THE PORCELAIN MAKER
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.
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.
- Macmillan Audio
- Audio
- November 2023
- 11 hours 12 minutes
- 9781250290748
Buy the Book
$26.99
About Sarah Freethy
Sarah Freethy worked as a writer, script consultant, producer and development editor in television before turning her hand to fiction. The Porcelain Maker is her first novel. She lives in England with her family.
Praise
“In her exquisitely crafted and poignant debut, Sarah Freethy brings readers an unforgettable tale of love and loss…. Phenomenal.” —Marie Benedict, New York Times bestselling author of The Mitford Affair
“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, New York Times bestselling author of The Postmistress of Paris
Discussion Questions
- Bettina and Max are ordinary people living in extraordinary times, though they can’t know it in the moment. How do you think we will view our current period of history in the future?
- What kind of art are you drawn to more—the personal, messy work that Bettina embodies or the controlled and crafted pieces Max so carefully explores?
- This story is centered around three generations of women—Bettina, Clara, and Lotte. What impact do their mothers have on each of them?
- Do you think Bettina is right, that it is kinder not to tell her daughter the truth and so expose her to the terrible loss she has suffered?
- Bettina’s choices have unintended consequences, for her and for those closest to her. Do you think that things might have turned out differently if she had taken a different tack?
- On page 360, Holger tells Clara and Lotte that art and love are all we leave behind—if so, what are Bettina’s and Max’s legacies?
- Rabbits and hares feature in numerous guises, throughout the novel. Which ones feel significant, and what do you believe they represent?
- Gudrun Himmler really existed, and her father took her to visit many concentration camps, including Dachau in the spring of 1941. She avidly defended her father until her dying day. Freedom of expression is a vital cause for Max and Bettina, but are some forms of expression beyond the pale?
- Black is often a symbolic shorthand for evil, but in this world the bone-white, bloodless porcelain can be seen as far more ominous. What role does color have in The Porcelain Maker?
- The Allach Porcelain factory, the heated angora rabbit hutches, and the Nazi bride school are all historical facts that coexist with the fictional narrative of the novel. Do you agree with the old adage that truth is stranger than fiction?
- By the time Max and Bettina try to escape Nazi Germany, the world has largely closed its doors to refugees. How do you think about their experience in light of world events?