I received an ARC of The Book of Two Ways in exchange for an unbiased review.

First of all, I must state that I am a Jodi Picoult fan although I despise that her books are frequently categorized as Women's Fiction. Actually, I hate the category for any author since writing and storytelling do not appeal based on gender but rather on quality. Seriously, why are Picoult books listed as Women's Fiction but not Chris Bohjalian's who usually presents a female protagonist? I've never seen a Men's Fiction category. Men can enjoy Picoult books and women can enjoy a James Rollins novel.

The Books of Two Ways is a bit of a departure of Picoult. Here she employs a single point of view, Dawn, which really allows readers to share Dawn's doubts and grief, her uncertainties and passions. This novel is far more a character study than Picoult's more recent novels like A Spark of Light or Small Great Things, both of which dealt with weighty political and social issues as seen through the eyes of multiple narrators. The single point of view is very effective since Dawn's turmoils involve lost love and sudden career change. Her view of her life and her future change with a single phone call - her mother is dying.

Presently, Dawn is a death doula, a person who assists a dying client go gently into the good night. Dawn makes sure that last wishes are met and the myriad financial and legal arrangements are made. She holds hands and listens to both the dying client and the devastated family members. Married with a daughter, Dawn is happy but a possible indiscretion by her husband sends her down the road of "What if?" Picoult brings readers to Dawn's earlier life when she was a Yale graduate student studying Egyptian iconography. Immersing herself in archaeological digs, Dawn's attraction to fellow student and competitor, Wyatt, was intense. But then, that phone call.

Picoult obviously researched ancient Egyptian culture and she seamlessly includes information about art, architecture, religion. She effectively draws the connections between people, even those separated by thousands of years.

Can Dawn go back? Should she? This book took me days to read because Dawn's turmoils are so clear and wrenching; I didn't want any of the characters to be hurt or disappointed but life is messy and bumpy. A great read.
#NetGalley #TheBookofTwoWays

I LOVED this book. I've read all of Picoult's books and think this is by far the best. As with all of her books, the level of research and knowledge that went into the development of this story was outstanding. I particularly enjoyed how the characters and themes throughout the book and as I read, it led me to reflect on my own life and choices. I think I will continue to think about the characters, the story, and the questions that arose in the days to come. I highly, highly recommend this book!

I loved another Jodi Picoult book so I was very excited about this read!! The book was enjoyable, but predictable. I liked how the book discusses modern day issues and also told a love story throughout. However, it should come with a warning that it is very heavy on Egypt and Physics. Both of those topics are not something that interests me and I found it sometimes hard to understand of those sections boring.

Thanks to Random House Publishing - Ballantine and NetGalley!

The Book of Two Ways
A Novel
by Jodi Picoult
Read an Excerpt
Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine
Ballantine Books
General Fiction (Adult) | Women's Fiction
Pub Date 22 Sep 2020 | Archive Date 11 Jan 2021

I am a fond reader of Jodi Picoult. Thanks to Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group-Gallentine for the ARC of this book. I found this book to be rather wordy and not up to par with the others Jodi has written.
Just not the book for me at this time, I guess.

What a disappointment! Jodi Picolt is one of my favorite authors. This read more like a text book! I tried skimming those parts, but eventually gave up reading this book. I have several advanced degrees, but right now I needed to escape rather than be educated.

Normally I am absolutely love books by Jodi Picoult. For some reason, I just could not get into this one. I think it was more the subject material than anything though. Could have very well just been my mood as well.

First of all, thanks to NetGalley for the ecopy for my Kindle.
I really wanted to like this book but with too much history of Egyptology plus the explicit sexual content, I couldn't give this book a better rating. And the ending just ruined the entire book for me.
Sorry, I usually enjoy the author's books......

I enjoy Jodi PIcoult's books very much. And while this book was no exception, it wasn't quite what I expected or hoped for.

The first issue I had with the book is the extensive Egyptian history. It's clear Picoult did her research, but it was almost as if she felt the need to insert everything she learned into the book to make it worth her effort. There were huge passages, pages long, describing Egyptian history, tombs, hieroglyphs, etc., that I didn't feel added anything to the story. Their insertion was often in the middle of a scene, and because of their length, when we got back to the scene, I'd often forgotten what was happening.

