"The Porcelain Maker", by Sarah Freethy

This is the story of two lovers caught at the crossroads of history and of a daughter’s search for the truth.

This tale was inspired by the actual porcelain factory in Dachau and span through the horrors of WW11 and the 20th century. This is an epic story of love and betrayal that starts in Germany in 1929 with two talented individuals Max Ehrlich, an Austrian Jewish architect and Bettina Vogel, an artist, whose drawn love and aspirations were dashed by the rising threat of the Nazis.

In alternate chapters, the narrative moves back in forth in time to America in 1993 with Clara, Bettina’s daughter, embarking on a journey to trace her roots and determined to find the identity of her father....

This story vividly describes the scenery, characters’ tragic circumstances, the concentration camps, the beautiful art work and the evilness of the times. Both timelines are brought together beautifully and in a memorable way. The story is rich in vocabulary and the depth and texture of the narrative is not overwhelming. The era is right up my alley I should have enjoyed this story, most reviews I read say this is an outstanding historical novel.

But what went wrong? Most of the time I simply couldn’t stay focused on what was being said. Why? First: the romance between Max and Bettina’s was quite banal and their characters lacklustre. Second: Max and Bettina story moved at a very slow pace, borderline boring. Third: the last part seemed rushed and too many questions flashed in my mind that I never found answers for, maybe my mind wander too much..... But I did enjoy Clara and her quest for the truth.

Even with its qualities ,this novel was a chore to read.

My thanks to St.Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the ARC