I am a big fan of Jodi Piccoult. Unfortunately, I wasn’t a big fan of this book. There was just too much information to absorb, losing the story in the mix. It felt like I was reading a text book in many instances and since I read for entertainment, I ended up skimming quite a few pages to get to the meat of the story. While the Egyptian history might be fascinating for some, I found it to be very dry. Not your usual Piccoult book, but I do admire her for trying to change things up!

The Book of Two Ways is Jodi Picoult's latest book and while it was not my favorite of her books I enjoyed the story that was told. From the beginning I was interested in the story and felt connected to Dawn and the events that led her to going to Egypt. I found that there was a lot of information that was presented, especially about Egyptology and physics. This was where the book lost me. But I think that this book is a good one for those who are interested in Egypt and enjoy reading about life changing experiences.

A wonderful journey of realizing what love and life are about. The journey taken in two different ways. The journey begins as many young lives do with a pursuit of education and knowledge. Leading into the tragedy of family ties and bonds that will drive a different path to be taken. The book parallels the story of Egypt (which I found fascinating and educational) uncovering the tombs of those dead while the path of Dawn Edelstein is making decisions on her life, her mother, brother and an unexpected pregnancy.

Dawn lives in Boston with her husband, Brian, and her teenaged daughter, Merit. She is a death doula, someone who is there to support a dying person any way necessary. She goes back 15 years when she was a grad student in Egypt excavating tombs with handsome Wyatt and wonders if she could have finished her PHD. and whether she ran from the true love she was meant to be with. When her world is turned upside down, Dawn has the opportunity to discover what life would look like if she chooses her current life with her husband and teenage daughter or chose to return to Egypt and the man and life she left behind.

The book had to take on a tremendous amount research in Egyptology and the study of the Book of Two Ways. I found the research and discussion fascinating although at times it was a bit in depth. I enjoyed the flashes through the story with the past, the future and the current it really helped to parallel the story and understand what happened and/or what was coming next.

The Book of Two Ways is the latest novel by bestselling author Jodi Picoult. In this book Dawn has to decide between the two loves of her lives while also dealing with her sorrow over never finishing her graduate degree. Dawn left Egypt and her love of Egyptology behind when she had to return home suddenly to care for her dying mother and young brother. Form that point on Dawn’s life shifted into a new direction that has left her wondering about what could have been. Dawn’s occupation as a death doula plays an interesting role in Dawn’s future and how her life will unroll due to one of her patients. Read and enjoy!

My Review:⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️/ 5 stars

I really enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. As a lover of ancient Egyptian history, I was excited to know much of the story takes place in and around Egypt. Dawn Edelstein survives a plane crash and instead of flying home to her husband Brian and daughter in Boston, she goes where her mind wanders when she thought her life was ending: Egypt where her former flame Wyatt lives and is “digging”ancient artifacts. She was previously an Egyptologist studying there with Wyatt when she was at Yale - and had to leave him and her dreams behind 15 years ago when her mother died to raise her little brother. There she found Brian who was steady and loved her. I had never heard of a death doula before, and learning about it from what Dawn does as a living really opened my eyes. There is a lot of information squeezed into this book from quantum physics, Ancient Eqyptian facts, and reincarnation/life/death facts that some pages read as a textbook… but I still loved it. It almost feels more like what Dawn’s mind is going through, especially when you consider the possibility of multiple alternate universes in which your life plays out. I had never read any of Picoult’s books before (definitely heard of her) but now I am definitely a fan. A great read!

Thank you @netgalley and @ballantinebooks for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review! It is out on Sept 22!

I really enjoyed the plot lines of this book and about how you can change the whole trajectory of your life based on one decision at a time. There is quite a lot of referencing and "info dumps" with quantum physics and Egyptology. The Egyptology info interested me, but the physics stuff...not so much. Dawn's profession as a death doula was very interesting to me. That's definitely not something you see in books as a normal profession, and I like how it still related to her earlier love of Egyptology and the Book of Two Ways.

If you liked Jodi Picoult's other books, odds are you'll probably enjoy this one as well.

3.5/5

I always jump at the chance to read a Jodi Picoult book. Whether you agree or disagree with the storyline, she always makes you see both sides of the story. I will say I am a huge fan of the early JP books, versus the newer ones.

This book just had too much packed in it for me! Egyptologist and hieroglyphics and Quantum mechanics...oh my! The author’s research and attention to detail are second to known! But, I’m sorry to admit that I was so bogged down with the detail and descriptions that I ended up skimming thru a lot of the material and, in doing this, I might have missed little nuances. But, time is short and my book list is too long to read a textbook, which at times this felt like.

I enjoyed the storyline and the triangle of Dawn/Brian/Wyatt. As someone who is in the process of watching someone die, I found the death doula addition interesting and very enlightening. Parts of this were very emotional for me to read. For my ease in reading, I dislike long chapters but in this case, they work to get into the separate scenarios. There is a lot of back and forth within the chapters themselves. I can usually fly thru a JP book, but I found this one more difficult, stopping and starting very often. This might have been due to the overload of information and the Egyptology storyline. I prefer a neater ending than the one written, and did feel a little let down. As with all Ms. Picoult’s books, she will make you think outside the box or your comfort zone.

