A book about an egyptologist turned death doula and how she ends up reflecting on the choices she's made over the past 15 years. Rounded up to 4 stars out of respect for this author, one of my favorites, and because I don't see how a book as well researched as this one could be any less than 4 stars. But. Reading all that research, that read so much like a textbook, gave me a bit of a headache and I found myself skimming more than I would have liked. If I'm being completely honest, I preferred the death doula persona over the egyptologist and would love to read a book about her at some point. I feel like Ms. Picoult missed the mark with what could have been a truly gripping drama. She has a knack like so few authors do of taking hot button issues and making them relatable to readers on both sides of the fence, I was so excited to read what she would do with a death doula facing her own imminent demise. But back to this book. It felt longer than it actually was, which could be good or bad depending on how you look at it I suppose, although I don't mean that in a good way here. But, I did love the characters and the smaller stories within the story - becoming a death doula, the Irish superstitions, marriage, mother daughter relationships etc. Really if this was written by any other author I probably would have given it 3 stars. If Egyptology is your thing, you should absolutely read this. If you have a passing interest in Egyptology then you should probably read this. If you don't care one bit for Egypt and have no interest in learning, maybe skip this one or be prepared to skim a solid 40% of the book. **Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free e-book in exchange for an honest review**

First sentence: MY CALENDAR IS full of dead people. When my phone alarm chimes, I fish it out from the pocket of my cargo pants. I’ve forgotten, with the time change, to turn off the reminder. I’m still groggy with sleep, but I open the date and read the names: Iris Vale. Eun Ae Kim. Alan Rosenfeldt. Marlon Jensen. I close my eyes, and do what I do every day at this moment: I remember them.

Premise/plot: Dawn McDowell (married name Edelstein) is on a flight when it makes a crash landing...as she considers that this could be her end...she flashes to her long lost love...Wyatt Armstrong...and NOT her husband of fifteen years, Brian Edelstein. If she survives the crash will she have a chance to reconsider her life's choices? And if she could would she choose differently?

The story unfolds in a non-traditional way. Chapters alternate with Dawn being at home with her husband and teenage daughter, Merit, and Dawn being in Egypt looking up her long lost love, Wyatt after fifteen years apart.

Readers eventually come to realize why Dawn was on the flight to begin with...

My thoughts: This was my first Picoult novel. So I didn't go into it with any expectations or preconceived ideas. Which may have been for the best.

I was drawn to this story because of the heroine's interest in all things Egypt. She was in graduate school studying Egyptology and working on a very specific dissertation topic--The Book of Two Ways--a "book" that supposedly helped the dead navigate their way through the afterlife? to the afterlife? My interest in Egypt was reignited with Stargate-SG-1. (I say reignited because I had earlier interests. When I was in sixth grade, there was an Egyptian exhibit coming to the local-ish museum.)

Dawn's husband is a physicist with interests in parallel universes and alternate universes. Again this drew me into the story. This won't be my first or last book that touches on this subject. It just won't. I've read complaints that these two interests--Eygpt and physics--were drags to the story and made the book "boring" or "impossible" or "insufferable." That's nonsense--from my perspective. I didn't feel they weighed the book down at all!!! And it's not like I'm an expert on either--all you'd need to read this one is a couple of PBS documentaries on either subject.

Dawn's current work is as a death doula.

I enjoyed this one. I did. I loved the alternating chapters. It kept me thinking--speculating--along the way. Did she go to Egypt after the crash? Did she go back home to Boston after the crash? Is it possible that she's actually dead and that she herself is navigating her way to the afterlife? Are these dreams she's having in her last moments of life? Which story is the real one? Is she happier at home in Boston in her super-strained marriage? Is she happier in Egypt? Which man is her one true love?

I won't be including spoilers. I won't. There was one thing I guessed would come into play relatively early on--but I won't spoil even that here.

I was engaged with the characters--most of them at least.

Christian readers should be aware that this one has a couple of graphic scenes. But these scenes were never the main point of the novel--or an excuse for the book's being.

