The Book of Two Ways, by Jodi Picoult, is a heartachingly beautiful story of "what-if." More so, it is a novel exploring second chances, life, death, and all the choices we must make in those precious moments. In classic Jodi Picoult manner the book is beautifully written. Emotions are laid raw and relatable.

That being said, this is not a typical Jodi Picoult book. This novel has a lot of Egyptology. A lot. If this is not a particular interest the research that went into the making of the book will bog you down and take away from the fully engrossing experience of being "in" a good book.

Another thing that detracted me from fully enjoying the story is I really did not like the main character until well over half way through the book. It felt that she overreacted to a situation (which you late come to realize why) but the skipping through time and the slow reveal of why she is reevaluating her marriage really kept me from relating to her. I found her a little tiresome and it felt like she is the kind of person who make drama in her life and then wonders why there is so much drama in her life.

That being said, it is a solid four-star read in that the story is complete, well-crafted, and beautifully told.

Thank you @Netgalley and @atrandom @randomhouse for early access to this ARC in return for an unbiased and voluntary review

I can’t decide how I feel about this one. I usually either love her books or hate them but this is just a mix. I loved how she wrote it as two different timelines and how it came together at the end. I loved that so so much. But there was TOO much stuff she tried to pack in. There was so much stuff about Egyptology and symbols and then threw in some about quantum physics and of course it wouldn’t be a Jodi Picoult book without some teen problem - specifically weight related this time. It was just a lot. Overall I liked it because of the framing she did, and I liked the characters well enough, but as a whole it just wasn’t my favorite:

I’m a long time fan of Jodi Picoult’s writing. I’ve read many books of hers over the years, and just like many before it this book was well written and very well researched. I enjoyed the story & was fascinated by the hieroglyphics & Egyptian ancient history. The ending was not my favorite, and overall I think the author’s prior works were stronger novels, but this one was decent.

I thought "Jodi Picoult" this will be a treat!
Well, not so much.
The 'book' in the story is an ancient Eqyptian book of how to get to the afterlife. (I don't think I'm giving away too much here.)
OK, I thought, interesting and different.
The problem was that although there were hieroglyphics actually printed in the book, they were really hard to see. I kept having trouble trying to remember what the pictures stood for. Also, apparently, a single hieroglyphic can stand for an item (a noun, for instance) but also might be a letter.
She started to lose me right there.
But, I hung in for the story.
She goes back and forth in time (of course) and once or twice I wasn't sure "when" it was until I had read a few pages.
I won't go into the details of the story, but there is a decision to be made. And, (spoiler alert) she ends the book without telling you what decision was made.
Disappointing!

This book was so much more than I expected. I’ve always had a closet interest in Egypt and how things were done, this book is so informative on the history of tombs and pyramids and while you feel like reading a history book there is another story woven in just as deep as the history. This book started out a little slow, a little confusing with changing timelines but it all comes together perfectly at the end. I love all of Jodi’s book and this is no different. Highly recommend!

Dawn is a death doula. She lives in Boston with her husband and teenage daughter, and she helps people who are close to death prepare. This is not the future she thought she would have when she was in graduate school studying to be an Egyptologist, researching the Book of Two Ways, working a dig in Egypt. However, when her mother died, her life changed. What would her life have been like if she hadn’t given it up, including her love, Wyatt?

Wonderful story, looking at a variety of relationships between parent/child, lovers, spouses, friends. An amazing amount of research must have gone into this! Definite twists and surprises. The story was not what I expected from the description I read before reading the book. This would make a good book club book – plenty to discuss.

I had to impatiently leave this book in my unread queue for much longer than I would have liked, due to some similar themes in my own work-in-progress... But with that book turned over to my publisher at last, THE BOOK OF TWO WAYS proved worth the wait.

I was utterly absorbed from Page 1 by the characters and themes alike—a hard look at the decisions we come to regret, and whether we can ever really know what we've given up down one untaken path to pursue another. The structure is jaw-droppingly perfect and a master class in perceptions and timelines.

