 2023
1929: Bettina is a German artist, trying to make a name for herself in the avant-garde world. Max is a Jewish architect, about to embark on his own adventure by contributing to the design of the Autobahn. The two meet through a mutual friend and the connection is instant, and soon the couple begin planning for their dreams of a life together. But preparations are underway for World War II and now it is not only frowned upon for the two to be involved, it is also dangerous. But Bettina and Max are determined to find a way and use their individual artistic talents to return to one another.
1993: Throughout her entire life, Clara never knew the identity of her father. Her mother, Bettina, kept that secret close to her chest and, after Bettina’s death, Clara begins to wonder if she will ever uncover the truth. But she stumbles upon a porcelain figurine among her mother’s possessions that provide Clara with clues as to whom her father could have been. Returning to Germany with her adult daughter in tow, Clara seeks to uncover the truth about her past and unravel the secrets that Bettina took to her grave.
“The Porcelain Maker” is Sarah Freethy’s debut novel. Freethy comes from a background of writing, including screenplays, and her first attempt at creative writing serves to prove this. Freethy is definitely not an amateur and her novel is creative, emotional, powerful and unsettling (in the best way).
The story is told in dual timelines from the perspectives of both mother and daughter equally. Bettina, an artist, is trying to make a name for herself, which, of course, is made exponentially harder by the fact that she is a woman. With the harbinger of war in the background, Bettina begins the novel as a lovestruck, naïve young woman who, despite this, is relatable and likable. Once the war inevitably changes Bettina, she struggles to see beauty in a world that was once rife with it, yet her connection with the reader remains strong. I cheered for Bettina until the very end. Clara, too, was confident and intelligent and Freethy made it easy to see the world through her eyes as she tries to discover who she is.
“Porcelain” is a story about World War Two but it is also so much more. The star-crossed romance between Bettina and Max. The beauty of art and the power it has to change the world. The complicated yet incomparable love between mother and daughter. There are many themes and all are thought-provoking and emotive but overall, Freethy’s debut novel will make an impressive entrance, and leave an equally impressive mark on the reader’s soul.

It's probably unusual to say that something is a heartwarming story about the Holocaust. However, this is such a poignant rendering of a woman searching for information about her father. She discovers a love story that is bittersweet and so unfair. A wonderful historical novel about a real porcelain factory in a war camp.

I just could not get into this book. It moved way too slow for me. There was not enough happening. I would like to know if she found out who the porcelain maker was, but not enough to finish this book.

“In the end, art and love are all we leave behind.” So the story of Max and Bettina unfolds. We begin with some porcelain figurines which take us back to Nazi Germany and finally to present day. Without giving away too much, their love gave them strength to make impossible decisions. Much can be learned from reading Sarah Freethy’s description of what Dachau may have been like for artists. We must never forget lest we repeat.

I loved this book. On one hand I wanted to hurry up and finish reading it but on the other hand, I had to slow down and take some breaks because I didn’t want it to end. Beautiful story of survival. It did not end the way I expected! Highly recommend! Thank you!!

Thank-you to @netgalley and the publisher for the #AdvanceReviewCopy

Genre: Historical Fiction
release Date: November 2023

Summary: Told through dual timelines, and perspectives. We follow Bettina and Max in the late 1930s as they fall in love during a time of upheaval and back in the US we follow Clara, Bettina’s daughter, in 1993 as she desperately tries to piece together the puzzle of her mother’s life and find her birth father.

My Thoughts: I love historical fiction, especially set against the backdrop of WW2 but this one wasn’t a favourite. I liked some of it, but I lacked investment in the characters. I’m not sure why, but I just didn’t connect as much as I usually do, and because of this, the experience was a slower read. Some chapters were also super long, adding to the slower pace. I found myself picking this up and then setting it down often.

The dual timeline, however, was a bonus and the different POVs provided a break from the slower paced pages. I preferred the more current storyline that followed Clara than the past.

Overall, I liked it. A good premise, but a little too slow.

2.5. Rounded to 3

Beautiful portrayal of the power of love. Bettina and Max have a truly inspiring love story that begins in 1929. I love how well the complemented each other. They know, beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are each other’s person. Sadly, they are ripped apart because Max is a Jew. Bettina takes many risks, to the detriment of her own livelihood, in order to stay connected to Max.
Clara, in 1993, wants to solve the mystery of her true father. She has clues that were passed on through her mother, but no real specific details. She works together with her daughter, Lotte, to find the truth.
There are many quotes that I marked and pondered for a while. I love the detailed descriptions of the art, the people, and the various locations. Stunning word mastery. This one stayed with me for a while as I came to know and love the characters. I did not want to put it down and I did not want it to end. I thoroughly enjoyed this gripping, dual timeline tale.
I received a complimentary copy from the author and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

What a powerful, well written novel. I loved the art aspect a lot and how it was used by the characters. Tragic but wonderful read.

As many books as I read about World War II and the Holocaust, I am always surprised that I am able to learn something new. I had never heard about the Nazi’s involvement in the artistic world of porcelain figurines. This novel is told in multiple time lines to explore the search by Clara to discover the identity of her father. The author takes us on this search while filling in the gaps of the past. It is a very poignant story of love and sacrifice. The author maintains tension throughout making this somewhat of a page turner. It is not soapy and not predictable. The main characters are very likable. This is a history lesson and a love story. Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to review this Advanced Readers Copy.

Thank you to Sarah Freethy, the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

I usually enjoy historical fiction books but this one was just blah. I read it over a week ago and am only now getting around to writing a review, so I feel like that says something.....

This book had the potential to be more (and to be honest I was shocked it wasn't actually based on a true story after reading the authors note). But it was just boring and I feel like it kind of just wandered. The main characters were all quite annoying (no one seemed to fully grasp the horror they were living in.....???) and the choices being made were odd.

This was ok, but I wouldn't recommend.... sorry! 2.5 stars rounded up.

This book was interesting but i found the style to be more detached than i would have liked, so it wasn't as moving as it could have been. Two lovers, a Jewish man imprisoned by the Nazis forced to make propaganda art and his love, married to a Nazi. This is also the story of their daughter who is trying in modern times trying to find out who her father is and why her mother kept him secret.