“Great Circle” by Maggie Shipstead

Spanning Prohibition-era Montana, the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, New Zealand, wartime London, and modern-day Los Angeles, Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead is an epic historical novel that interweaves the narratives of two ambitious women on parallel journeys across different eras.

After being rescued as infants from a sinking ocean liner in 1914, Marian Graves and her brother Jamie are raised by their artistic yet somewhat detached uncle in Missoula, Montana. Determined to achieve her long-time childhood dream, Marian fights through numerous obstacles to become a 20th-century female aviator. Navigating a career unfriendly to women, she finds herself entangled with a shady character willing to help her—but at a cost far greater than she anticipated. Taking any work available, she performs as a daredevil pilot, lands private transportation jobs, and eventually attempts to circumnavigate the globe.

The second narrative which develops alongside that of Marian’s, introduces Hadley Baxter, a 21st-century Hollywood actress. After a disastrous ending to her successful role in a series of movies, Hadley is cast to play Marian in a film focusing on the aviator’s disappearance near Antarctica. Finding parallels in Marian’s life- including also being an orphan- Hadley grapples with her own fame and identity while immersing herself into the character of Marian.

Their unforgettable stories powerfully unfold as Shipstead skillfully interweaves the characters’ similarities and determination to overcome societal and emotional barriers in vastly different times and places.  Through the intertwined narratives of these two women, Maggie Shipstead’s work explores universal themes of freedom, ambition, and societal expectations.

Although Great Circle is not based on a true story, it is inspired by historical events and figures in aviation.  While reading it, I realized that some of the women aviators mentioned in connection to Marian’s life were also part of the non-fiction book Spitfires by Becky Aikman.  Aikman tells the little-known story of daring American women pilots who ferried combat aircraft for Britain during of WWII when the U.S. military wouldn’t accept female pilots. It was an interesting link. I highly recommend the book Spitfires as an entertaining and informative read for anyone with an interest in the subject.

For more information on Great Circle or Maggie Shipstead go to https://www.maggieshipstead.com/ .