The second issue I had was that the description is that her "two possible lives unspool side by side." this gave me an expectation that we were going to see two different lives and what could have happened if she'd chosen A or if she'd chosen B. But I didn't feel that was what happened. I felt it was more like she was following a single path that had a few Y's in it where she had to make a choice, but ultimately, nothing really changed.

I also felt that Dawn's character, perhaps because of the "two paths" nature of the book, felt a bit underdeveloped. I never really felt like I was getting to know her. It was always about what Brian did/said/thought, what Wyatt did/said/thought, what Meret did/said/thought. She was always thinking about these other people and their actions, words, or needs, but we never really got to know her and what she wanted or needed. It never seemed like she made a choice based on her own thoughts, feelings, wants, or needs.

Which brings me to my final issue with the book, which is the ending. It literally ends in mid-conversation, with no true resolution. I'm guessing this was meant to leave it to our own interpretation, but there were enough possibilities here that I would have preferred a solid ending that gave me a clear picture of what was going to happen.

Despite the complaints, however, it was a good read. It is interesting to contemplate what might have happened if, at a turning point in our lives, we had chosen B instead of A. Where would we be? Who would we be with? Who would we be? How different (or the same) would our life be? And this book, to a degree, gives you the satisfaction of seeing that play out, of seeing this is what happens when you choose this, and this is what happens when you choose that.

Final verdict: It's a good read, but I strongly suggest going in with no expectations based on the book description.

Dawn Edelstein has two men in her life: one from before and one after. The dividing line between the two times is the tragic death of her mom, the moment that everything changes. She had been a doctoral student working as an archaeologist in Egypt. She was in love with fellow archaeologist, Wyatt. After, she was forced to return home to care for her brother. This was when she found comfort in the arms of another man, Brian. She married Brian.

After she survives a plane crash, Dawn starts questioning her choices. Did she choose the right man? Did she choose the correct path in life, one that will make her life a well-lived one?

As always, Picoult’s characters are so very real. They carry us through Dawn’s life before and after. They present all of Dawn’s choices to the reader. Picoult portrays love in such an authentic and realistic way! It is oftentimes heart-breaking to read.

The Egyptology details become somewhat cumbersome to wade through, however. Most were very intriguing and sometimes the stories paralleled what was happening in Dawn’s life. However, it was oftentimes a bit too much!

This story is almost impossible to put down, nonetheless. I could not wait to reach the conclusion to find out what would happen. Sadly, I was disappointed at the very end. Still, this is a very worthwhile read, one that has value and makes you consider your own life’s choices.

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Fifteen years ago, Dawn was in the tombs studying to be an Egyptologist, her dream job. But when her mother calls to tell her she's terminally ill, Dawn gives up her dream to care for her and eventually raise her young brother. Her long hours at her mother's bedside prove to herself and others who praise her how good she is with end of life concerns, so she starts a new career as a death doula. Now, after a near death airplane crash, Dawn finds herself questioning the direction her life has gone since she walked away from her dream and her first love with fellow Egyptologist, Wyatt Armstrong. From there the story forks in two ways, what might have been if she'd stayed in Egypt, or if she returned to her complicated marriage with her husband and daughter in Boston.
There were a lot of details of Egyptology and physics that showed massive amounts of research but left me a bit lost. But overall the story was really good and shows why Jodi Picoult remains one of my favorite authors. Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was a little different than Jodi Picoult's prior books, when tend to focus on a social issue told from various perspectives. In this novel, Dawn, a death doula and former grad student in Egyptology comes to a crossroads in her life following a plane crash. It is told in two parallel storylines where you see what happened to bring her to that point as well as what happens after the crash.

There was a LOT of discussion of Egypt, the gods, heiroglyphics and coffins as much of the novel takes place in Egypt and much of the dialogue in Egypt focuses on the work on a dig and what is in the coffins.

Personally, the Egypt part didn't do much for me, but I liked Dawn and the other characters.

Another spectacular odyssey from Picoult taking her in a new direction. I adored her previous two novels for the commentary on social issues they brought. I adored this one for the Egyptology, for the sheer amount of knowledge and research and mythology poured into this.

