Maggie Shipstead

From the prize-winning author of Seating Arrangements comes an exquisitely written, fiercely compelling glimpse into the demanding world of professional ballet and its magnetic hold over two generations.Astonish Me is the irresistible story of Joan, a young American dancer who helps a Soviet ballet star, the great Arslan Rusakov, defect in 1975. A flash of fame and a passionate love affair follow, but Joan knows that, onstage and off, she is destined to remain in the shadows.After her relationship with Arslan sours, Joan decides to make a new life for herself. She quits ballet, marries a good man, and settles into the rhythm of Californian life with their son, Harry. But as the years pass, Joan comes to understand that ballet isnt finished with her yet: for there is no mistaking that Harry is a prodigy. Inevitably Joan is soon pulled back into a world she thought shed left behind and back to Arslan.Gripping and dramatic, Astonish Me is a story about the nature of talent, the choices we must make in search of fulfilment, and how we can never truly escape from the secrets of the past.

From the Booker Prize nominee and New York Times best-selling author of Great Circle, a piercing, irresistible first collection of short stories exquisite in their craft and audacious in their rangeA love triangle plays out over decades on a Montana dude ranch. A hurdler and a gymnast spend a single night together in the Olympic village. Mistakes and mysteries weave an intangible web around an old mans deathbed in Paris, connecting disparate destinies. On the slopes of an unfinished ski resort, a young woman searches for her vanished lover. A couples Romanian honeymoon goes ominously awry, and, in the mesmerizing title story, a former child actress breaks with her life in a Hollywood cult.

"Extraordinaire. " The New York Times " Un livre de grande envergure. " The TimesAvant dêtre portée disparue avec son biplan en 1950, Marian Graves aura passé sa vie à se jouer des règles imposées au

Une épopée féministe, portée par un duo complémentaire de comédiennes !Avant dêtre portée disparue avec son biplan en 1950, Marian Graves aura passé sa vie à se jouer des règles imposées au " sexe fa

La historia de una aviadora decidida a marcar el rumbo de su vidaFinalista del Premio Booker 2021Después de ser rescatados de un transatlántico naufragado en 1914, cuando aún eran bebés, Marian y Jamie Graves crecen en Missoula, Montana, criados por su tio de vida disoluta. Alli, tras conocer a una pareja de acrobatas aereos que pasan por la ciudad con sus destartalados biplanos, Marian inicia su idilio con la aviacion, que se prolongara toda la vida. A los catorce años deja la escuela y encuentra un mecenas inesperado y peligroso: un adinerado contrabandista que le consigue un avion y le paga las clases. Un acuerdo que la perseguira siempre, incluso aunque le permita cumplir con su destino: circunnavegar la tierra sobrevolando el Polo Norte y el Polo Sur.Un siglo despues, Hadley Baxter consigue el papel de Marian en una pelicula que gira en torno a su desaparicion en la Antartida. Radiante, astuta y harta de la claustrofobia hoollywoodiana, Hadley esta deseando reinventarse tras formar parte de una franquicia de peliculas romanticas que la ha hecho caer en las garras del culto a la fama. A medida que se sumerge en el personaje de Marian, las historias de ambas mujeres se desarrollan en paralelo hasta que sus destinos colisionan; y con ellos tambien su sed de autodeterminacion, enmarcada en espacios y tiempos muy diferentes.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Great Circle comes "a novel you must read" (The Washington Post)about a mother who is trying to forget her past as a young ballerina in Paris who fell into a passionate romance with a Soviet dance superstar. For years Joan has been trying to find peace and satisfaction in her role as wife and mother. Few in her drowsy California suburb know her thrilling history: as a young American ballerina in Paris, she had a doomed affair with Soviet dance superstar Arslan Rusakov. After playing a leading role in his celebrated defection, Joan bowed out of the spotlight for good, heartbroken by Arslan and humbled by her own modest career. But when her son turns out to be a ballet prodigy, Joan is pulled back into a world she thought shed left behinda world of dangerous secrets, of Arslan, and of longing for what will always be just out of reach. The inner lives of [Shipsteads] characters feel as real and immediate as the shifting settings they inhabit: still-gritty mid-1970s Manhattan, shabbily elegant Paris, the sunbaked suburban sprawl of Southern California. Entertainment Weekly

