This novel is center around porcelain that was made at the concentration camp Dachau and the artisans who were enslaved there and made to create what were essentially material propaganda for the Nazi state. Clara Vogel, a character from the more recent past, begins to investigate this porcelain as part of her own search for her mother's past and her father's identity. All of the these elements make for a compelling story. I would highly recommend this novel to fans of WWII-era historical fiction. ( )

In 1929 Germany, Max, a Jewish architect, and Bettina, a painter, meet and instantly forge a connection. Years later, when the Nazi's come into power, their relationship is threatened. When Max is arrested, he is sent to Dachau, where he works at a porcelain factory. Bettina, determined to survive, marries a Nazi official for safety, and works to find her way into the porcelain factory. In the 1990's, Clara, Bettina's daughter, begins searching for the identity of her father, and the secrets that her mother kept from her.

I enjoyed the WWII storyline, but felt that the modern storyline was unnecessary. It took focus away from Bettina and Max, and slowed everything down. The modern day story unraveled in a very expected manner and did not contribute to the story. Overall, 3 out of 5 stars. ( )

For a debut novel, this was impressive. I knew nothing about the Allach porcelain factory housed in the Dachau concentration camp during WWII. The author managed to create a sweeping dual time period story that tugged on the heart strings and brought to life an often overlooked aspect of WWII.

Bettina and Max were endearing characters who despite guessing the outcome you really wanted to see succeed. They’re two artists studying at the Bauhaus modern art school in 1929 Germany. Max is a talented Austrian Jewish architect while Bettina is a celebrated, innovative painter. They’re surrounded by decadent, bohemian culture and those on the edge of society. They fall deeply in love almost immediately after meeting at a party. Together they weather the most difficult hardships, as Hitler rises in power and suddenly the art they’ve created is deemed “degenerate.”

Because Max is Jewish he’s constantly in danger. One evening, he’s kidnapped only to arrive at Dachau where his talent for creating beautiful porcelain is the one thing keeping him alive. Without Max, Bettina is forced to make an impossible choice. When she finds Max again in the concentration camp, she hatches a plan to rescue him. Will she succeed?

In 1993, Clara is on a mission to find her father. Her mother kept his identity a secret from her until on her deathbed she reveals he was a porcelain maker near Dachau. This starts her quest to discover the truth and why her mother kept him a secret for so long.

I was completely engaged in this story and found it hard to put down. There was palpable tension throughout with everyone seemingly walking on a tightrope not knowing if the art they created or secrets they harbored would get them killed. It’s hard to reconcile the dichotomy of beautiful porcelain figurines with the horrors of WWII. I felt for Clara and her mission to learn more about her father. The reasons the truth was kept from her are still hard to understand. The history was fascinating and I ended up looking up the Bauhaus Movement and the Allach porcelain factory established by Himmler in Dachau. I really wish the author had included a note at the end explaining the history and research behind her story.

Sensitive readers should know there’s a somewhat descriptive love scene near the beginning that can easily be skipped. There’re also some language, mention of brief nudity, descriptions of a miscarriage, and violence that may be disturbing to some readers. All in all, a thought provoking, well written debut novel. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided. ( )

Beautiful although heartbreaking story. One timeline, Clare Vogel in 1993 wishes to discover the identity of her father. She lives with her mother, Bettina Vogel, an avant-garde painter, who will not for some reason reveal it to her. Another timeline in Nazi Germany: Bettina and a Jewish architect, Max, who is swept up in the Holocaust and makes porcelain figurines at Dachau. The story switches between each. ( )

In 1993, Cincinnati, we meet Clara Vogel, acquiring several porcelain figurines in an auction, among which is a piece called The Viking, which was inspired by one of her late artist mother’s most famous works. Clara’s search for the figure is motivated by her quest to find her father – a man she never met and whose identity is a mystery to her. All she knows is that he was “the porcelain maker of Dachau” – as revealed to her by her ailing mother, Bettina, before she passed away. The porcelain figure has a historically significant maker’s mark, which could be instrumental in tracing its origin and shed light on Clara’s family history. Her quest takes her into a deep dive into her mother's past, Bettina’s life in Nazi-occupied Europe and the man she loved. Told through dual timelines, Bettina’s story begins in 1929 and the Bauhaus movement and how she, a German painter, falls in love with Max, an Austrian Jew studying to be an architect. As they struggle to stay together and make plans to eventually leave Germany, fate might not be on their side.

The Porcelain Maker by Sarah Freethy is a compelling work of historical fiction that revolves around love, loss, courage and artistic expression with an element of mystery at its core. The characters are well thought out and the author captures the time and place in history quite well. Both timelines are well developed and the narrative flows well, though I would have enjoyed this novel a tad more delved deeper into Clara’s life. Art plays a pivotal role in this novel, and I appreciated how the author utilized the theme of artistic expression and interpretation of the time to carry the story forward also shedding light on how censorship impacted artistic endeavors in Nazi Germany in the era leading into WWII. Labeled “Degenerate Art” Bettina’s early works like those of her modernist peers were deemed “unsuitable”, forcing many to abandon their passion and others to succumb to the pressures of creating works of art in keeping with the norms established by the regime.

“They had decided that almost all modern art was an act of aesthetic violence: a plot by the Jews and communists against the German people. Any number of artists, galleries and exhibitions had been attacked by brown-shirted thugs intent on causing trouble.”

This was the first time I came across any reference to Allach porcelain (originally the factory near Munich and the second location outside the Dachau concentration camp) and the patronage of SS head Heinrich Himmler and how the works were meant to symbolize the ideals of the Third Reich. I read a lot of WWII fiction and I appreciate it when a story incorporates an aspect that was previously unknown to me.

Novels set in this era are seldom happy reads and this novel is no exception. However, this is a beautifully written , emotional story that I would not hesitate to recommend to those who enjoy historical fiction set in the WWII era.

“In the aftermath so many survivors of the Shoah wanted to live the rest of the life they had and to forget. Who can blame them? But it means that we, their children and grandchildren, must do the difficult work of finding out their histories, of keeping that alive. It is essential, I would argue. If we fail to understand and share this learning, then we’re dooming future generations to repeat the same mistakes.”

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the physical ARC and the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The Porcelain Maker was published in the USA on November 7, 2023. ( )