It is time to revive this blog and a lot has happened since my last post, which seems a lifetime ago, but let's continue with some book reviews. A few days ago I finished Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead and I absolutely loved it. The first few chapters were hard to get into and I wasn't sure about the double POV, the female aviator Marian Graves's as close 3rd person (and occasionally others') in the 1930s and 1940s and actress Hadley Baxter's 1st person in the current day. But then the story really drew me in - a woman who has a passion for something usually only done by men, a man who tries to control her with his money, the need to escape, a love story with a childhood friend that will extend through decades, death of loved ones, a comfort in being alone and self-sufficient, the determination to live one's life one's way. And also, for the much smaller part of the novel that is about Hadley: a very talented artistic woman who keeps adding to her troubles and running from her problems. Shipstead's language is also vivid and evocative. A pleasure to read. The book also comes full circle in the way the story begins, with Marian cutting off her hair and dressing like a boy when she makes deliveries, and how it ends (I won't be more specific to avoid spoilers).
This book obviously will most appeal to a certain segment of the female population, but that segment is made of my soul sisters, and there is probably no better way for me to find them than figuring out who adored Great Circle as much as I did. Six stars out of five.