BY THE AUTHOR OF THE 2021 BOOKER PRIZE-SHORTLISTED AND 2022 WOMENS FICTION PRIZE-SHORTLISTED GREAT CIRCLEThe same chilling brilliance of Daphne du Mauriers most unsettling short fictionFINANCIAL TIMESHas an innate charm of its own. Beautifully realisedDAILY MAILIts a rare writer who can create a world as convincingly over a few pages as in a 600-page novel; Shipsteads fluency in both forms is testament to the skill she modestly casts as a work in progress Stephanie Merritt, GUARDIANMaggie Shipstead combines cinematic scope with a poets attention to detailTHETIMESA collection of sparkling award-winning stories from Maggie Shipstead, epic storyteller and astonishing chronicler of the daring and the damaged. Diving into eclectic and vivid settings, from an Olympic village to a deathbed in Paris to a Pacific atoll, and illuminating a cast of unforgettable characters, Shipstead traverses the ordinary and extraordinary with cunning, compassion, and wit.Meet the silent cowgirl and horse wrangler escaping an ugly home life, only to fall into a decade-long triangle of unrequited love; a male novelist who is just reckoning with his own pretentiousness as his debut novel goes to print; a honeymoon couples time in the hills of Romania builds into a moment of shattering tragedy. In the title story, a famous child actress breaks away from a religious cult, as she tells - with brittle candour - her tale of childhood damage and the dark side of fame.Exuding both tenderness and bite, Shipstead exposes complicated truths in this dazzling collection sealing her reputation as an astonishingly versatile master of fiction.---------------------Shipstead is a writer who can vividly summon whatever she chooses, taking the reader deep inside the world she createsFINANCIAL TIMESShipstead observes people beautifullyTHE TIMES

NATIONAL BESTSELLER Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize The irresistible story of a summer New England wedding weekend gone awrya deliciously biting satirical glimpse into the lives of the well-bred and ill-behaved, from the New York Times bestselling author of Great Circle.The Van Meters have gathered at their family retreat on the island of Waskeke to celebrate the marriage of daughter Daphneseven months pregnantto the impeccably appropriate Greyson Duff. The weekend is full of champagne, salt air and practiced bonhomie, but long-buried discontent and simmering lust stir beneath the surface. Winn Van Meter, father of the bride, is not having a good time. Barred from the exclusive social club hes been eyeing since birth, hes also tormented by an inappropriate crush on Daphnes beguiling bridesmaid, Agatha, and the fear that his daughter, Liviarecently heartbroken by the son of his greatest rivalis a too-ready target for the wiles of Greysons best man. When old resentments, a beached whale and an escaped lobster are added to the mix, the wedding that should have gone off with military precision threatens to become a spectacle of misbehavior.

The New York Times bestselling author of Great CircleJoyously good DAILY MAIL A ferociously clever comedy of manners GUARDIANA wise, sophisticated and funny novel about family, fidelity, class and crisis MARIE CLAIRE A well-observed, hilarious, yet moving novel WOMAN & HOMENew York Times bestseller and winner of the 2012 Dylan Thomas Prize and 2012 L.A. Times First Novel Prize The Van Meters have gathered at their family retreat on the New England island of Waskeke to celebrate the marriage of daughter Daphne to an impeccably appropriate young man. The weekend is full of lobster and champagne, salt air and practiced bonhomie, but long-buried discontent and simmering lust seep through the cracks in the revelry. Winn Van Meter, father-of-the-bride, has spent his life following the rules of the east coast upper crust, but now, just shy of his sixtieth birthday, he must finally confront his failings, his desires, and his own humanity Maggie Shipstead is a hugely talented young writer definitely one to watch GRAZIADistinctive and dazzling The world has found a remarkable, humane new voice to explain us to ourselves Allison Pearson

