Podcast Summary: Totally Booked with Zibby

Episode: An “It Girl” Worth Knowing with Allison Pataki

Host: Zibby Owens
Guest: Allison Pataki
Date: March 20, 2026
Location: Recorded live at The Whitby

Episode Overview

In this vibrant live interview, Zibby Owens welcomes bestselling historical fiction author Allison Pataki for a discussion centered on her latest novel, It Girl. The episode dives deep into the life of Evelyn Nesbit—a complex, trailblazing figure often called America’s first “It Girl.” Pataki discusses her inspiration, research, creative liberties, and the resonance of Nesbit’s story in the context of modern fame, power, and womanhood. The conversation also touches on Pataki’s approach to feminist storytelling, her writing process, and the enduring importance of female friendships and support.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Reintroducing Allison Pataki

• Zibby reflects on Pataki’s prolific career (11 books: historical fiction, nonfiction, and children's books) and their long-running interview history.
  [04:31–05:29]
• Allison shares: “I have stuck very closely to such an extent that it's sort of biographical, historical fiction. Previously, this book presented such an opportunity for a new way of telling this woman's story.” [06:17]

Evelyn Nesbit: America’s First “It Girl”

• Setting the Scene:
  Pataki describes New York City at the turn of the 20th century, with seismic social changes, the rise of Broadway, mass media, and the breaking of rigid societal structures.
  • Evelyn Nesbit rose from coal-country poverty to become the nation’s first self-made female celebrity, inspiring artists and influencing beauty standards.
    [06:58–09:16]
• Quote – Allison Pataki:
  “Before Marilyn Monroe, before Taylor Swift, before these iconic showgirls… there was this woman, Evelyn Nesbit. She was known as the Gibson Girl, she was known as America’s Eve.” [08:16]

The Arc of Fame, Trauma, and Transformation

• From Poverty to Stardom:

  • Early hardships: Evelyn becomes breadwinner at 13, discovered by an artist, soon posing for the preeminent illustrators of the era.
  • Her depiction as the “Gibson Girl” popularized a new archetype of American womanhood.
    [10:09–12:56]

• Lurking Dangers:

  • Entrapped in predatory relationships, especially with Stanford White (Doubling as mentor and abuser). Parallels are drawn to modern cases (e.g., Jeffrey Epstein, Britney Spears, Marilyn Monroe).
  • Pataki notes the recurring pattern: “It was the most overt, what we would now call love bombing. He love bombs her. And she was totally overwhelmed and swept away and powerless as she's pulled into his world.” [14:40]

• Mother-Daughter Complexity:

  • Zibby notes: “It's only then that she feels her mother may have been complicit…a whole secondary level of loss and sort of shame…” [12:56]
  • Allison agrees her absence was a choice, influencing the rest of Evelyn’s life. [13:28]

Relevance in Today’s Culture

• Epstein and Swift Parallels:
  • Pataki reflects on recent events and memoirs, comparing Evelyn’s exploitation to contemporary stories.
  • “She [Evelyn] did not have the sort of resources and protection and advocacy that Taylor Swift had.” [16:55]

Creative Liberties in Historical Fiction

• Fact vs. Fiction:
  • Zibby discovers the novel’s ending diverges from history; Pataki describes it as “wishful thinking interpretation.” [06:15]
  • On veering from historical outcomes:
    • Allison: “That’s when I remembered I write fiction, I don’t write biography. I get to write this book the way I want to.” [21:55–22:50]
    • “The historian will tell you what happened. The novelist will tell you how it felt.” [23:58]
• Consulting Peers:
  • Pataki discusses seeking advice from fellow historical novelists (Fiona Davis, Kate Quinn, Nicola Harrison). [23:13]

Resonance for Modern Women, Mothers & Daughters

• Zibby’s Reflection:
  With teenage daughters, she’s especially moved by Evelyn’s story of precocious and unsafe exposure.
• Allison:
  “She was so young, Evelyn, and wise beyond her years. But out of necessity, not… a wisdom that you want to glean…” [20:31]

Themes of Female Friendship

• Noteworthy Shift:
  • While Pataki’s previous novels focus largely on romantic partners, It Girl foregrounds women’s friendships—vital to Evelyn’s resilience and recovery.
  • “This is the first book I’ve written where it’s not defined in large part by a husband… this one is about female friendships.” [28:59]
  • Pataki personally values lifelong friendships: “We all joke, we just want to move into a commune together… that’s really probably how children should be raised is with your girlfriends.” [29:53]

Legacy & New Work

• Seeking Forgotten Women:
  • Allison teases her next project—a 20th-century American woman who shaped history, but remains little-known. [26:29–27:43]
• Children’s Books:
  • Pataki shares the upcoming release of a new, personal children’s book, highlighting the joy of reading to kids. [27:48]

Advice for Aspiring Writers

• Allison’s Guidance:
  • “Do it. Get started. Write.”
  • Emphasizes starting (even if imperfect), steady editing, and being careful with whom you share early drafts.
  • “The important thing is that you just keep doing it.” [30:32–31:44]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On historical fiction:
  • “This one, I would argue, It Girl, is facts with sparkles.” (Allison Pataki, [05:41])
  • “A wishful thinking interpretation— I am particularly excited about this book because it is a new experience for me as a storyteller.” (Allison Pataki, [06:17])
• On women’s suffering and society:
  • “The story behind the stage… when you lift the veil and look into them as mortals…that is really the worthy, compelling piece of the story.” (Allison Pataki, [24:15])
• On kindness and culture’s responsibility:
  • “We see it all the time—there are these people who are built up, and then there’s just this joy with tearing them down… Just be kind.” (Allison Pataki, [25:43])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction and Pataki’s background: [04:31–05:41]
• Who was Evelyn Nesbit? [06:03–09:16]
• Evelyn’s rise, society, and predation: [10:09–15:18]
• Modern parallels: Epstein, Britney, Taylor Swift: [15:18–17:00]
• Motherhood, writing process, and creative choice: [20:08–23:11]
• Historical fiction—fact vs. feeling: [23:13–24:12]
• Pataki’s next projects: [26:24–28:37]
• Female friendship and support: [28:37–29:53]
• Advice for writers: [30:29–31:44]

Conclusion

Allison Pataki’s It Girl offers a deeply felt, empowering retelling of America’s earliest celebrity, Evelyn Nesbit. The episode explores the dangers and double-edged possibilities of fame for women—then and now—alongside the healing power of female friendship, the flexibility of storytelling within historical fiction, and the hard-won lessons Pataki herself has learned across her prolific career. Zibby’s thoughtful, empathetic questions make this an illuminating listen for writers, mothers, and readers alike.

For more from Zibby, follow @totallybookedwithzibby and visit zibbymedia.com.