Skylark

Skylark is a Historical Fiction story set in two timelines in Paris. The WWII timeline centres around Kristof, a doctor who works with psychiatric patients in a Paris hospital and the older timeline follows a young woman, Alouette, who works alongside her father as a fabric dyer in 17th century Paris and makes a big discovery of her own that puts her life in danger.

The strength of this story is in its beautiful descriptions of time and place, interesting historical facts which include the horrific treatment of mental health and prisoners, the hundreds of kilometres of underground tunnels under Paris and the skills of fabric dyers and the power of the dye guilds in the 1600's. 

But the story started to wane for me midway as I tried to find a connection between the two storylines. Instead, it was a quieter read with some poignant moments and a tense (if implausible) scene towards the end leading to a conclusion that felt a bit abrupt. I think this is a case of great ideas but not enough time spent on any of them for the storylines to feel complete.

This book had some great moments and historical details with a very atmospheric feel featuring themes of resiliency, limitations put upon women and standing against evil, but it will require a patient reader with its slow pace and lack of connection between the two timelines.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Atria Books for the complimentary digital and print advanced copies that were given to me in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 3 stars

Author: Paula McLain

Genre: Historical Fiction

Type and Source: ebook and Trade Paperback from publisher

Publisher: Atria Books

First Published: Jan 6, 2026

Read: Dec 3-11, 2025

Book Description from GoodReads: The New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Wife weaves a mesmerizing tale of Paris above and below—where a woman’s quest for artistic freedom in 1664 intertwines with a doctor’s dangerous mission during the German occupation in the 1940s, revealing a story of courage and resistance that transcends time.

1664: Alouette Voland is the daughter of a master dyer at the famed Gobelin Tapestry Works, who secretly dreams of escaping her circumstances and creating her own masterpiece. When her father is unjustly imprisoned, Alouette's efforts to save him lead to her own confinement in the notorious Salpêtrière asylum, where thousands of women are held captive and cruelly treated. But within its grim walls, she discovers a small group of brave allies, and the possibility of a life bigger than she ever imagined.

1939: Kristof Larson is a medical student beginning his psychiatric residency in Paris, whose neighbors on the Rue de Gobelins are a Jewish family who have fled Poland. When Nazi forces descend on the city, Kristof becomes their only hope for survival, even as his work as a doctor is jeopardized.

A spellbinding and transportive look at a side of Paris known to very few—the underground city that is a mirror reflection of the glories above—Paula McLain’s unforgettable new novel chronicles two parallel journeys of defiance and rescue that connect in ways both surprising and deeply moving.