Were the Brothers Grimm saving traditional stories from oblivion when they published them, or stealing the livelihoods of travelling storytellers? This is one of the questions posed in Coromandel-based writer Stephanie Parkyn's new historical novel. Freedom of the Birds is set in 19th century Europe just as Napoleon's Empire was collapsing. Remi is a teenage storyteller with an aptitude for getting into trouble, and he and his loyal best friend Pascal are members of a travelling acting company. After fleeing Paris, they meet Saskia who's a runaway circus performer. Stephanie Parkyn tells Lynn Freeman that, having written about Napoleon's wife Josephine, this time she wanted to explore the impact of the crumbling Empire on France's underclass. Stephanie Parkyn's novel Freedom of the Birds is an Allen & Unwin publication.