I am a huge Jodi Picoult fan, but I could not get into this book. While I appreciate learning about history and different cultures while I am reading a fiction novel, I felt it all to be too much. It was overwhelming at times.

I think everyone had wondered the “ what if’s “ a time of two. But Dawn does more than wonder she actively searches !
I liked this book , but it was very heavy on Egyptology... some I found fascinating, bit some I struggled to get through. The premise of the book is what kept me going!

I absolutely loved this book. I am a huge fan of Jodi Picoult. Her books always stay with me long after I am done and I can tell this will be no exception.

The story is beautifully written and the story was captivating. I devoured this book as soon as I got my advanced readers copy and was sad when it was over.

I cannot wait to revisit this book.

I just couldn’t get into this book. I have read every single one of Jodi’s books. If you are a history buff , this is for you. I really Was looking for a summer beach read. I will continue to look forward to her next novel.

Classic Jodi Picoult. Pick this novel up...you will not be disappointed. A fabulous story, believable and very real. Read it on your front porch or back deck this season. Five stars.

Jodi Picoult writes intelligent books. Sometimes they are not easy to read but they are always challenging. Tbis one is no exception. It is chock full of Egyptology terms and one can almost see the Pharohs in their time. It is also a love story while at the same time a look at death and dying. None of which would seem to go together but do!
You will think about the book long after you finish it. Another winner for Picoult!

Moving and heartbreaking book about a woman in crisis and the two alternative lives she could choose to lead.

This book has some absolutely gripping and unusual concepts. The first one hides in the title; while "The Book of Two Ways" is the very thing Dawn was researching with Wyatt in Egypt, namely archaeological coffin texts, it also depicts the function of this very novel: unfolding two drastically different life scenarios based on the two choices Dawn faced following the crash. Furthermore, we have a startling dichotomy of Dawn's past and present: living a wild wife, doing archaeological research in Egypt then, and living a family life, working as a death doula at a hospice now. Both of these jobs have a higher transitory meaning between life and death, past and present. Both are also very unique, making Dawn's two alternative choices all the more fascinating.

At the same time, this novel is packed with historical and scientific details. The author doesn't hold back from listing loads of information on ancient Egypt as well as quantum physics, both of which overall carry a highly symbolic meaning. However, individual bits of information, if read with full attention, can certainly become a burden for a reader looking for a regular contemporary fiction novel. The sheer volume of such details was a bit of an overkill, so I personally decided to skim through them in order to immerse myself in the story instead.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this “Sliding Doors” novel - but found it very confusing at times to which timeline was which.

I love author Jodi Picoult's writing style. Her stories are so unique and complex, and "The Book of Two Ways" did not disappoint! At its heart, this is the story of the choices that we make and the loves that we follow, yet it's woven so beautifully with quantum physics theories and multiverses and parallel timelines and Egyptian stories of life and death and the guides that help us through the darkness. I loved this! Definitely recommend!

I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion, which I am always happy to give! My thanks to #NetGalley, the author and publisher for this opportunity, #TheBookOfTwoWays

Jodi Picoult is so very talented. THE BOOK OF TWO WAYS is fascinating, awesome and overwrought. There’s parts that are really just about the best that Picoult has written, and that is saying a lot, she is a first caliber writer. She addresses paths not taken, love, life, death and all manner of emotions in between. She carves a great story about a marriage coming undone and partners less-than-honest in their lives. And then she layers on text book level details about Egypt and Pharaohs and their death beliefs and whole sections are lost in too much detail. Even the physics info of one of the characters is borderline obsessive. When does fiction get too close to obsessive detail in nonfiction? This book may offer a primer on the answer. Ultimately the tale can be enjoyed anyway but I suspect that is not what Picoult intended. It’s still a really good book. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

I really wanted to like this book more than I did as I love Jodi Picoult's books and the premise is so interesting: Dawn is on a plane that makes an emergency crash landing and after medical attention is offered a flight anywhere she needs to go. And instead of going home, she travels to Egypt to visit the site (and ex-flame) where she studied years ago. This is where it became problematic for me as it became extremely clinical in explaining Egyptian history through The Book of Two Ways which is a map of the afterlife. Of course this becomes a "roadmap" of sorts as Dawn must determine where her life will take her--back to Wyatt and Egypt or back to her husband and daughter. As she wrestles with these decisions, secrets long buried come to light as Dawn must rediscover her purpose and live with the difficult choices she makes.

Popular novelist Picoult' s newest book is suffused with death, as is the protagonist, a death doula who abruptly quit her post at an important archaeological dig still largely unexplored in the Egyptian desert. Fifteen years later, a close call with her own mortality spies her to return to the dog, and to the colleagues and lover she left behind. Once rivals for the top of the narrow pyramid of experts in their field, Dawn is compelled as much by the passion for her work, for the thrill of discovery, as she is for Wyatt, who's now the site director and whose approval she needs to take up the unfinished work. Left behind this time are the husband and daughter she deeply loves and a special dying client who's counting on her to stay with her to the end.
All of the characters are deftly and fully realized, but it's the plethora of detail about an ancient civilization and the rites, rituals and relics revealed in the pages of the book, complete with hieroglyphics that together tell the story in the book of the title that make this a fascinating read. Unlike the author's earlier novels, it doesn't focus on contemporar themes, social problems or trends and relationships among affluent people.As a result, it's a richer, stronger book.

Wow. If you are a Picoult fan this will not disappoint! I wasn't sure at first but I am glad I gave this a chance. There is a lot of Egyptian history in here and it is incredibly interesting! There was a lot of research put into this and it is well worth reading!

A masterful storyteller, Ms. Picoult tests her reader with (almost) too much knowledge in this highly anticipated tale of love and loss among archaeological digs, hieroglyphics and Egyptology. Her knowledge is astounding, well-researched and thorough. Her characters are interesting, smart and somewhat likable. Anyone who enjoys the subtlety of a long, drawn-out, scientific experiment to unearth artifacts from centuries previous, will no doubt enjoy this book. The rest of us may find the perfectly detailed facts just a bit tedious. As with most of Ms. Picoult's books, there will be a huge audience for "The Book of Two Ways". but unfortunately it was not for me.

I love Jodi Picoult books and I feel the subject matter continually progresses in maturity with each new book. This one was full of tense and not ideal situations which for me make it a compelling read. Sometimes the uncomfortable is more interesting. I did find myself glossing over a lot of the Egyptian historical stuff. I did find some of it to be fascinating but i think the point could have come across better with a less is more philosophy. Some of the Egyptian history took away from the overall story. I am also not sure how I feel about the ending although I understand why Ms. Picoult went the direction she did with it, if left me feeling a little unsatisfied. Besides those two things it was an interesting story that I enjoyed reading.

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.