Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

The plot structure of this novel reminded me of the workings of a Celtic knot. Everything weaves in and out and under, but in the end you realise all those strands are really just one unbroken line.

This is a multi-generational saga that slowly draws the past closer to the present with the stories of two women from very different generations. One was a pioneer aviator lost in an air-crash as she attempted to circumnavigate the globe, and the other a modern-day actress chosen to play the aviator Marian Graves in a film.

The book captured my interest from the start and I especially liked the individuality of the characters. There are no clichés here, no Barbie doll girls being rescued by Ken in a flying suit, these people are imperfect humans just like the rest of us, but some of them do extraordinary things through sheer determination and perseverance.

There's a lot to read, as the book is 600 pages long, but there's no padding and the story sits neatly over the history of women flying all manner of aircraft. Picture a pilot in your mind's eye and you probably come up with a square jawed male in a peaked cap or a grimy faced airman emerging from a spitfire, but after this you will think differently. The girls were always there getting tough flying jobs done, but most never got the recognition they deserved. Well worth reading.

Comments

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