The Porcelain Menagerie

By: Jillian Forsberg

Narrated by: Caroline Hewitt

Narrated by Caroline Hewitt, The Porcelain Menagerie brings to life a hauntingly beautiful tale of art, ambition, and survival in the opulent yet perilous world of 18th-century Dresden.

In a court ruled by the dangerous whims of King Augustus the Strong, two lives—separated by decades—are drawn into the grip of a monarch obsessed with beauty, power, and porcelain.

Young sculptor Johann Kändler has one chance to rise above his modest origins: create a lifelike porcelain menagerie for the king’s growing collection. But meeting the king’s impossible standards comes at a cost. As Johann navigates the court’s shifting alliances, he finds unlikely support in a former royal mistress, Maria, and her daughter, Katharina. His talent could secure his future—or destroy it.

Years earlier, Fatima, a Turkish handmaiden, is chosen to replace a discarded mistress in the king’s inner circle. Forced into a glittering but dangerous world, she must create her own menagerie of exotic animals and learn how to survive among courtiers who see her as nothing more than an ornament. Fatima’s journey is one of resilience, identity, and the quiet strength it takes to reclaim her own story.

With Caroline Hewitt’s rich and immersive narration, The Porcelain Menagerie weaves together two timelines linked by a king’s obsession and the fragile threads of ambition, art, and human dignity.

©2025 History Through Fiction (P)2025 History Through Fiction

Excellent narration

This was a good story. Believable characters, vivid descriptions, and no heavy sex scenes or language. There were some difficult parts involving animals that I fast forward. The narrator was fantastic. I enjoyed listening to her read with an accent.

Interesting history

I am from Dresden and enjoyed the book. Still the depiction of August the Strong bothered me as I think he had more positive features than presented in the book.

Absolutely Captivating!!!

History i never knew written with depth of historical facts along with heartbreaking emotion of once real people carried into a world that was impossible...in many ways...to escape.
An "Exceptional" book !!!!

Fascinating history brought to life

An intricate historical fiction tracing the lives and stories of real people in a real eighteenth-century world. Well written, well structured and thoroughly researched. An enthralling read!