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.

©2020 Maggie Shipstead (P)2020 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION NOMINEE • BOOKER PRIZE FINALIST • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: TIME, NPR, Washington Post, EW, Boston Globe, LitHub, and more

“A soaring work of historical fiction . . . So convincingly does Shipstead stitch her fictional heroine into the daring flight paths of early aviators that you’ll be convinced that you remember the tragic day her plane disappeared. Great Circle is a relentlessly exciting story about a woman maneuvering her way between tradition and prejudice to get what she wants. It’s also a culturally rich story that takes full advantage of its extended length to explore the changing landscape of the 20th century. My top recommendation for this summer.” —Ron Charles, The Washington Post

“Shipstead's writing soars and dips with dizzying flair . . . With detailed brilliance, she lavishes heart and empathy on every character (save one villain), no matter how small their role. Many authors attempting to create an epic falter at the end, but Shipstead never wavers, pulls out a twist or two that feel fully earned, and then sticks the landing. An expansive story that covers more than a century and seems to encapsulate the whole wide world. ”
—Boston Globe

“Thrilling . . . Great Circle starts high and maintains altitude. One might say it soars. An action-packed book rich with character . . . Great Circle grasps for and ultimately reaches something extraordinary. It pulls off this feat through individual sentences and sensations—by getting each secondary and tertiary character right . . . What’s so impressive is how deeply we come to care about each of these people, and how the shape and texture of each of their stories collide to build a story all its own. It’s at the level of the sentence and the scene, the small but unforgettable salient detail, that books finally succeed or fail. In that, Great Circle is consistently, often breathtakingly, sound.” —Lynn Steger Strong, The New York Times Book Review

Intriguing characters/great performance

Loved the characters and the voice of Hadley.
One correction, though, the name Kalani is pronounced incorrectly. It is “kulahnee” not “kaylahnee.”
Otherwise, amazing.

A Strong Brave Adventuresome Woman

Amazing chapters brought to life in this nook. Enjoyed it. The tale wound in and around and went places I did not know much about. The various settings were made real.

What an amazing book!

The story, the writing, an adventure! And of course Cassandra Campbell's narration is perfect! A great book especially for airplane devotes.

Easy to disappear into the story

I didn’t notice the time passing while I listened to this interesting story. It has a satisfying ending without feeling tied perfectly in a bow. I liked the bits of history that was woven into each characters story. I was easily able to imagine the scenes because the language is descriptive without shoving it down your throat. Overall I really enjoyed it and will tell my bookworm friends and family about it.

My favorite audio book yet!

I love this book! I have well over 300 audio titles and this is my favorite one so far. The prose is outstanding and it’s a great story they really transport you to many different times and places. The narration is also outstanding.

such a great enjoyment

I have to say this is one of the best selections I've ever made. Every step of the way is enjoyable. I realize it is fiction but it seems so plausible. The characters are absolutely relatable and I only wish it could have lasted longer.

Great story, too long.

Great original story , tho too long. Memorable characters. Narrators were wonderful, got me thru it.

Loved story but sometimes not narration

I liked this book but I felt that Hadley character was never resolved. I also didn’t like that narrator/performer for her. None of the characters of the present were likable… I think it was because the performance was bland and fake.

Great Circle

Loved this book. Most memorable moment when Addison rescued the twins from the ship. Excellent narrator

Long story! But Fabulous!

Loved this story. So much more at the end then through the beginning. It is long! But I am elated that I stuck with it and saw it through.