The Book Case – "Paula McLain Escapes into the Paris Underground"

Podcast: The Book Case
Hosts: Charlie Gibson, Kate Gibson
Guest: Paula McLain (Author of Skylark)
Date: January 8, 2026

Episode Overview

The first episode of 2026 features Paula McLain, acclaimed author of Skylark, a novel chosen as both The Book Case’s and the Good Morning America Book Club’s January pick. The hosts, Charlie and Kate Gibson, delve into McLain’s unique approach to historical fiction, the parallel structure of her novel set in two time periods in Paris, and how the city’s literal and metaphorical undergrounds shape the novel. The conversation explores McLain's research process, her poetic roots, and the profound personal experiences that inform her writing.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. About Skylark: Structure, Themes, & Setting

• Skylark is structured as two parallel stories set in Paris—one in 1669 and the other in 1939/1940. Both stories are united by geography (taking place in the same neighborhood and even the same street, centuries apart) and by themes of entrapment and the desire for escape ([00:33 - 01:48]).
  • "Both shows go underground and both books have an element of escape... She shows you the underground of Paris, the catacombs, the abandoned mines..." – Kate ([01:06])
• Both characters, Christophe (WWII era) and Alouette (17th century), experience life “underground” as a form of both literal and metaphorical escape.

2. Creative Process and Weaving the Stories

• McLain discusses writing both timelines simultaneously, allowing them to “feed off one another” ([04:56 - 05:13]).
  • "Writing them like that, it was a way to stay in the pressure cooker myself and to not have that escape hatch." – Paula McLain ([05:13])
• She describes the daunting but exhilarating editing process, physically interleaving the narratives with her editor and agent using post-it notes ([03:10 - 04:51]).
  • "We took them section by section with post-it notes and layered the book together. Almost like the way you stack hands in that game, right? Stacking hands... It was exhilarating. And I'll never forget it." – Paula McLain ([03:54])

3. Inspiration: The Paris Underground and the Buried River

• The “germ” of the book was McLain’s fascination with Paris’s underground quarry tunnels and the layers of history beneath the city ([05:13 - 08:45]).

  • Discovery of historical graffiti and the "liberty bird" images, used as directional symbols in the catacombs, inspired the book’s title and its themes of hope ([07:54 - 08:45]).
  • "I kept seeing it as a sign of hope that here were these people in these dire, dire circumstances... would you want to remind yourself there was a sky above, even though you couldn't see it?" – Paula McLain ([08:18])

• The Bievre River, a hidden, polluted river beneath Paris, was central to Alouette’s story ([10:32 - 12:08]).

  • "The idea that there’s this buried river, that it’s invisible but it’s still there, just like the quarry tunnels are invisible, but still there, was meaningful to me." – Paula McLain ([11:35])

4. Research Methods: Simultaneous, Immersive, Energetic

• Rather than research everything before writing, McLain lets discovery and research fuel her drafting process ([13:17]).

  • "Research is my Gatorade... I get so inspired by what I’m reading." – Paula McLain ([13:22])

• She uncovered the stunning story of young psychiatric residents in Paris, mapping tunnels pre- and during WWII, leading to direct links to the French Resistance ([08:56 - 10:32]).

5. Historical Fiction: Defying Stereotypes

• Kate describes her initial skepticism about historical fiction, often symbolized by covers depicting anonymous women walking away, and says Skylark exceeded her expectations ([14:15 - 15:33]).
  • "I loved this book... It is beautifully written. It is fantastic historical fiction." – Kate ([15:15])

6. Literary Craft: How Poetry Informs the Prose

• McLain speaks about her poetic roots and how they influence her novels, focusing on musicality, metaphor, and imagery ([17:37 - 19:41]).
  • "I got my start as a poet, and I've always been in love with words... And if you read poetry, you'll read a million descriptions about the moon, and none of them are exactly the same." – Paula McLain ([17:55])
  • The transition from poetry to novels required building new muscles: "It's like juggling an elephant, a teacup, and a chainsaw, and a ball of string, all at the same time... I like doing things that challenge me." ([19:22])