The New York Times bestselling author of Great CircleBrilliantly written; the first ballet novel for grown-ups THE TIMES A bravura display of high-performance art GUARDIANBrims with emotion an accomplished novel embracing both domestic drama and the competitive quest for perfection SUNDAY TIMES Astonish Me is the irresistible story of Joan, a young American dancer who helps a Soviet ballet star, the great Arslan Rusakov, defect in 1975. A flash of fame and a passionate love affair follow, but Joan knows that, onstage and off, she is destined to remain in the shadows. After her relationship with Arslan sours, Joan decides to quit ballet and make a new life for herself. But as the years pass, Joan comes to understand that ballet isnt finished with her yet From the prize-winning author of Seating Arrangements comes an exquisitely written, fiercely compelling glimpse into the demanding world of professional ballet and its magnetic hold over two generations. Cleverly constructed with some elegant pirouettes of its own DAILY MAIL A gripping mix of family drama and insight into the world of ballet GOOD HOUSEKEEPINGShipstead is a gifted writer who examines families and relationships in a poignant, insightful way STYLIST A dazzling story rooted in the competitive world of dance WOMAN & HOMESo graceful, so dazzling, so sure-handed and fearless, that at times I had to remind myself to breathe Maria Semple, author of Whered You Go, Bernadette I will be paying close attention to Shipsteads career from here on in Jeffrey Eugenides

THE EPIC AND EMOTIONAL NEW YORK TIMES AND TIMES BESTSELLERShortlisted for the Womens Prize for FictionShortlisted for the Booker PrizeAmazon Book of the YearTime Magazine Book of the YearWaterstones fiction Book of the Month______________A GRIPPING HISTORICAL ADVENTURESTYLISTSO BEAUTIFUL, SO DARING, SO COMPLETETAYLOR JENKINS REID, author of Carrie Soto is BackA MASTERPIECENIGELLA LAWSONEXTRAORDINARYNEW YORK TIMESONE OF MY ALL-TIME FAVOURITE NOVELSREADER REVIEW *****_______________________A soaring, breathtakingly ambitious novel that weaves together the astonishing lives of a 1950s vanished female aviator and the modern-day Hollywood actress who plays her on screen.Marian Graves is driven by a need for freedom and danger. From her days as a wild child in prohibition America to the blitz and glitz of wartime London, she is determined to live an independent life.But it is an obsession with flight that consumes her most.Having become one of the most fearless pilots in her time, she sets out to do what no one has done before: to circumnavigate the globe from pole to pole.But shortly before completing the journey, her plane disappears, lost to history.Over half a century later, troubled film star Hadley Baxter is offered to play Marian in the comeback role of a lifetime. From the first pages of the script, Hadley is drawn inexorably to the female pilot.It is a role that will lead her to an unexpected discovery, throwing fresh and spellbinding light on the story of the unknowable Marian Graves._______________________WATERSTONES FICTION BOOK OF THE MONTH JUNE 2022SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMENS PRIZE FOR FICTION 2022SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2021A ROYAL READING ROOM PICK 2023SHORTLISTED FOR THE HWA GOLD CROWN 2022TIME MAGAZINE BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER MAY 2021TIMES BESTSELLER JUNE 2022_______________________Full of adventure, passion and tragedyTHE TIMESSoars from the very first pageSUNDAY EXPRESSLuminous, masterful. Glides seamlessly through the 20th centuryTELEGRAPH, Best Fiction of 2021BreathtakingOBSERVERTruly exceptional storytelling, combining a sweeping arc of history with writing that, at sentence level, is near-flawless.THE BOOKSELLERA tour-de-forceDAILY EXPRESSImpressive and grippingSUNDAY TIMESSurprising and moving at every turnGUARDIANAudacious and ImmersiveDAILY MAILAccomplished and ambitiousFINANCIAL TIMESReaders love GREAT CIRCLE:***** What a read! Immense story with beautifully created characters***** The story is so well researched and planned; historical fiction standing side by side with history itself***** This is a stunning achievement, my perspective feels fundamentally transformed through reading it***** A wonderful saga, covering a large chunk of the twentieth century

