The Porcelain Maker by Sarah Freethy

 

My thoughts

I think this was a well written story that took hold of my heart and held on. Anything that deals with history needs to be shared. Needs to be read. We certainly don't want to have any of it repeated. 

What happens in this story was horrible. The way a family treats each other is horrendous. Bettina's brother was a very sadistic person. Cruel to the marrow of his being. I didn't like him. Of course I don't like any Nazi that I've ever read about so this would not be any different. 

This is a love story and a story about how awful things were during WW2. The love between Max, a Jew, and Bettina, a German, is beautiful. They fell in love despite the odds against them. Despite the fact that Bettina's brother was a German who wanted nothing more than to dominate her. He seemed to hate women. Actually I think possibly he hated all things and was a very unhappy person. Bettina fell in love with someone she wasn't suppose too. She could not stop her feelings even if she wanted. Much like most humans in the world, we just don't get to choose who our hearts yearn for the most. Sometimes you have to make a decision that goes against everything you ever thought to protect a person you love above all else. That is what happened in this case. 

This story is very heartbreaking. It's about a man who makes porcelain figurines in a prison for people who are just not good enough. Jews, disabled, homosexuals, are anyone that is not perfect. It's also about how much Max loves Bettina. What he is willing to do to protect her. What happened between them that caused her to marry another. A German at that. A Nazi German. 

It's also the story of Bettina's daughter. Her search for her father. She wants to know who he was and enlists her daughter's help in finding out all she can. Clara, Bettina's daughter, goes all the way to the United States to purchase porcelain figurines and one in particular. From there she starts her search. She ends up in Dachau. 

From the darkest days in history to the late 1900s we follow this story. It's told from two timelines and interwoven in a way that keeps you wanting to know more. Will they ever find their way back to each other. I can't tell you that but the story between is told with heart, soul and the deepest feelings. It's part happy and a lot sad, but well worth reading. 

I hope everyone that reads this genre of book learns something and teaches it to their children. We do not want history to repeat itself. Do not think it can't. We had the Indians, then the Slaves, then the prisoners in concentration camps. Mostly Jews but also other innocent people. We don't want a repeat of any of these. 

This is written by a debut author so expect a few mistakes. It's not perfect but it's perfectly worth reading from start to finish. Well done in my humble opinion.

Thank you #NetGalley, #SarahFreethy, #StMartinsPress for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Five big stars and several boxes of kleenex worthy. 

Synopsis

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.