Why a Booktrail?
1932: What power does the book The Birdcage have within its pages?
The Birdcage Library
What you need to know before your trail
Emily Blackwood, adventuress and plant hunter, travels north for a curious new commission. A gentleman has written to request she catalogue his vast collection of taxidermied creatures before sale.
On arrival, Emily finds a ruined castle, its owner haunted by a woman who vanished years before. And when she discovers the ripped pages of a diary, crammed into the walls, she realises dark secrets lie here, waiting to entrap her too…
Travel Guide
Scotland, London and New York in the Gilded Age
Meet Freya on Authors on Location here
The novel is fictional but the author explains she was inspired by the very real explorer Freya Stark. Her father even met her so she has wanted to write about a female explorer ever since.
Freya was inspired by Isabella Bird and Harriet Hemenway founder of the Audubon Society. David Attenborough and his work in Papua New Guinea was another source of inspiration for the bits of backstory in that part of the world. Some of the mystery starts here and involves a treasure found here, so it’s a lovely way to explore and go on an adventure as Miss Blackwood would have done.
Scotland
The novel evokes the cold, dark mansion in Scotland very well with the wild landscape all around it feeling very very real.
New York
The Gilded Age is alive and well! The houses are opulent and large and the parties even more so. There really was someone called Marnie Fish and others who used to rent out animals for extravagant parties. There’s mention of the wonders of the time and the use of wild animals for parties. Barnum was becoming the showman of the circus he would later be known for and it’s fascinating to see how this world worked.
London
There are a few significant scenes in London but it’s not the main focus of the novel.
Booktrailer Review
TheBookTrail’s bookreview of The Birdcage Library Freya Berry
BookTrail Boarding Pass: The Birdcage Library
Destination/location: Scotland, London, New York City Author/guide: Freya Berry Departure Time: 1932
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