Great Circle: A novel
The unforgettable story of a daredevil female aviator determined to chart her own course in life, at any cost - Great Circle “soars and dips with dizzying flair...an expansive story that covers more than a century and seems to encapsulate the whole wide world" (Boston Globe).
BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
thenextgoodbook.com
What’s it about?
“Great Circle” is an epic work of historical fiction. The story follows two women of different generations whose lives intersect- Marian Graves and Hadley Baxter. Marian’s story begins in 1909 and takes us all over the world as she discovers a love of aviation and of independence. Hadley Baxter’s timeline is set in the present day. Hadley is the actress that is chosen to play Marian in a movie.
What did it make me think about?
How much our lives have changed in the last 100 years.
Should I read it?
I love a big old sweeping saga so this novel appealed to me. My impression is that readers will either love it or hate it. This book takes some commitment on the reader’s part. The characters (though really well drawn) are not always likable, but what an interesting time this story is set in and what interesting characters they are. If you are a fan of historical fiction and are up for 589 pages I would highly recommend this one.
Quote-
“That Marian would turn a teetotaler after their marriage was a decision he’d made without consulting her, a rule she’d awoken to find hammered into place. She would have liked to try a cocktail in a jazz club but didn’t wish to argue. She hadn’t anticipated how much of her behavior after marriage would be motivated by a wish not to argue.”
What’s it about?
“Great Circle” is an epic work of historical fiction. The story follows two women of different generations whose lives intersect- Marian Graves and Hadley Baxter. Marian’s story begins in 1909 and takes us all over the world as she discovers a love of aviation and of independence. Hadley Baxter’s timeline is set in the present day. Hadley is the actress that is chosen to play Marian in a movie.
What did it make me think about?
How much our lives have changed in the last 100 years.
Should I read it?
I love a big old sweeping saga so this novel appealed to me. My impression is that readers will either love it or hate it. This book takes some commitment on the reader’s part. The characters (though really well drawn) are not always likable, but what an interesting time this story is set in and what interesting characters they are. If you are a fan of historical fiction and are up for 589 pages I would highly recommend this one.
Quote-
“That Marian would turn a teetotaler after their marriage was a decision he’d made without consulting her, a rule she’d awoken to find hammered into place. She would have liked to try a cocktail in a jazz club but didn’t wish to argue. She hadn’t anticipated how much of her behavior after marriage would be motivated by a wish not to argue.”
I listened to the audiobook (all 25+ hours of it) in four days - while driving to/from and rehabbing a rental property. It was a slow start - multiple perspectives that at first seemed disjointed and unrelated, slowly and methodically begin to weave together - causing several "woah" and "ah ha" moments as I listened. With both aviation (especially small aircraft) in my upbringing and an interest in the time period surrounding WWII, this book ended up being right up my alley.
This was a great read. The book toggles between present day actor, Hadley, that will portray aviator Marian Graves in a movie and Marian Graves’ story herself. I confess I enjoyed the Marian story (and that of her brother) much more than the present day one and probably would have been just as happy not hearing Hadley’s story at all. I stayed interested to the end and invested in Marian’s journey. The Hadley story was not unenjoyable though, and overall, I really enjoyed this read.
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.