Great Circle

A Novel

By: Maggie Shipstead

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell, Alex McKenna

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A TODAY SHOW #ReadWithJenna BOOK CLUB PICK • The unforgettable story of a daredevil female aviator determined to chart her own course in life, at any cost: an “epic trip—through Prohibition and World War II, from Montana to London to present-day Hollywood—and you’ll relish every minute” (People).

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 fourteen 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.

Well researched and interesting human drama

The story held my interest and was well crafted. Many life situations were painful. Narration was very good. Mature subject matter.

entertaining

the life story of a fictional female pilot and her relationships. woven around ww2. it was drawn out longer than necessary, IMHO, and lots of sex did not add to the story. if you like fiction with a bit of history you will probably enjoy. voice actors were very good, kept me engaged. i did speed it up to 1.35.

Stay with it you be glad you did!

Great story. A bit long too a while to get a sense of where it was going but I enjoyed it.

A Wonderful Ride

Beautifully written and read. Ms. Shipstead's research made her story come alive. Characters remained true to themselves all through. I hungered for the time to get back to listening. I loved this book.

Lovely

A brilliantly written story that moves between our primary character in the 30’s and 40’s to today. Hadley, our today character is as welcome in this book as Marion even as she struggles for her position and definition as an actress, both feel real. Similar life circumstances along with real historical references draws you in and doesn’t let go. The author is amazing at creating the characters and deftly moves us from one era to another. It’s very long and likely could have been delivered a bit shorter but when I thought of this I knew I would have felt slighted. Highly recommend this story but it’s wonderful via audible with two narrators. So good!