Great Circle, by Maggie Shipstead - Jade
A stunning feat of historical fiction that spans decades and lifetimes in detail like you’ve never read before. It’s a book about female strength, resilience and power, and if you’re ready to feel excited, gutted, anxious, elated and more in under 600 pages, this one is for you.
Great Circle follows the life of Marian Graves, the ground-breaking female aviator who stopped at nothing to achieve her dream of flying around the world in a Great Circle, the greatest circle possible, crossing over both the north and south poles. But, as history tells, she did not succeed in her circumnavigation attempt, crashing somewhere over the Antarctic and disappearing without a trace. In an attempt to unravel the mystery surrounding her life, almost 90 years later Hollywood superstar Hadley Baxter is cast to play Marian in a biographical exploration of her life.
Unfortunately, details about Marian’s life are few and far between, but as Hadley begins to get into character, she starts to discover more about Marian than ever before. As she uncovers Marians troubled past, she learns of the secrets and tragic truths that shaped a life that was filled with love, loss, passion and sadness and but most of all, adventure.
Sitting at the 600-page mark, reading Great Circle may feel like a real undertaking in itself – it’s a chunky book that looks intimidating in size and stature, but is certainly worth the investment. Whether you’re planning on picking this up soon, or have been looking at it on the shelf for a while – this is your sign. I urge you to pick it up now - you won’t regret it! The bang for your buck value will see you rewarded with the richest tapestry of storylines, character arcs and plot twists that whisk you away on your own adventure. It’s truly a story that sucks you in and takes you with it for the ride.
Shipstead weaves in a deep exploration of romantic and non-romantic relationships between siblings, parents, partners, friends, colleagues and more, with each female bringing her own depth and strengths to the story. Interestingly changing the dynamic of the stereotypical male dominant, female subservient, she studies female independence in many ways, some tragic, some exciting, but with such realism I had to Google if Marian was a real person on many occasions.
I believe that the realism is what makes this book special – I felt like I knew these characters and that I could draw on so many of their experiences, traits, troubles and hardships as if they were my own. For a novel that crosses prohibition-era Montana, WW2 Britain, the outreaches of Alaska and glamourous Hollywood, you’ll be sure to find a part of the story that captivates you endlessly.
This book is a complete ride, and one that I think is worth the effort. I loved it. I loved the characters and learning about their lives, loves and relationships with each other, I loved the dual timeline and how it opened so many angles of interpretation to the story. But most of all I loved being completely and utterly absorbed as soon as I opened the cover. It is a book that will stay with me for a long time, and one that I was genuinely sad to finish – but one I will return to like an old friend in the future to read again.
Jade @absolute.bookery