The Birdcage Library (2023) by British-Indian novelist Freya Berry was inspired by explorer Freya Stark (1893-1993) after whom she was named.

In 1932 botanist Emily Blackwood takes a job cataloguing a collection of taxidermied animals for collector 92 year old Henry Vogel who lives in a remote Scottish castle named Parras.

Henry Vogel & his brother, Charles, were children when they left Germany for the USA. In New York they “set up as animal dealers” becoming so successful they were able to set up an emporium.

The Henry & Charles Vogel characters are based on Charles Reiche (1827-1885) & his brother Henry Reiche (1833-1887). After emigrating to the USA from Germany, they set up an animal trading business. Charles was 17 years old, and Henry only 11.

While going about her cataloguing job, Emily Blackwood discovers pages of a diary hidden in the castle. The diary was written by Hester Vogel, who was married to Charles Vogel but who had disappeared decades ago.

Emily finds out that Hester was born in the Parras castle. Her parents were so angry that their daughter was pregnant to a “lowly cage-maker” that they banished Hester’s parents and raised their granddaughter in the castle. After her mother died when Hester was 9, her father arrives at the castle & takes his daughter to live in a small town near Boston