In 1929 Bettina, an artist, and Max, and architect, meet and fall in love. Although Bettina is German, and Max, Jewish, they plan to spend their lives together. It is not to be. With the advent of the Nazis, Max is sent to a concentration camp. He is a skilled artist and ends up at the porcelain factory at Dachau, a special project of Himmler.
In 1993, Clara Vogel is looking for the father she never. With her mother’s death, she feels its time to find out about her family. Buying some porcelain pieces at an auction, she traces their origin back to the porcelain factory at Dachau. Following the history of the figurines Clara begins to unravel her parent’s tragic story.
This is a beautifully written, if tragic story. Max and Bettina are wonderful characters. You can’t help admiring their courage under terrible circumstances. Clara is also likable for the dogged ways she pursues her quest to learn about the father she never knew.
One of the most interesting parts of the book was learning about the porcelain factory at Dachau. I knew nothing about the factory before reading the book. The author did an outstanding job of making it come to life in vivid detail. This is a sad story, but so beautifully told, I couldn’t put it down.
I received this review copy from Net Galley and the publisher.
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