The Freedom of Birds

The Freedom of Birds by New Zealand author, Stephanie Parkyn, is set in Europe during the early years of the nineteenth century. We first meet the main characters, Remi, Pascale and Saski in 1807. When young children, they had all been deserted by their mothers and spent their early lives living with entertainers in theatres or in a circus. By 1812 they have joined forces and formed an entertainment act performing in towns to earn money for food and board as they move from town to town. They eventually find a safe haven in Venice but this is shortlived when Napoleon's army is on the retreat and it becomes obvious that Remi and Pascale, being French are putting friends in danger. They resolve to return to France.

The relevance of this story to today is increasingly apparent with Russia presently encroaching into Ukraine's territory. Some of the conflicts that have existed in Europe for centuries are highlighted in the book. Napoleon began his retreat from Moscow in 1812 and during the next two years gradually returned with his army to France. As the French army retreated young men were captured to add to its military forces.

Against the background of an ever changing political landscape, this novel explores the relationships between the three main characters as they attempt to survive in an often cruel world and also attempt to discover a little about their early life. It also shows the working of theatre, storytelling and trends in the entertainment industry at the time. Some of the characters that appear in Stephanie Parkyn's previous novels - Into the World and Josephine's Garden - appear in this story. Although the story in this book stands on its own it could be seen to be an advantage to have read the previous two novels.