Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

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Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

Author: Maggie Shipstead

After being rescued as infants from a sinking ocean liner in 1914, Marian and Jamie Graves are raised by their dissolute uncle in Missoula, Montana. There – after encountering a pair of barnstorming pilots passing through town in beat-up biplanes – Marian commences her lifelong love affair with flight. At 14, she drops out of school and finds an unexpected and dangerous patron in a wealthy bootlegger who provides a plane and subsidizes her lessons, an arrangement that will haunt her for the rest of her life, even as it allows her to fulfill her destiny: circumnavigating the globe by flying over the North and South Poles.

A century later, Hadley Baxter is cast to play Marian in a film that centers on Marian’s disappearance in Antarctica. Vibrant, canny, disgusted with the claustrophobia of Hollywood, Hadley is eager to redefine herself after a romantic film franchise has imprisoned her in the grip of cult celebrity. Her immersion into the character of Marian unfolds, thrillingly, alongside Marian’s own story, as the two women’s fates – and their hunger for self-determination in vastly different geographies and times – collide. Epic and emotional, meticulously researched and gloriously told, Great Circle is a monumental work of art, and a tremendous leap forward for the prodigiously gifted Maggie Shipstead.

[highlight color=”green”]Goodreads users review :[/highlight]

Running moonshine, exhilarating flights, a bad marriage, and a search for the truth define this vivid novel. Don’t let the slowness of the first few chapters deter you. The rewards are many. Beginning in 1914, the framework of the novel revolves around the lives of a thrill-seeking female pilot, her sensitive twin brother, and a childhood friend. In 2014, a famous actress prone to detonating her life stars as the pilot in feature film. Rich in detail, settings, characters, and plot; a flight of fancy this is not. Tammy                                                                                                   rated it: 5.0 from 5.0

One of the most stunningly great historical epics I’ve read, just watertight excellent and unrelentingly entertaining. I hugged my copy and said, “this book is SO GOOOOD” so many times my husband was finally like, YES, I HAVE HEARD IT’S GOOD. Melissa                                                                                                   rated it: 5.0 from 5.0

You know that feeling when you read a novel and it’s so vivid that you keep wanting to google something to learn more about it? I can’t remember the last time a book have me that feeling about as many different things as this one did. It’s a bit slow to start, but it’s so utterly worth it. This book has everything: women who want to fly, bootleggers, queer love, soaring skies, philosophical notions, surprising beginnings and astounding endings. Nerdette Podcast                                                                                     rated it: 5.0 from 5.0