An epic story of love, betrayal, and art that spans decades, through the horrors of World War II to 21st century America, inspired by an actual porcelain factory in Dachau.
Two lovers caught at the crossroads of history.
A daughter’s search for the truth.
Germany, 1929. At a festive gathering of young bohemians in Weimar, two young artists, Max, a skilled Jewish architect, and Bettina, a celebrated avant-garde painter, are drawn to each other and begin a whirlwind romance. Their respective talents transport them to the dazzling lights of Berlin, but this bright beginning is quickly dimmed by the rising threat of Nazism. Max is arrested and sent to the concentration camp at Dachau where only his talent at making exquisite porcelain figures stands between him and seemingly certain death. Desperate to save her lover, Bettina risks everything to rescue him and escape Germany.
America, 1993. Clara, Bettina’s daughter, embarks on a journey to trace her roots and determine the identity of her father, a secret her mother has kept from her for reasons she’s never understood. Clara’s quest to piece together the puzzle of her origins transports us back in time to the darkness of Nazi Germany, where life is lived on a razor’s edge and deception and death lurk around every corner. Survival depends on strength, loyalty, and knowing true friend from hidden foe. And as Clara digs further, she begins to question why her mother was so determined to leave the truth of her harrowing past behind...
The Porcelain Maker is a powerful novel of enduring love and courage in the face of appalling brutality as a daughter seeks to unlock the mystery of her past.
Genre: Historical
Two lovers caught at the crossroads of history.
A daughter’s search for the truth.
Germany, 1929. At a festive gathering of young bohemians in Weimar, two young artists, Max, a skilled Jewish architect, and Bettina, a celebrated avant-garde painter, are drawn to each other and begin a whirlwind romance. Their respective talents transport them to the dazzling lights of Berlin, but this bright beginning is quickly dimmed by the rising threat of Nazism. Max is arrested and sent to the concentration camp at Dachau where only his talent at making exquisite porcelain figures stands between him and seemingly certain death. Desperate to save her lover, Bettina risks everything to rescue him and escape Germany.
America, 1993. Clara, Bettina’s daughter, embarks on a journey to trace her roots and determine the identity of her father, a secret her mother has kept from her for reasons she’s never understood. Clara’s quest to piece together the puzzle of her origins transports us back in time to the darkness of Nazi Germany, where life is lived on a razor’s edge and deception and death lurk around every corner. Survival depends on strength, loyalty, and knowing true friend from hidden foe. And as Clara digs further, she begins to question why her mother was so determined to leave the truth of her harrowing past behind...
The Porcelain Maker is a powerful novel of enduring love and courage in the face of appalling brutality as a daughter seeks to unlock the mystery of her past.
Genre: Historical
Praise for this book
"In her exquisitely crafted and poignant debut, Sarah Freethy brings readers an unforgettable tale of love and loss. The Porcelain Maker introduces us to a singular, riveting relationship forged between a talented Jewish architect and a gifted German painter during the heady days of the Bauhaus movement in the Weimar Republic of Germany. As the dark tide of Nazism washes over the land, the lovers face dangers unimaginable, learning that art alone can sustain and save them - and bear witness for the generations. Phenomenal." - Marie Benedict
"As detailed, delicate, beautiful, and brutal as the hidden porcelain Sarah Freethy conjures, this heart-rending debut intertwines real history and characters both noble and endearing into a story to live in, learn from, and love." - Meg Waite Clayton
"A searing and propulsive novel about bravery and betrayal, love and art. I was pulled into the story and swept along until the very end." - Claire Fuller
"A standout novel of heartbreak, survival and hope in time of war. Gripping, beautifully written, The Porcelain Maker is destined to be a huge bestseller." - Rachel Hore
"Once I started reading The Porcelain Maker, I didn't want to stop . . . Freethy is brilliant as she weaves two time periods effortlessly into a page-turning journey to uncover a past of heroism, betrayal, love, and loss." - Heather Morris
"Sarah Freethy's The Porcelain Maker is a compelling historical novel . . .Freethy deftly moves between two timelines, one which follows the woman's search in the 1990s, and the other which tells the story of her mother, a visual artist in Germany in the 1930s. At the center of both stories lies a porcelain factory at Dachau and the delicate pieces which were produced there. Freethy's wonderful details enrichen the narrative, allowing the characters and the artwork to come alive as the mystery is finally solved. A riveting and immersive novel, at the intersection of art and war." - Laura Spence-Ash
"Like the portrait of the Viking at the heart of her story, Sarah Freethy's The Porcelain Maker exists on two levels: on the surface, a story about a woman's search for the truth about her parentage, tracing the forgotten by the objects they left behind, and, beneath it, a heartbreaking story of beauty in the midst of brutality and love in an age of hate as two young artists fight to stay alive and together amid the horrors of Nazi rule in 1940s Germany. A story that will move and surprise you - and leave you reaching for the tissue box as the final details unfold." - Lauren Willig
"As detailed, delicate, beautiful, and brutal as the hidden porcelain Sarah Freethy conjures, this heart-rending debut intertwines real history and characters both noble and endearing into a story to live in, learn from, and love." - Meg Waite Clayton
"A searing and propulsive novel about bravery and betrayal, love and art. I was pulled into the story and swept along until the very end." - Claire Fuller
"A standout novel of heartbreak, survival and hope in time of war. Gripping, beautifully written, The Porcelain Maker is destined to be a huge bestseller." - Rachel Hore
"Once I started reading The Porcelain Maker, I didn't want to stop . . . Freethy is brilliant as she weaves two time periods effortlessly into a page-turning journey to uncover a past of heroism, betrayal, love, and loss." - Heather Morris
"Sarah Freethy's The Porcelain Maker is a compelling historical novel . . .Freethy deftly moves between two timelines, one which follows the woman's search in the 1990s, and the other which tells the story of her mother, a visual artist in Germany in the 1930s. At the center of both stories lies a porcelain factory at Dachau and the delicate pieces which were produced there. Freethy's wonderful details enrichen the narrative, allowing the characters and the artwork to come alive as the mystery is finally solved. A riveting and immersive novel, at the intersection of art and war." - Laura Spence-Ash
"Like the portrait of the Viking at the heart of her story, Sarah Freethy's The Porcelain Maker exists on two levels: on the surface, a story about a woman's search for the truth about her parentage, tracing the forgotten by the objects they left behind, and, beneath it, a heartbreaking story of beauty in the midst of brutality and love in an age of hate as two young artists fight to stay alive and together amid the horrors of Nazi rule in 1940s Germany. A story that will move and surprise you - and leave you reaching for the tissue box as the final details unfold." - Lauren Willig
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