“I was born to be a wanderer. I was shaped to the earth like a seabird to a wave. Some birds fly until they die. I have made a promise to myself: My last descent won’t be the tumbling helpless kind but a sharp gannet plunge—a dive with intent, aimed at something deep in the sea.” Great Circle (p. 10). Kindle Edition.
The New York Times calls this novel ambitious. It certainly covers vast territory—literally and figuratively, in its 600+ pages. I devoured all the pages since it is written beautifully with so many literary elements. However, I am still working on understanding how the circle and its symbolism highlight the story. Marian Graves is a fictional female aviator who went missing as she sought to circumnavigate the earth north-south over the poles. In a parallel story, Hadley Baxter, a modern actress, prepares and then plays the role of Marian in a Hollywood movie. We begin to learn Marian’s backstory from Hadley’s contemporary impressions.
The story alternates between Marian’s and Hadley’s lives. The Marian parts of the book are lengthier and better developed, with great characters and plot points. Hadley’s sections are thinner and almost annoying at times, but I can see why the author weaved her tale into this epic story. Hadley had been a struggling actress when she landed the part of Marian and identified with her immediately. Hadley also represents a modern woman who may need to connect with historical women to understand herself better.
After Marian and her twin brother Jamie were born on a ship, The Josephina Eterna, in 1914. Their mother, suffering from postpartum depression, evidently commits suicide and their father, Addison Graves, saves the twins as the ship sinks. Addison leaves Marian and Jamie with his brother Wallace in Montana while he does time at Sing Sing. Wallace is an artist and has little desire or competence for raising children. So, Marian and Jamie pretty much rear themselves with a neighbor and friend, Caleb, whose mother is an alcoholic and prostitute. Caleb and Marian exchange sexual favors and eventually have an on-again-off-again, circuitous relationship throughout their lives. Marian, Jamie, and Caleb, all suffering from virtual abandonment by caregivers, develop different levels of trust with each other and the people they meet in their lives’ wanderings.
The movie that Hadley stars in is entitled Peregrine, after the name of Marian’s plane. The literal meaning of peregrine is “tending to wander.” Besides the obvious desire of Marian to wander in a great circle around the world, there are other great circles of realization experienced during the travels of various characters from Montana to Vancouver, Alaska, Hawaii, New York, Antarctica, and more. Yes, the different geographic locations provide more circles to consider. One wonders how much of the main characters’ predispositions are related to their lack of parental grounding.
Marian Graves has an early interest in learning to fly, but she realizes that being female is an impediment to achieving her passionate goal. Her early attempts to appear masculine and earn money include chopping off her hair and dressing like a boy. She ponders and questions her sexual identity during her life, accounting for some of the great circle metaphors. Shipstead uses engaging and thought-provoking names and symbols. While she yearns to be male, Marian’s brother Jamie is a budding artist, animal rights advocate, and vegetarian. He is sentimental and thoughtful. The gender-neutral names and plot points force us to consider gender roles and expectations and the difficulties of those who don’t conform.
Marian eventually acquires a benefactor to support her flying lessons and provide a plane for her to fly. Still, Barclay Macqueen is an abusive man who is involved in bootlegging and other illegal activities. As a result, Marian must compromise her integrity in many ways to begin to accomplish her goals. Her self-determination and free-spirited disposition lead to myriad adventures and interactions with many three-dimensional characters.
Marian took her infamous flight after serving as an ATA pilot in London during the second world war. Jamie seems to be too much of a pacifist to serve in the war effort until he finds an acceptable opportunity as an artist. There are many subplots and side stories about famous aviators, war efforts, and news items of the entire century covered in the timeline of this novel. The story spans the globe in settings. I found all of it intriguing, and I liked how the author integrated the plot and themes.
