Great Circle is a novel by American novelist Maggie Shipstead. Published in 2021 by Alfred A. Knopf, the novel explores the lives of two women in parallel. Marian Graves is a 20th century aviator who goes missing in 1950, while attempting to fly from the North to the far south of the world. Hadley Baxter is a 21st century actress struggling to make it in Hollywood with a film about Marian's life. Hadley's story is told in first-person while Marian is referred to in third person.
The novel has been praised for its sufficient length and structure that highlights both women in great detail. Despite the time difference between the characters, their lives become so intertwined in a way that is inseparable. Paired with Shipstead's deep character development, the novel reads more like an autobiography of two revolutionary women.
Shipstead portrays the long and tumultuous journey of two women at war with a society that seeks to limit their potential. She connects the stories of two women from two completely different centuries, faced with the same prejudice. Great Circle was nominated for the 2021 Booker Prize.