Jodi Picoult just keeps getting better and better, and I'm so grateful for her beautiful way with words.

Jodi Picoult is my absolute favorite author. However, unfortunately, The Book of Two Ways just fell flat for me. As much as I love how much time and effort Picoult puts in to researching her books, this one felt more heavy on the research and less on the actual story line or character development. If you're really into archeology, I could see really enjoying this book. However, it was sadly not a favorite for me.

I haven't read a Jodi Picoult book in a long time, but as a fan of stories that mess with time, I had to pick this up. Unfortunately it didn't work super well for me and I found myself almost put it down a few times. It seemed to veer away from her typical book that has an enthralling plot with a little bit of mystery, or at least a big reveal, to then wrap up with a lesson of some sort, and a tidy (if not always happy) conclusion. This one jumped the shark, as they say. But I don't want to spoil it for those who still might pick it up, just know this didn't feel like the Picoult we all love.

The inspiration for The Book of Two Ways first struck more than a decade before author Jodi Picoult actually wrote the book. Her son was majoring in Egyptology at Yale University. She happened to walk by and see him working on a translation of The Book of Two Ways, a road map to the underworld that is more than 4,000 years old. She thought to herself, "Great name for a novel." She discovered that the text is about choices: “The deceased could take either a land route or a water route to get to the field of offerings, which is the ancient Egyptian version of heaven. No matter which path you took, you wound up where you were supposed to be.”

Picoult came up with the story of a middle-aged woman on a fateful flight. She is a death doula traveling alone while her husband, Brian, is at home in Boston. As the plane is headed for a crash landing, the woman is surprised to find that what flashes before her eyes in what she believes will be her final moments isn't the life she has built with her husband and child. Rather, she sees the life she originally planned that never came to fruition as an Egyptologist with a different man she left behind fifteen years earlier. “She has to decide: What do I do with this information?” She scuttled the idea when a planned trip to Egypt to research her subject matter had to be canceled.

But she resurrected it some six years later as she conversed with her son's thesis adviser, telling her she still wanted to write the book. She had always known that she "needed to write about -- the construct of time, and love, and life, and death." She took her up on her offer to travel to Egypt, and also set about learning about the work death doulas perform. Picoult is known for her meticulously-researched novels, and The Book of Two Ways is no exception. She immerses readers in Dawn's world, especially the archaeological digs she is part of in Egypt.

Relating the story through a first-person narrative from Dawn, her protagonist, readers learn that Dawn wanted to be an Egyptologist after studying Ancient Egypt in fourth grade and falling in love with the culture. She earned a full scholarship to the University of Chicago and fifteen years ago she was a Yale graduate student working in Egypt on her third archaeological dig when she learned that her mother was dying from Stage 4 ovarian cancer. Her brother, Kieran, was only thirteen years old, and their father, a U.S. Army captain, died in a helicopter crash when their mother was carrying Kieran. Unlike their father, their mother did not die alone. Left with responsibility for Kieran, Dawn could not resume her studies at Yale, much less go back to Egypt. Instead, she got a job at the same hospice facility where her mother died, eventually earning a Masters in Social Work and becoming a hospice social worker. A decade later, she became a death doula and for the past five years has run her own business, providing the same services as midwives, but at the other end of the life spectrum. After thirteen years, Dawn believes that she knows a lot about death, but as Picoult's story opens, she is about to learn that she is wrong. About a lot of things.

While working at the hospice, Dawn met her husband, Brian, and they welcomed a daughter, Meret. Brian, a physics professor, has always been steady, thoughtful, capable, as Dawn describes him. But now their marriage is in trouble as a result of Brian's flirtation with his post-doctoral student, especially when he misses Meret's birthday party. For Dawn, it was a betrayal. She is also struggling to balance the needs of her business and parent Meret, a fourteen-year-old who, unlike her thin parents, struggles with a weight problem.

