Book Review: Great Circle

Great Circle

by Maggie Shipstead

Review by Ray

I loved this gorgeous, soaring, epic of a novel that spans a century of history, tragedy and triumph. It follows Marian Graves, an aviator who disappears on the last leg of a daring round-the-world flight in 1950. It also follows Hadley Baxter, the actor chosen to play Marian in 2014. But the scope of this story is far, far wider and deeper than these two characters, and Shipstead meticulously weaves Marian’s story and legacy in with many other fully-realized, complex characters. The result is a book that is both sprawling and tightly wound, full of adventure, despair and delight. At the centre, two women, separated by time and connected by circumstance, carve paths for themselves and their dreams, often at great cost. This stunning saga will transport and surprise you throughout.