I love Ms. Picoult’s earlier works, and the triangle storyline reminded me of these. I went back and forth between really liking and disliking this book. I will always be a fan and always jump at the chance to read one of Ms. Picoult’s books. I appreciate her research, her attention to detail and the honing of her craft. But, I miss the Plain Truth, My Sister’s Keeper, and 19 Minutes Stories!

Thanks to Ms. Picoult, Random House Publishing/Ballantine and Net Galley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

Another interesting read from Picoult filled with great characters. She has a knack for finding unique storylines. Much of this book takes place in Egypt and is full of desert scenes and mummy tombs. Themes of love, loss, second chances and family keep the storyline engrossing.

Pretty good book but not one of my favorites she has written. I felt like the ending was missing something , maybe closure.

Thank you to Ballantine/Random House and NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Book of Two Ways in exchange for my honest review.

I've always been a big Jodi Picoult fan and this was a little different than some of her others but with her wonderful writing style and makes you think.



The Book of Two Ways is a book about life and death, the different possibilities of life and the choices we make. How do we face death and what does a life well lived look like? Dawn begins to question her life as as she is on a plane preparing for a crash landing. In those last thoughts it isn't her husband or daughter she thinks of but her former grad school colleague. 15 years ago she was a getting her PhD at Yale in Egyptology studying The Book of Two Ways, a map on the Egyptian afterlife but when she needs to leave the dig because her mom is dying it changed the course of her life. Now she's a mom to a teenager, living in Boston with her physicist husband and is a death doula.

While slightly confusing with timelines between going back and forth between 15 years ago and now I loved the Egyptology storyline. I was never obsessed with Egypt (I prefer history after about 1600) but I really appreciated the details and research that Picoult did here. I loved how she interwound the Egyptian death rituals with the modern ideas of death and found it all fascinating. It does get really dense in places though. I loved the ties to what she studied to her present job as a death doula. I teared up a lot during these parts.

I still have some questions about the end and order of things, which is what brought it down to a 4 for me, but honestly I loved this book. There is a lot here between Egypt, death, the physics but I didn't want to put this one down!

The Book of Two Ways follows the choices of Dawn Edelsein, a former Egyptologist in graduate school that had given up her research to take care of her dying mother. She not only gives up her studies, but leaves behind the love of her life. She doesn’t return to Egypt after her mother dies – she meets and marries Brian, a physicist and has a daughter Meret. She starts her own business as a death doula that prepares terminally ill patients and their families for their impending death. When shocking information comes to light, Dawn is at a crossroads – should she go back to Egypt and face her old love and their work together, or stay with the her family.
The novel follows her to Egypt to see if the path not taken was the right decision. The plot of the story was interesting, but the moving back between the past and present was at times, confusing. Bits and pieces of both time periods were interspersed with a great deal of Egyptology research. At times, it was too overwhelming - I got bogged down with the very detailed research which stopped the progression of the story. I would have like greater character development as well. I always enjoy Jodi Picoult’s books and I enjoyed this one as well, but it is not one of my favorites. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read and give an honest review.

My 100th book of The year and this one is still sitting with me a day later.
Haunting and soul stirring #TheBookofTwoWays follows Dawn, once an Egyptologist turned death doula, as she searches for her true life.
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Her life, just like any other life could take one of two ways.
Does it take one path where she studies the actual book of two ways as an Egyptian scholar or does she take the path of a mother, a wife, a death doula?
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The book starts with a plane crash. In what could be her final moments Dawn doesn’t see her husband or her daughter. She sees the face of the man she left behind 15 years ago In Egypt.
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Whoa, this book is heavy and like every other Picoult book she makes you think, really think and I find it fascinating.
If there’s one thing Jodi picoult does is she creates an entire universe where no detail is left unturned. I mean I’m still thinking of elephants after #LeavingTime
I have so many thoughts about this ending but I don’t want to give it away.
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Huge thanks to #NetGalley and #RandomHouse for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Out this Tuesday, September 22nd.

As with all her novels, Jodi challenges the reader with her varying viewpoints. They're questioning and inquisitive, but somehow this one fell a bit short for ne. I think it was all the Egyptian history to wade through right from the start. I found myself skipping through the chapter which set the stage for the rest of the book. Not a favorite.

I received a free ARC eBook from Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinions.

Interconnected lives, career choices, relationships and history contribute to a compelling combination of themes in The Book of Two Ways. The reader comes to care about the well developed characters. Wyatt, the unconventional professor, Brian, the traditional professor, Meret, the teen daughter who shows strength and purpose while dealing with all things teen.
Dawn was planning to be an Egyptologist until a life's crisis interfered. Fifteen years later she is questioning her choices, a midlife crisis. This is the crux of a complicated story of relationships, love, life and death. Interspersed are mesmerizing intricately researched details of Egypt and Egyptology. At points these details are quite dense. Dawn's profession as a death doula contributes to defining her character. Helping her clients face death ad reflect on their lives while dawn has not done the same for herself.
This novel is ripe for discussion and reflection.