7. Personal History: Surviving and Escaping Foster Care

• McLain shares her difficult childhood in foster care and how reading saved her, influencing characters in Skylark, particularly Alouette and Sasha ([19:41 - 23:27]).
  • "Reading kind of saved me. Like, having a world to escape to and finding beauty saved me." – Paula McLain ([19:51])
  • The trauma and hope of family separation, especially in the context of Sasha’s story (a teenage survivor during WWII Paris), deeply reflect McLain’s own experiences ([21:09 - 23:57]).
  • "In the deepest dark, you lose yourself entirely, or you find a new way forward, not only who you are, but who you can still become." – Paula McLain, quoted by Charlie ([21:33])

8. On Trauma, Hope, and the Power of Story

• McLain credits her sisters and libraries with helping her survive, drawing a clear line between her personal history and the hope that threads through her fiction ([24:11 - 27:53]).

  • "The library... was my home... I made friends with librarians, and I ate my lunch in the library and read my way through the stacks." – Paula McLain ([26:45])

• The hosts reflect on McLain’s resilience and the hopeful outlook that colors both her life and her writing ([28:02 - 29:44]).

  • "The ultimate hopefulness of the future. I think that's one of the things this book does really beautifully, is even in the darkest moments, you can find things for which you hope." – Kate ([29:21])

9. The Year Ahead: Hope and Opportunity

• In a final word, McLain shares a New Year's thought for listeners ([30:21]):
  • "I can't help from, you know, being a little hopeful on New Year's Eve... every year brings—every day, obviously, but particularly at the turning of the year—an opportunity to do something braver or bolder or louder or more colorful or more resilient or transformative or what have you. So let's all move in that direction." – Paula McLain ([30:40])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Editing Process:
  "We took them section by section with post-it notes and layered the book together. Almost like the way you stack hands in that game, right? Stacking hands... It was exhilarating." – Paula McLain ([03:54])

• On Paris’s Duality:
  "The idea that there’s this buried river, that it’s invisible, but it’s still there, just like the quarry tunnels are invisible, but still there, was meaningful to me." – Paula McLain ([11:35])

• On Surviving Trauma:
  "In the deepest dark, you lose yourself entirely, or you find a new way forward, not only who you are, but who you can still become." – (Quote from Skylark, read by Charlie) ([21:33])

• On Hope at the New Year:
  "...every year brings an opportunity to do something braver or bolder or louder or more colorful or more resilient or transformative... So let's all move in that direction." – Paula McLain ([30:40])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Episode and Book Introduction: [00:07 – 02:33]
• Parallel Narratives & Writing Process: [03:10 – 05:13]
• Inspiration: Paris’s Underground & The "Liberty Bird": [05:13 – 08:45]
• Discovery of Catacombs and WWII Resistance: [08:45 – 10:32]
• The Lost River Bievre: [10:32 – 12:08]
• Simultaneous Research & Writing: [13:17 – 14:15]
• Reflections on Historical Fiction Tropes: [14:15 – 15:33]
• Poetic Craft in Prose: [17:17 – 19:41]
• Personal History: Foster Care & Escapism in Books: [19:41 – 23:27]
• Sasha’s Story and Historical Realities: [21:09 – 23:57]
• Adversity, Family, and Hope: [24:11 – 27:53]
• Final Reflections on Hope and Forward Motion: [30:21 – 30:56]

Conclusion

This episode provides deep insight not only into Paula McLain’s creative approach to historical fiction, but also how profoundly her personal journey of adversity, survival, and resilience is woven into Skylark. The discussion offers listeners a rich sense of Paris’s hidden histories, the challenges of literary craft, and the enduring possibility of hope and transformation—both on the page and in life.