After Dawn survives a plane crash, she is overcome with emotion. Impulsively, she opts not to return home. Instead, after thinking about Wyatt Armstrong, with whom she was in a serious relationship when she had to abruptly leave Egypt to care for her mother, she heads to Egypt. Theirs was a classic love story: he was arrogant, self-centered, and immensely talented, and they competed as graduate students, but eventually fell in love. When she arrives, she finds that in the intervening fifteen years, Wyatt as ascended professionally and is now the Director of Egyptology at Yale. Obviously, Wyatt is stunned to see her because Dawn didn't just leave Egypt. She never explained why she was leaving and did not remain in contact with Wyatt. Still, when he asks why she has come back, she cannot bring herself to tell him that he is the reason she has abruptly returned. They resume both working side by side and their relationship, even though Dawn is married and Wyatt is engaged to be married to another woman.

The story is told via dual timelines. In an alternate reality, Dawn survives the plane crash and returns home to work on her marriage, and parent Meret. She takes on a new client, Win, whose son died at the age of sixteen as a result of a drug overdose. She embroils Dawn in her quest to locate her son's father, a painter with whom she had an affair. And Dawn's musings about the life she could have chosen are not without guilt.

The Book of Two Ways moves at a steady, but not fast pace which is appropriate for the subject matter. Picoult invites readers to join Dawn, a compellingly flawed character, on her contemplative journey of reflection about the path she did not choose and what might have happened if she had. Her desire for a second chance at being a Egyptologist, and to find out if her relationship with Wyatt could have worked out had she not left him without a word of explanation, is inspired when she is unexpectedly thrust into a crossroads in her life. Brian's work is in quantum mechanics -- the theory that parallel universes can exist and two versions of the same life be lived within them. Has Dawn been living an alternate life within a parallel universe? Is that what one of Picoult's narratives actually means?

It all makes sense when Picoult seamlessly merges the two narratives. Secrets are revealed that require each character to come to terms with the truth. Dawn is forced to make decisions about what she really wants and how her future will unfold after she has been given an opportunity to discover how a reunion with Wyatt will play out and faced the problems in her marriage head-on. Just like the Egyptians who believed that in the afterlife they would traverse one of the paths depicted in The Book of Two Ways to the Field of Offerings to enjoy an eternal feast.

In the hands of a less skilled writer, The Book of Two Ways could have become bogged down in sentimentality, but Picoult elevates the subject matter, deftly taking Dawn on a journey of self-discovery that feels neither contrived nor heavy-handed. Rather, it is a thoughtful exploration of a middle-aged woman's re-evaluation of her choices as she works her way through the complexities of her life in an effort to find happiness and fulfillment without hurting those she loves. Picoult always crafts thought-provoking stories that examine and meld several themes into a cohesive whole and The Book of Two Ways showcases her unique ability to do so in a believable, uncontrived, and emotionally resonant fashion. In true Picoult style, the story is related with compassion, sans judgment, and with the expectation that her readers will contemplate the questions she raises and find their own answers. In this book, Picoult takes that approach to its ultimate conclusion with an ambiguous ending that provides plenty of fodder for argument at book club meetings.

I did not expect to have such an emotional journey reading this story, but sometimes the best books are full of surprises. At first glance the book is hefty in size and having no desire to read about about Egypt and the ancient tombs had me second guessing my choice, but I was roped in early on. Guess sometimes we pick books thinking one thing and magically surprise ourselves when we’re wrong! Two days to finish and I know this story will stay with me a very long time.
Dawn had envisioned her life going a certain way, but the death of her mother left her in debt and the soul provider for her brother Kieran. That’s not to say she didn’t have a good life because she did, a beautiful daughter, a husband she loves, and a rewarding job as a death doula. Caring for people is what she does, but at the end of the day who is caring for her?
In college Dawn was studying The Book of Two ways and ancient Egyptian writings. Working in the caves and translating script was fulfilling and felt right. Meeting Wyatt and falling in love felt right, the two were soulmates living out their dreams together, until Dawn had to leave and everything changed in the world she knew. Dawn gave up the dream career and her soulmate, and traded it for a life raising her younger brother, getting married and having her own child. Even though she had a whole new life the one she left behind was always in her mind.
When Dawn takes on a new client who is dying and asks for Dawn to grant her one last wish, Dawn realizes she too must seek closure, or perhaps a nee beginning. In the Book of Two Ways Dawn is presented with many difficult choices, and with both she will lose someone she loves dearly. Heartwarming, heartbreaking, it can only go two ways…

