A breath-takingly powerful epic that weaves together the astonishing lives of a 1950s vanished female aviator and the rebel-hearted Hollywood millennial who plays her on screen. A stand-out American literary work in the same league as THE GOLDFINCH and ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE
A 'most anticipated' read of 2021 in Guardian, Independent and New Statesman
'Shipstead's breathtaking epic of a female aviator is a stunning feat' PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY
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I WAS BORN TO BE A WANDERER
From the night she is rescued as a baby out of the flames of a sinking ship; to the day she joins a pair of daredevil pilots looping and diving over the rugged forests of her childhood, to the thrill of flying Spitfires during the war, the life of Marian Graves has always been marked by a lust for freedom and danger.
In 1950, she embarks on the great circle flight, circumnavigating the globe. It is Marian's life dream and her final journey, before she disappears without a trace.
Half a century later, Hadley Baxter, a brilliant, troubled Hollywood starlet is irresistibly drawn to play Marian Graves, a role that will lead her to probe the deepest mysteries of the vanished pilot's life.
An enthralling journey over oceans and continents and a drama of exhilarating power, GREAT CIRCLE is perfect for book clubs and fans of William Boyd and Donna Tartt.
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Praise for Maggie Shipstead, winner of the Dylan Thomas Prize and LA Times First Fiction Prize
'Outrageously gifted' RICHARD RUSSO
'Ferociously clever' GUARDIAN
''Graceful and dazzling' MARIA SEMPLE
'Joyously good' DAILY MAIL
'Impressive' JEFFREY EUGENIDES
Early readers love GREAT CIRCLE-
'Beautifully crafted characters' NetGalley Reviewer
'I was completely absorbed by it' NetGalley Reviewer
'The best book I've read in a long time' NetGalley Reviewer