La historia de una aviadora decidida a marcar el rumbo de su vidaFinalista del Premio Booker 2021Después de ser rescatados de un transatlántico naufragado en 1914, cuando aún eran bebés, Marian y Jamie Graves crecen en Missoula, Montana, criados por su tio de vida disoluta. Alli, tras conocer a una pareja de acrobatas aereos que pasan por la ciudad con sus destartalados biplanos, Marian inicia su idilio con la aviacion, que se prolongara toda la vida. A los catorce años deja la escuela y encuentra un mecenas inesperado y peligroso: un adinerado contrabandista que le consigue un avion y le paga las clases. Un acuerdo que la perseguira siempre, incluso aunque le permita cumplir con su destino: circunnavegar la tierra sobrevolando el Polo Norte y el Polo Sur.Un siglo despues, Hadley Baxter consigue el papel de Marian en una pelicula que gira en torno a su desaparicion en la Antartida. Radiante, astuta y harta de la claustrofobia hoollywoodiana, Hadley esta deseando reinventarse tras formar parte de una franquicia de peliculas romanticas que la ha hecho caer en las garras del culto a la fama. A medida que se sumerge en el personaje de Marian, las historias de ambas mujeres se desarrollan en paralelo hasta que sus destinos colisionan; y con ellos tambien su sed de autodeterminacion, enmarcada en espacios y tiempos muy diferentes.La historia de una aviadora decidida a marcar el rumbo de su vidaFinalista del Premio Booker 2021Después de ser rescatados de un transatlántico naufragado en 1914, cuando aún eran bebés, Marian y Jamie Graves crecen en Missoula, Montana, criados por su tio de vida disoluta. Alli, tras conocer a una pareja de acrobatas aereos que pasan por la ciudad con sus destartalados biplanos, Marian inicia su idilio con la aviacion, que se prolongara toda la vida. A los catorce años deja la escuela y encuentra un mecenas inesperado y peligroso: un adinerado contrabandista que le consigue un avion y le paga las clases. Un acuerdo que la perseguira siempre, incluso aunque le permita cumplir con su destino: circunnavegar la tierra sobrevolando el Polo Norte y el Polo Sur.Un siglo despues, Hadley Baxter consigue el papel de Marian en una pelicula que gira en torno a su desaparicion en la Antartida. Radiante, astuta y harta de la claustrofobia hoollywoodiana, Hadley esta deseando reinventarse tras formar parte de una franquicia de peliculas romanticas que la ha hecho caer en las garras del culto a la fama. A medida que se sumerge en el personaje de Marian, las historias de ambas mujeres se desarrollan en paralelo hasta que sus destinos colisionan; y con ellos tambien su sed de autodeterminacion, enmarcada en espacios y tiempos muy diferentes.De una inteligencia feroz.The GuardianUna experiencia envolvente, puro entretenimiento.KirkusReviewsEsta historia es una proeza en todos los sentidos.Entertainment WeeklyUna ficcion historica de altos vuelos. Un relato increiblemente emocionante sobre una mujer que se abre paso entre la tradicion y el prejuicio para conseguir lo que quiere. The Washington PostUna historia expansiva que abarca mas de un siglo y parece condensar el mundo entero.Boston GlobeUn relato redondo. Solido, consistente, impresionante.The New York TimesUn viaje del cual se saborea cada minuto.Peop...