Bestselling Author Paula McLain on “Skylark,” Paris, and Writing the Women History Forgot
Paula McLain
Bestselling author of The Paris Wife, Circling the Sun, and Love and Ruin
Paula McLain, the bestselling author of The Paris Wife, Circling the Sun, and Love and Ruin—celebrated for illuminating the inner lives of women history has often pushed to the margins—joins us to discuss her latest novel, Skylark. The dual-timeline story set in Paris connects a 17th-century dyer’s daughter fighting for artistic freedom with a medical resident navigating the moral dangers of Nazi-occupied France. The novel explores courage, resistance, and how history repeats itself—especially for the marginalized.
McLain shares what drew her back to Paris, how underground tunnels and the buried River Bièvre shaped the story, and how research into forgotten histories—from dye-making restrictions to WWII persecution—transformed the novel’s direction. We talk about braiding timelines, imagining the interior lives of women when the historical record goes quiet, and why she’s drawn to stories of underdogs and resilience.
The conversation also spans McLain’s broader body of work, including her approach to writing women like Hadley Richardson, Beryl Markham, and Martha Gellhorn, and what those lives taught her about love, ambition, and agency. She reflects on trusting creative instincts, breaking narrative rules, and why chasing obsession—not the market—has guided her career.
To mark the release of Skylark, Paula will be reading and in conversation at Little Saint in Healdsburg on Saturday, February 7 at 10am, for a Paris-themed morning featuring coffee, pastries, and literary conversation, in collaboration with Francophile and photographer Rebecca Plotnick.
Topics include:
The inspiration behind Skylark and its dual Paris timelines
Writing women history overlooked—and why those stories matter now
Balancing historical research with imagination
Underground Paris, hidden rivers, and buried truths
Love, ambition, and resistance across centuries
Trusting your writing instincts and embracing creative risk
Whether you’re a fan of historical fiction, women’s narratives, Paris-set novels, or Paula McLain’s earlier books, this episode is a delves into how stories—and courage—echo across time.
Crack One Open 🍻
February marks the return of “Flagship February,” a time to revisit the core beers that built our favorite breweries. This week’s pick is Stoked! Hazy Pale Ale from HenHouse Brewing Company—an easy-drinking OG that returns to its roots with Citra hops front and center. Pouring a bright straw yellow, Stoked delivers passionfruit and citrus aromatics with a light body and ultra–thirst-quenching finish. Widely available across Sonoma County, it’s a reminder that sometimes the classics really do hit the hardest. A perfect beer to kick off Flagship February—and one of the best times of year to explore local beer.
