The Porcelain Menagerie
A novel by Jillian Forsberg
Synopsis
In 18th-century Dresden, beauty, power, and ambition are as fragile-and deadly-as porcelain.
Johann Kändler, a young sculptor, is summoned to the royal court, where King Augustus the Strong demands a lifelike porcelain menagerie. Every chisel mark could secure his future-or destroy it. Meanwhile, decades earlier, Fatima, a Turkish handmaiden turned royal mistress, must navigate court intrigues and reclaim her identity in a world where survival means mastering appearances-and power.
Two lives. One king. A deadly obsession.
In a world where ambition is as fragile as porcelain, two lives are shaped by a king's dangerous obsessions.In 18th-century Dresden, the dangerous whims of King Augustus the Strong shape the court and the lives of those held captive, both people and animals.
Johann Kändler, a talented young artist, is drawn into the world of King Augustus the Strong. The king's relentless desire for a lifelike porcelain menagerie could make or break Johann's future. As Johann works to meet the king's impossible demands, he finds unexpected allies in former royal mistress Maria and her daughter Katharina. Johann's art might secure his future-or ruin it if he fails to satisfy the king.
Decades earlier, another story unfolds. Fatima, a Turkish handmaiden, is chosen to replace Augustus's discarded mistress. As she tries to create a menagerie of exotic animals and navigate the intrigues of an unpredictable court, Fatima must learn to survive in a world that values beauty and power above all. She must fight to keep her identity and unlock her own cage in the king's dangerous realm.
Two timelines, bound by a king's art and survival intertwine as Johann and Fatima navigate the king's unpredictable demands and the deadly allure of court life, where ambition can be as fragile as porcelain.
Praise for The Porcelain Menagerie
"Forsberg paints history with a vivid hand, crafting a world where every chisel mark could change a life. The Porcelain Menagerie is historical fiction at its most evocative."
- Nancy Bilyeau, author of The Blue
"A propulsive page-turner steeped in history, a must-read for those interested in thoughtfully exploring issues of the past that still resonate today."
- Laurie L. Dove, USA Today Bestselling Author of Mask of The Deer Woman
"Forsberg breathes life into the forgotten artisans of Meissen porcelain, crafting a tale as intricate as the small treasures they created. Forsberg takes us into the sweltering kilns and fiercely guarded secrets of Albrechtsburg Castle, where the making of each priceless masterpiece brings with it a life-changing human cost."
- Laura Morelli, USA Today Bestselling Author & Art Historian
"I could not put it down."
- Jess Armstrong, USA Today Bestselling Author of The Curse of Penryth Hall
"As luminous and brilliant as the porcelain that inspired it."
- Paulette Kennedy, bestselling author of The Devil & Mrs.
Davenport
"Historical fiction at its best: impeccably researched and weaving historical fact seamlessly with enough imagination to give the characters real, beating hearts. Like the flawless porcelain whose formula her characters so desperately chase, Forsberg has created her own white gold-a finely-wrought story of ownership, obsession, and love"
- Molly Greeley, Author of Marvelous