Jodi Picoult’s latest book explores the question that if you were given the opportunity to change your life’s trajectory, having just been offered a free airline ticket to the destination of your choice even if that means leaving your family behind, would you take it? The answer isn’t so simple for Dawn Edelstein, airplane crash survivor who has a post-crash epiphany. Her two possible futures proceed to unfold and along with that, the reader gets a healthy dose of Egyptology. Well researched, this book is worth the effort.

Jodi Picoult's books are always unpredictable and The Book of Two Ways does not disappoint. Dawn is a married mother of a teenage daughter. She is also a death doula, which is the opposite of a birth doula. Dawn was a graduate student working on her third dig season in Egypt when she rushed back to Boston to be at her dying mother's bedside. She left behind her PhD studies and the love of her life. Dawn discovered her vocation and her future husband when sitting vigil with her mother. Yet what if things had turned out differently? Picoult is a master weaver and this story is one that must be discussed. Antiquities lovers will especially enjoy this book and for some there might be too ancient Egyptian details. The Book of Two Ways is a fascinating, thought provoking novel no matter how you look at it.

The ancient Egyptian Book of Two Ways is said to be one of the first maps to the afterlife. It signifies choices, paths in one’s life that would ultimately end with the weighing of the heart.

Dawn Edelstein is on a plane that is crashing. As it plummets to the earth, Dawn should be thinking of her husband and daughter. Instead, Wyatt, the man she left in Egypt fifteen years ago, flashes before her eyes.

Dawn survives the crash, but it awakens a realization of her two possible paths in life. And so those paths play out alongside one another:

In Boston, Dawn is a death doula; she helps those who are terminal make the transition from life to death with as much dignity and peace as possible. Dawn has been married to Brian, a brilliant, nerdy physicist, for fifteen years. Their daughter, Meret, struggles to fit in with all the other kids. Dawn met Brian when she rushed home from Egypt as a graduate student because her mother was dying. Dawn stayed to care for her younger brother, and now her baby daughter.

In Egypt, Dawn returns to the site of the digs she and Wyatt had worked on as grad students. It is here she feels most alive and passionate. She loved her work and she had fallen hard for arrogant, yet brilliant Wyatt. Now she’s back, but why? Is it to finish the work she started, to discover another ancient artifact, or is it to unearth a love she buried long ago.

Although the storyline is unique and there is a lot of technical talk, this story is incredibly moving. The most emotional parts for me were when Dawn discussed life and death with one of her terminal clients, Win.

This book is meticulously researched and richly layered: Egyptology, multiverse theory, romance, art, marriage, parenting, are all covered. But in the end, it comes down to the choices we make and the paths we take.

This book is available on Sept. 22, 2020. Thank you to @netgalley @Randomhouse #Ballantine for this advance copy.

I have been reading Jodi for the past two decades at least. I have always enjoyed how she attacks these big subjects and tells the stories in such ways that we can empathize with everyone involved. As of late, Jodi has been writing in a much more textbook style that I don't care for as much. This was the way in A Spark of Light and now again in this book. I always enjoy a what-if/ which path type of story. This story goes back and forth in time and place, when the main character is in Egypt, and when she is in Boston. I enjoyed this and I did like the interjections of thoughts she had, such as when she talks about when her daughter Meret was little and used to say lasterday, as a reference for any point in time in the past. I loved reading about her interactions as a death doula, the love and care she gave to those in her care. That being said, I still felt that it would have been an even better story if the scientific aspects of this had been pared down, even a little. The heavy terms of archeology and Egyptian really make it hard to read this. It took me way too long to read the majority of this book due to the heavy content of the story. I felt like I should have been looking up names, details, and definitions.
I skimmed the majority of this book sadly and would not recommend to Picoult fans. This is nothing like her previous older novels that I fell in love with.

I was super excited to get this arc as Picoult is one of my few must reads anytime a new book comes out. She does such a fantastic job at taking a black/white issue and really showing the gray nuances. This was more a character story and delved into the choices we make and the path not taken. It follows Dawn McDowell who is currently a death doula but at one time was an archaeologist working in Egypt. She gets into a plane crash and was surprised on what came to her mind concerning her past instead of her present. The story then goes back and forth between time periods and the timeline was unlinear and I found it to be a bit confusing. This one is heavy on the Egyptian ancient culture, which I found fasinating but I don't think that will be the case for everyone. While I found the story interesting and wanted to see where it goes, I did not feel this was her best work.

I loved this book. Kind of a “no kidding” when I’m talking about loving a Jodi Picoult book. The Book of Two Ways was a great escape to Boston and Egypt. Two totally different places with two totally different paths. And yay Jodi for giving me a total lesson in Egyptian history!!! It was such a great escape!
I loved this story so very much that I didn’t want it to end. I can not wait to read more from Jodi! She is truly the best!