Life – Death – Love – Time - Choices – Egyptology – Quantum Mechanics. With many other authors this would seem like a strange mix but Jodi Picoult brings it all together in "The Book of Two Ways." Life and death are often juxtaposed by the main character Dawn Edelstein. Dawn is a death doula helping guide people to the best death they can experience. In her younger days, she was a graduate student in Egyptology. Her area of expertise was The Book of Two Ways, the Egyptian description of two paths to get to the afterlife. But neither life nor death are simple progressions from one path to another. The characters are wonderfully developed and the story is captivating. I both loved and hated it at times (there’s more than one way to feel). But the ending was so perfect that I literally breathed a sigh. I loved all the information about Egypt – I’ve been there and could re-imagine the amazement one has in entering a tomb. And my partner is a physicist so the quantum mechanics just made a lot of sense to me. I thought it was a great read and could be the center of a wonderful book club discussion. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dawn Edelstein is on a plane when her life changes. With an announcement to prepare for a crash landing. 

A lot of things flash through her mind. Her husband is not one.

She survives the crash but is left wondering about her life. What would have happened if she took a different path? Gone left instead of right?

And that what the book is about. Choices and how they affect us.

I was not invested in this one at all. It could just be me. See what you think!

NetGalley/ Ballentine September 22nd, 2020 by Ballantine Books

The Book of Two Ways is a map left in Egyptian tombs to help the souls of the dead find their way to the underworld. They can choose land or water. In this case, it represents the choices we make every time we find ourselves at a proverbial fork in the road.

Dawn, our main character, is a death doula -- a specialized job that helps terminally ill patients with navigating the end of their lives in a nonmedical way. She takes on Win as a client, during which time she reminisces about the "one who got away."

Dawn was once a Egyptology student in love with a boy named Wyatt, but in her present life is married to another man and mother to a daughter.

Thanks to Jodi Picoult, I am now an expert in Egyptology, quantum physics, death doulas and Irish superstitions. (I am only being a little bit facetious.) I really enjoyed the story, but there was just so much research that Picoult felt as if she needed to put into this book that it felt like an academic textbook at times. (Picoult's son was an Egyptology major at school, so perhaps she is justifying paying for that education?)

Picoult has been researching this book, on and off, for nearly 20 years. And you can tell. If I didn't have previous, positive experiences with Picoult's books, I probably would have given up on this one.

I ended up really enjoying how this story was woven together. The characters were likeable. I don't know what to do with all this information about these arcane subjects, but I did end up finding some of it very interesting.

I wanted to like this book. I really did. But it just felt so disconnected and I had such a hard time falling into the rhythm of reading. I'd get into it, especially with Win, but then I was pulled right back out again. There was a little too much technical detail for my liking in a fiction novel, and I couldn't really like any of the characters.

Jodi Picoult never disappoints, but this is probably her best book ever. Loaded with research about Egyptology, the scenes switch between Egypt and Boston. A beautiful love story woven not only with the main character, but a sub character as well. The Book of Two Ways will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the second half of the book. Picoult shows us you can’t have it all!

As always, Jodi Picoult is poignant, purposeful and evocative. I loved the chemistry between Dawn and Wyatt, the exploration of a fading relationship, and all the nuance she brings to the table when she writes about people, their relationships and the complications they bring. In one line, she can make a reader's heart break or lift. I highly recommend this book--particularly for its ties to ancient Egypt! (This nerd was very happy!)

Phenomenal. Meaningful. Enlightening. These are just a few words that come to mind when I want to describe The Book of Two Ways. Jodi Picoult wrote a story centered around Dawn's life which is messy, real, and deals with making difficult choices that affect more than just the decision-maker. This book pulled at my heart and transported me to another world, allowing me to feel like I was a part of the story.

The reason I did not rate this book 5/5 is because I felt lost or a little confused multiple times while reading. Often I felt like I was reading from a textbook. Though the subjects discussed were interesting, I found myself wanting to breeze past these parts of the book.

