Cover Reveal: The Porcelain Menagerie by Jillian Forsberg
We’re pleased to share the cover of Jillian Forsberg’s second novel, The Porcelain Menagerie, a companion to her debut, The Rhino Keeper, which was recently honored as a 2025 Kansas Notable Book.
Set against the backdrop of 18th-century Dresden, The Porcelain Menagerie explores the ambitions, sacrifices, and survival of two individuals caught in the orbit of King Augustus the Strong. The novel weaves together the lives of Johann Kändler, a young sculptor conscripted to create a porcelain zoo, and Fatima, a Turkish handmaiden drawn into court life through the king’s shifting whims. Told across two timelines, the story examines how art, power, and identity intersect within a world that prizes beauty but often overlooks the people who create it.
Forsberg, a trained historian with a master’s degree in public history, brings a deep sense of time and place to this richly imagined novel. Her research into the origins of Meissen porcelain and the lives of the artisans and courtiers involved in its creation adds texture and authenticity, while her characters give voice to the often-unseen people who shaped—and were shaped by—history.
Readers of The Rhino Keeper will be glad to see continuity in more than just subject matter. The audiobook for The Porcelain Menagerie will once again be narrated by Caroline Hewitt, whose performance brought depth and nuance to Forsberg’s debut.
Pre-Order Information
The Porcelain Menagerie releases on October 21, 2025, but early pre-orders are now available through the History Through Fiction online store. Orders placed through our site will be fulfilled on August 1—months before the book is available anywhere else.
All paperback pre-orders will be signed by the author.
The novel is available in paperback, hardcover, ebook, and audiobook editions.
Praise for The Porcelain Menagerie
Advance praise highlights Forsberg’s ability to blend historical accuracy with emotional depth:
“A dazzling tale of art, power, and survival... Forsberg paints history with a vivid hand.” — Nancy Bilyeau
“A finely-wrought story of ownership, obsession, and love.” — Molly Greeley
“A propulsive page-turner steeped in history...” — Laurie L. Dove
Cover design by Christine Horner, The Book Cover Whisperer.
To learn more about Jillian Forsberg and her work, visit her author page or follow along for updates as we approach release day. We’re honored to continue publishing Forsberg’s work and can’t wait to share this new story with you.
A copy of The Porcelain Menagerie inside Johan Kändler’s room.
Author Jillian Forsberg alongside a porcelain statue of Clara the Rhino, the subject of her first novel The Rhino Keeper
