I liked Great Circle, but didn’t LOVE. On paper, it’s totally in my wheelhouse: spans a large swath of time, epic (600+ pages), dual timeline, feminist themes, family drama and a deep dive on a complex character. Although, the main character (in both timelines) didn’t grab me. I felt as if Shipstead kept them at arms length. And part of that made sense for their character, it just didn’t work for me.
Funny enough, Great Circle seemed reminiscent of two of my favorite novels: if you are a fan of Evelyn Hugo - you might enjoy the Hollywood themes and love stories, and if you enjoyed Life After Life you might enjoy the beautiful brother and sister dynamic and WWII history.