This took an immensely fascinating but usually unsatisfying trope and did it justice. I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this justice, but it was justice done. When authors have two alternate storylines based on a choice a character makes, it frequently ends up becoming two books, but Picoult deftly wove the two together, making information we learned in one timeline important to conclusions reached in the other.

I absolutely adored all the academic topics this touched on. It’s quite readable despite how informative it is, and Brian’s lectures on quantum suicide left me thinking just as the archeologic methods detailed kept me enraptured. And I loved Meret’s name. I loved the limestone post-it note. I loved the thought and care.

This depicts love so phenomenally. Picoult’s greatest strength is in her characters, and her books are so fabulous because her characters face dilemmas that have no easy solutions and they feel like people so real they could be ourselves. This is evident in how Dawn reacts and relates to her family, from Brian and Wyatt to Kieran and Meret. And a death doula! What a job.

The weakest aspect of this was the plane crash itself, which seems not to weigh on Dawn at all. The timeline of the beginning kept me quite confused. <spoiler>Though this is explained later on, the copy for the book places too much significance on this.</spoiler>

I should really delve into Picoult’s backlist. And this simply reinforces my belief that anything Jennifer Hershey edits turns to pure gold.

This book was very heavy on Egyptology, which may be off putting for some. However, it was made for some highly interesting additions to the story.
I found Dawn's profession as a death doula to be incredibly enlightening as well. It highlights the growing movement toward death positivity.
The back and forth format left me confused for a while but it worked out well for the atory in the end.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book - it was a nice break from the reality of quarantine.

Book of Two Ways was a beautifully written and well researched story with multiple layers of intensity including Egyptology and its Book of Two Ways, quantum physics, and the multiverse parallel universe. On a less intense level there were Irish superstitions dispersed throughout the story which added a bit of levity when needed. On an emotional level the characters dealt with the lost of lives and loves, second chances, fat shaming, and acceptance of the choices made. There was also a story of love: a mother’s love for her daughter and the people who have impacted Dawn’s life- before the death of her mother and after it.

Everything about this story was compelling. I enjoyed the characters, their careers, the different timelines, and settings. I found Dawn’s job as a death doula interesting. Her interactions with her clients, especially Win, were filled with compassion and heartache. I also loved how the story evolved, especially when the past and present converged.
Overall, the storyline was not only thought provoking and engaging but also educational.

An ARC was given for an honest review.

This took me a bit to get into - the Egyptology context was interesting but bulky in a way as someone who doesn't understand it. Picoult does, however, weave it into the narrative naturally so eventually it became second-nature.

After recently finishing another novel with a similar storyline (one moment sparking two paths and the story hops between them), I wasn't super excited to read another - but Picoult readers know that she injects her own twist on everything; this was no exception. I thought I knew how it would end, but (of course) I was wrong. Her characters are real and flawed and human - there was one scene that I thought was kind of contrived, but overall she creates a story with genuine emotion.

*My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’m honestly a little torn in reviewing this because, on the one hand, I applaud and admire Picoult for undertaking such a venture in writing this. The amount of research, organization and thoughtfulness that was put into this is mammoth. Jodi Picoult consistently reveals her skill as an author and her willingness to try new things. For those reasons, this is worthy of 5 stars.

On the other hand, I found some of the descriptions, particularly those involving physics and Egyptology, to be overly wordy and reminiscent of a non-fiction book. I feel like this will definitely appeal to certain readers, as the descriptions directly parallel what takes place in the plot. However, I am sad to say, it did not hold my interest and I found myself skimming through those parts.

With that said, I highly recommend this all of Picoult’s fans and those of fiction in general as it is definitely a tour de force in writing and should not be overlooked.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Ballantine Books and Jodi Picoult for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Dawn Edelstein was working on her graduate degree in Egyptology. She specialized in The Book of Two Ways, a sort of map painted inside the tombs of mummies showing the dead how to get to the afterlife. There are two routes - a land path and a water path.