I couldn't get into this book. I'm sure it's great for others, but it wasn't for me. I loved the idea of dual perspectives, but for me personally, the dual perspectives tied with the historical fiction was a little much for me.

I am a huge Jodi Picoult fan - and this book really did it for me! Usually Picoult presents us with a this-or-that scenario and makes the reader see both sides to the story. While The Book of Two Ways followed a similar arc, it had a different feel than her past stories. You follow Dawn who is involved in a plane crash and instantly chooses to follow a different path home. The first 75 pages or so were very heavy in Egyptology background and despite that I still loved the story because you could feel how much research the author put into this story. I definitely shed a few tears while reading this book that dives extremely deep into grief, love, loss, and the meaning behind life.

This book was a little lengthy and dense but overall I still enjoyed it. It deals with a woman who essentially cannot stop thinking about an ex in a moment where, the audience would say, should be thinking about her husband. This book deals with a topic that many women face when they are married. It lets us explore the path not pursued through the lens of the character and provides insight on how to follow your heart or appreciate what you have, depending on your perspective. In my eyes, Jodi rarely fails with her books. Would highly recommend.

I really enjoyed this book as I do with all of Jodi's books. I've read reviews that the book was slow and there was "too much" information about ancient Egypt. I didn't find that to be the case. I really enjoyed learning the back story. The overall idea of the book - exploring the "what if" concept was also fantastic. I loved seeing how each of her decisions really impacted how she got to where she was. It was simply a beautiful book!

Dawn is on a plane when she hears the words we all dread "Prepare for a crash landing". She survives.
But what flashed through her mind wasn't her husband, but the man she left 15 years ago. She sees this as a sign to find out what her alternate reality she would've had if she had stayed. Her current calling in life is to be a death doula. To help people navigate the time just before they die to prepare themselves and their family for that moment. Her previous calling was to look through the tombs left behind by those who have already passed. Dawn makes a decision to see what she left behind and see how that can work with her current future.

I went into this one totally blind. I didn't want to know what it was about AT ALL. And I'm so glad I did. I loved how this one developed. You had the opportunity to see what could've happened vs what did. And what I really enjoyed is how the potential path didn't always diverge from the actual one. I really liked how this one ended. It let the reader decide how it ended.... which can be awesome or infuriating. Four out of five stars for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Jodi Picoult can do no wrong! I’d read anything she wrote. Not my favorite of hers but definitely left you with lots to ponder and would make a fantastic book club choice because I must now discuss this book with someone!!

DNF -did not finish. I decided not to keep reading this novel because I did not connect with the writing and plot. Thank you, netgalley and publisher for the early copy.

Like most, if not all, Jodi Picoult books, there is a great story in these pages. Dawn was studying to become an Egyptologist before her life was turned upside down, but 15 years later, she wonders what might have been and returns to Egypt, where she faces her past, including a former love. The book seems well researched and includes a TON of interesting information about Egypt, hyroglyphics, and Egyptology, as well as science, but sometimes I felt like there was TOO much of that and these parts dragged me down a little from the story (it took me longer to read this book than usual), but overall it was a good read, good story, and highly recommended.

Jodi Picoult never disappoints and this book is no different. Loved the MC and the amazing story. Will always tell my customers about this book.