All in all, The Book of Two Ways is filled with many beautiful relationships, life lessons, second chances, life, love,
and pain. I did not want to put this book down. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a "feel-good" story and to anyone who is not afraid to think about some of life's most difficult questions: What does a life well-lived look like? When we depart this earth, what do we leave behind of ourselves? And who would you be, if you hadn't turned out to be the person you are right now?

The Book of Two Ways: A Novel
Jodi Picoult
September 22, 2020

In The Book of Two Ways: A Novel, our protagonist is Dawn Edelstein, a woman who lives in many worlds. We are introduced to her as she survives a plane crash. Her story is told in references from Boston where she lives with her husband, Brian. He is a quantum physics professor at Harvard University. Her daughter, Meret, age fifteen is very intelligent, an only child. Dawn studied Egyptology at the University of Chicago, continued on to begin her PHD studies via Yale in Cairo, Egypt. As a lead graduate student she was paired up with Wyatt Armstrong. Together they worked in the tombs of the pharaohs translating the hieroglyphs. She fell in love with Wyatt while they did their work in the dark necropolis. They were a spectacular pair on the verge of discovering the path of nomarchs who ruled for centuries. When Dawn’s mother was diagnosed with cancer, she had hidden the cancer for years, now it was time for hospice. Dawn left Egypt to be with her mother. It was then she decided she wouldn’t go back to her studies, there would be no Phd. It was time to find a new future, she’d left Wyatt and her mission behind.
It was there she met Brian Edelstein. She ran into him in the hospice kitchen making coffee. His grandmother was dying of Alzheimers. The two continued to enjoy times when their times were free. Fifteen years later they live in Boston. Dawn is now a Death Doula. She helps the dying and their families to deal with the inevitable.
I was somewhat confused after reading the prologue and continuing on to the first chapter. I gave up, I wasn’t concentrating enough. The next day I began again. This was a novel that Jodi Picoult had written with a great deal of research. It heads into Land/Egypt with much historical Egyptology that Dawn and Wyatt were doing in archeological sites. The terminology was difficult as it dealt with the mythology as well as the pharaohs they sought. The tone turned to physics and science when Dawn dealt with Brian and Meret. It required me to think, to do some research on my own, to get acquainted with the flow of her story. I became very involved. I would only read one chapter per day. Each was long, involved and I wanted to consume what she had written before I headed into the next part of Dawn’s life. I have read many of Jodi Picoult’s books and always liked what I have read. This was a master tale of a life’s journey. Picoult must have spent months, perhaps years researching to produce such a phenomenal work. This book should be a challenge to her readership. It won’t be easy but readers will be proud of her work as well as your completing the summons to read it.
The Book of Two Ways: A Novel by Jodi Picoult will be published on September 22, 2020 by Ballantine Books of Random House Publishing. I give them my appreciation for allowing me to read and review Picoult’s latest selection. Extract the courage to read this one. It is truly a great novel.

It has been so long since I read a Jodi Picoult book, but they always fill me with a sense of nostalgia. I love the exploration of "what ifs" and regrets in this novel, which is classic Picoult territory. I found Egyptology fascinating, so really enjoyed that aspect of it. Really lovely characters and arc

Something entirely different from Ms. Picoult. One one hand you have the story of Dawn who currently is a death doula, married with a teenage daughter. But Dawn's mind wanders to the could have/should haves of a life she was destined for as an Egyptologist and the man she left behind, Wyatt, when she suspects her husband has been unfaithful. This triggers an event that catapults the reader into the second story of The Book of Two Ways. So much time is given in great detail to the works, translations, and study of Egyptology, it regularly reads like a text book. The play on words from an actual Book of Two Ways in Egyptology and those of choices made by Dawn is not lost on the reader.
However, I found the portion of Dawn's life as a death doula the most engaging out of the entire book and would have enjoyed it far more had that been its main focus and conflict. When not reading like a text book, I would give it 4 stars, but as is I give it 3 stars.

As a fan of Jodi Picoult's books, I was excited to receive an ARC of The Book of Two Ways. This is the story of Dawn Edelstein who struggles between two different paths. The path that is her husband and 14 year old daughter and the path that is the love she left behind 15 years ago. This story starts out with a bang and had me hooked instantly.