Her own path changed drastically when she received a phone call that changed her entire life. She had to leave the pyramid in Egypt and return to the US for a family emergency. While home, she meets a grieving man named Brian, falls in love, and finds herself pregnant. She and Brian marry and raise their daughter Meret together. Dawn works as a social worker, which leads her toward becoming a death doula. It's sort of the opposite of a birth doula - someone hired by a dying person to help make them comfortable, help complete a bucket list, assist the dying person's family, or just to be there to hold the hand of someone who has nobody else.

But Dawn is in a plane crash and survives. She knows they say your life flashes before your eyes as you're dying. So why did she see her graduate school love, Wyatt, rather than her husband and daughter? Now Dawn must choose her own path - return to her comfortable life in Boston with her family, or find Wyatt to discover what she missed by leaving Egypt and never returning to finish her degree or her relationship with him.

Jodi Picoult has a way with words that seems so effortless but is deep and meaningful and purposeful. The characters are complicated and multidimensional. The setting seems so realistic that I could practically feel the sweltering Egyptian heat.

Full of complicated choices and relationships, any fan of Picoult will love this novel. I found it interesting that this novel isn't told from alternating viewpoints like many of her stories are. The reader is with Dawn for the entire story but it doesn't feel constrained in any way because there are so many characters with whom she interacts.

My one complaint is that I didn't love the ending. I understand why it ended the way it did, but it wasn't satisfying me as a reader. However, in the acknowledgements she mentions she made a difficult decision to change the ending. I'm very curious to know how it ended before she changed it.

4.5 stars

Dawn is living a normal life in Boston. Her husband is a college professor. Her daughter is getting ready to enter high school. Dawn has a meaningful job as a "death doula", someone who helps people do a variety of tasks to get ready for the ends of their lives. Those tasks may include planning a funeral, organizing finances, or tying up loose ends by helping those dying to say what they need to say or resolve any regrets they may have.

Dawn herself has just one life regret...Wyatt, the man she left in Egypt when she hurried back to the U.S. when her mother became ill and entered hospice. Dawn wonders what her life would be like had she stayed in Egypt. When Dawn experiences something life-threatening, she decides to return to Egypt to find Wyatt to see if she can discover what could have been. Or at least, the reader thinks that's what's happening!

The Book of Two Ways is so cleverly written. You will fall in love with all of the characters, including not just Dawn, but Brian, her husband, Meret, her daughter, Wyatt, her old flame, and Win, her client. This book truly comes full circle with masterful writing by Jodi Picoult.

My only criticism of this book is that I personally thought that too much of the book was about Egyptian history, mythology, etc. A lot of the Egyptian references did not advance the story, and I found myself just skimming over them.

I would recommend this book to any readers who like good storytelling, strong characters, and "a-ha" moments.

3.5 stars rounded down
It is really hard for me to give Picoult anything but a five star review. I adore her writing. I’ve read the majority of her books and enjoyed almost all of them. I was so excited to receive an ARC from NetGalley.
With that disclaimer, this book was disappointing for me. While it had moments of beautiful writing- writing that made stopped me in my tracks-those moments were few and far between. For me, the majority of the book felt like a textbook for an advanced course of Egyptology. The heaviness of that far outshadowed the rest of the story and made it challenging to read. I also struggled with the alternating locations of the chapters. Not only was I having to differentiate between locations but then within chapters the timeframe also shifted. There were many times I had to reorient myself to figure out where and when the characters were.
Ugh the more I write about it, the more issues I have. So I’ll stop. And maybe I’ll go back and read another book of Picoult’s so this won’t be the last impression I’m left with.

4.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for my electronic ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be published September 22, 2020.

Jodi Picoult is one of a few authors I follow; I will ALWAYS read her latest book. I’ve probably read 10 books by her and they are all vastly different. The common theme is she is an expert story-teller and she does thorough research on whatever topic she chooses.

I’m not particularly interested in Egyptian archeology or the Art of Dying and yet I got sucked in, after a slow start when I thought I’d be buried in historical facts. I quickly learned I was rather fascinated by both topics, which only serve as backdrops to the two love stories that are playing out 15 years apart.

The book raises the question of What If? What role does fate play in our relationships?

My only critique is it ended abruptly without answering a really important question. (No spoilers here).

Original review posted on GoodReads.