Majstor porculana

Majstor porculana

Sarah Freethy

The novel is Sarah Freethy's debut work, a historical fiction with elements of mystery, love, and art, inspired by the real Allach porcelain factory in the Dachau concentration camp (the SS's production of "Aryan" porcelain).

The story unfolds in two timelines:

  • 1929–1940s, Germany (Weimar, Berlin, Dachau): Young artists – Bettina Vogel, an avant-garde painter, and Max, a talented Jewish architect and porcelain master – fall in love in the bohemian vortex of the Weimar Republic. Their passionate, forbidden relationship (she an "Aryan", he a Jew) confronts the rise of Nazism. Max's talent for porcelain attracts the attention of the regime: he is forced to work in the Allach factory, where the SS uses prisoners to produce luxurious figurines and serviceware. The lovers struggle for survival amidst persecution, betrayal, camps and war. Bettina risks her life to protect Max and their secret, while art becomes a resistance and a refuge.
  • 1993, contemporary America/Europe: Bettina's daughter Clara Vogel (or a similar character), raised without a father, inherits a rare porcelain object – a unique figurine signed by a master. Clara sets out on a quest to find the truth about her father and mother's past. Through research, she uncovers the dark history of porcelain, a mother’s love, and the sacrifices of war. Fragments of memory, letters, and artifacts reveal secrets, betrayals, and courage.

The novel weaves an epic love story with historical horrors: the rise of Nazism, the Holocaust, forced labor, and art as resistance. Porcelain symbolizes fragility, beauty, and permanence amidst brutality—a perfect metaphor for love and humanity in the midst of hell. Freethy writes emotionally, in detail, with a focus on female strength, artistic spirit, and the effects of war on generations.

Original title
Porcelain Maker
Translation
Maja Klarić
Editor
Nataša Pejić
Graphics design
Snježana Hladni
Dimensions
21 x 13.5 cm
Pages
322
Publisher
Znanje, Zagreb, 2025.
 
Latin alphabet. Paperback.
Language: Croatian.

One copy is available

Condition:Unused
 

Are you interested in another book? You can search the offer using our search engine or browse books by category.

You may also be interested in these titles

Šoše

Šoše

Isaac Bashevis Singer

"Shosha" (1978) is an intimate and tragic story set in the Jewish community of Warsaw before World War II. Written with warmth and deep humanism, the novel is a moving portrayal of a lost world and the universal search for love.

BIGZ, 1989.
Serbian. Latin alphabet. Hardcover with dust jacket.
7.34
Sva moja braća

Sva moja braća

Milo Dor

The book follows the turbulent life of the Zanović brothers from Budva in the 18th century, famous for their adventures at European courts. The focus is on Stjepan Zanović, a charismatic but controversial figure, a Freemason and friend of Casanova, and th

Znanje, 1987.
Croatian. Latin alphabet. Hardcover with dust jacket.
4.28
Pirati s Kariba: Nepoznate plime

Pirati s Kariba: Nepoznate plime

Tim Powers

A historical fantasy adventure set during the golden age of piracy in the early 18th century. The novel served as the inspiration for the fourth film in the series, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011), although the film deviates significant

Zagrebačka naklada, 2011.
Croatian. Latin alphabet. Paperback.
7.26 - 7.42
Iz kobnih dana

Iz kobnih dana

Milan Šenoa

A historical novel by Milan Šenoa, published in 1914. It is not only a historical narrative, but also a reflection on the enduring aspirations of the Croatian people for freedom and independence, making it a significant work in the corpus of Croatian lite

Nakladni zavod Matice hrvatske, 1971.
Croatian. Latin alphabet. Hardcover with dust jacket.
3.98
Grof Ivan: Igrokaz u pet čina

Grof Ivan: Igrokaz u pet čina

Vladimir Mažuranić

Vladimir Mažuranić's drama Count Ivan is a historical play in five acts that deals with political and social conflicts in Croatia during the 17th century. The work was awarded the Dušan Kotur Foundation Literary Award.

Matica hrvatska, 1883.
Croatian. Latin alphabet. Paperback.
12.48
Božji robovi

Božji robovi

Géza Gárdonyi

The novel "God's Servants" (Hungarian: Isten rabjai) is a historical work by Hungarian writer Géze Gárdonyi, published in 1911.

Grafokom, 2011.
Croatian. Latin alphabet. Hardcover.
9.26