The Porcelain Maker by Sarah Freethy (2023)
What a stunning debut novel.........and what a heart-wrenching, immersive reading experience this was. This book captivated me on so many different levels. It begins as an intriguing family mystery at a Cincinnati auction house in 1993 and then plunges backward into the darkest, most horrific era of world history.
As the evil of Nazis and fascism spreads across 1920's Germany, we're introduced to star-crossed lovers Max and Bettina, both brilliant creative artists in their respective fields. Max is an Austrian Jewish architect planning the Autobahn and Bettina's already making a name for herself as a groundbreaking avant-garde artist.
Like many others, Max and Bettina unwisely remain in Germany until it's too late to escape. Captured and sent to Dachau concentration camp, Max survives by his talent for sculpting porcelain figurines for no less than Nazi commander Heinrich Himmler.
While desperately trying to contact Max,, Bettina joins a resistance movement by marrying a repulsive SS officer for the purpose of spying on him. The non stop peril these two artistically gifted soulmates find themselves in reaches excruciating levels of suspense and overpowering heartbreak.
In those 50 years later flash-forwards, Max and Bettina's story is painstakingly pieced together by Bettina's daughter Clara, the person seeking out figurines at that Cincinnati auction, the ones possibly crafted at Dachau. And here's where author Sarah Freethy delivers all the emotional gut-punches guaranteed to leave readers shaken and tearful.
With its sweeping epic history, aching romance and unbearable tension, I'd consider this as one of the Must Reads of this or any year. An absolute 5 star bell ringer. (*****)
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