You can certainly tell that she did her research while writing this book. I will say though that at times this read like a textbook. It is very heavy in information about Egyptology, quantum physics, etc. I felt that it also overshadowed the beautifully written story. Although, it is not your typical book by Jodi Picoult, it still had the characters you fall in love with and a very well written story.

With great thanks to Random House Publishers & NetGalley for granting me this early reading copy!

I have read and enjoyed so many of Jodi Picoult's books over the years. I was very excited to get an ARC of the Book of Two Ways. This book is very different then her usual style. It is very heavy on the history and the science of Egyptology at the expense of the interpersonal relationships that she is trying to develop. Usually Ms. Picoult writes about some current social issue that she will explore in great detail. In this novel, she has explored Egypt in great detail, and tried to weave in the characters and their relationships. I think the book would have been more effective with less Egyptian detail, and more character/relationship development. One thing that this novel has in common with some of her other novels is a very unsatisfactory ending. Overall with pretty much all of Picoult's books, I have devoured them only to be supremely disappointed by the ending. But I keep reading them because she is such a great writer and is such a wonderful storyteller.

Is our destiny determined or do we determine our destiny? Dawn is wondering 'what if.' What if she had gone back to Egypt? What if she had not followed specific paths laid before her? After 15 years, Dawn know she loves Brian, but maybe not as much as she loved her first love Wyatt. She must go back to Egypt to find that out and to maybe rediscover herself, but will she come back? This book is very heavy on Egyptian history and physics theory. Honestly, the author went way overboard of the Egyptology and trying to parallel with with her story. Not her best work, but if you like Egyptian history, it's right up your ally.

As a fan of Picoult's previous books, I had no doubt that this book would also surpass my expectations. I love the way she intertwines Egyptian information into the plot of the main character Dawn, a death doula, who experiences her own moment of facing death. With this, she realizes what she truly wants after all these years. I couldn't stop reading the book once I started it. Definitely would recommend this!

This was in interesting take on the familiar theme of what might have happened if you had made a different choice and taken a different path. In this book, Dawn Edelstein leaves her husband and child to travel to Egypt and revisit the man and career she left behind 15 years before.

I liked the interesting careers that all of the main characters had--Dawn as a Death Doula, Wyatt as an Egyptologist, and Brian as a physicist -- and it's quite obvious that Picoult did her homework, unfortunately this often felt like I was doing homework as she went into WAY too much detail about them and didn't spend enough time getting deep into the characters, particularly Dawn who I never really got attached to. Also, the skipping around was really confusing, especially the Egypt scenes. I was often unclear if we were in the past or present.

Thank you Jodi Picoult, NetGalley and Random House LLC for the ARC.

I LOVE Jodi Picoult and always look forward to reading her new books. As always, she does extensive research and this book shows it. The stories go from Egyptology and quantum mechanics to finding her own identity. I have to admit I was a little confuse with the time line...then I finally figure it out and understood why I was confused.

I loved the ending. Definitely a book I would recommend

I'm not crying! You're crying!!! What an emotional roller coaster!!!!

Jodi Picoult does it AGAIN!!! Superb writing, a non-linear timeline, and a story that will twist you into an emotional pretzel! WOW! This is a story that you will be thinking about days after you've turned the last page.

I can see where the people that left less than stellar reviews were coming from when they said it sounded too much like a textbook. The ancient Egyptian names and history was a lot to read, but it helped to tie the story together. If you can bear down and stick with the story, you'll be greatly rewarded!

A special thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Jodi Picoult for providing me with an ARC.

If you think you know Jodi Piccoult, think again. This is not the sometimes formulaic plot-driven novel that you've come to expect. You will recognize the meticulous research and richly painted characters that Piccoult delivers time and again, but this one is something special and different. Piccoult has deftly woven a multiverse concept into both theme and plot to create another level of intricacy that works beautifully. Who else would (or could) combine a major archeological discovery in Egypt, theoretical physics, the career of a death doula and a fairly average family into study of life choices, adventure and romance that is anything but pedestrian. This is Piccoult at her best and is not to be missed.