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.

The Book of Two Ways is my new favorite Picoult book.

Yes, it is heavy at times, full of references that can be tough to get through, full of theory and history that makes it feel like you're reading a text book.
But it all ties back together into this beautiful story of life and love. And all the references and theory are fully part of the story that wouldn't make be as beautiful if it weren't for all of those.

The book mainly exists in two parts- Dawn's life with Brian, and Dawn's life on another pathway with Wyatt. The catalyst of these two lives split is an airplane crash. So we spend almost the entirety of the book shuffling between these two time lines, waiting to see how they play out in the end.

Everything in this book plays out- without saying too much, there was a portion of this book that I thought was never going to come up again. But it did. And the way it plays out really punched me in the gut.


I think, like all people, there are certain people or times in our life we look back on, and wonder "What if I had gone left instead of right? What if I had stayed instead of gone?" And this book plays out that premise so beautifully.

If you can get through the heavy textbook reference parts, you will highly enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jodi Picoult and Random House Ballantine for this ARC.

All of Jodi Picoult's books are fabulous, and this one is no exception. I loved how informative this book was. I learned a lot about Egyptology, and at the end of the book I couldn't decide if I wanted to be an Egyptologist or a death doula. ( I actually googled death doula certifications.) I absolutely loved Win's character, and would love to have a Win origin story, detailing her journey as an artist and her relationship with Thane to how she met Felix.

I really enjoyed the last half of the book, since the story ramped up considerably. The only thing I didn't like about this story was the ending. We spent so much time with Dawn, Brian and Wyatt that I felt we deserved a more definitive ending. Who does she pick? What happens?

Another winner from the talented Jodi Picoult.

Let me start by saying I'm a longtime & enthusiastic Jodi Picoult fan. This book is definitely different from her others. While her usual gifted voice was still present it was more challenging to hear buried under so many different themes. I wrestled with how to structure my review, and practiced by first sharing the extensive outline of the book with several friends verbally. As other early reviewers have pointed out, clearly the author did extensive research into her subject--unfortunately, at times that research & extensive detail threaten to overshadow the story. Initially I even shelved the book, leaving it since I found it so tough to connect with the actual story. Eventually I made my way back, and I'm glad that I did. The story is beautifully written & crafted and will stay with me as her books do. With great thanks to Random House Publishers & NetGalley for granting me this early reading copy!

What would you do if you could change the course of your life to what could have been? What a path would you choose?
In, The Book of Two Ways, Jodi Picoult sends her readers on a journey through past and present. She asks her characters to make maybe the most difficult decisions of their lives. What questions do we ask ourselves in the early sleepless hours? What do we dream about during sleep. What in our past do we hide from our loved ones and even ourselves? A very intriguing read. Definitely one of the best books of Jodi Picoult.

How do you live your best life so you can have a good death? What happens after you die? How do you want those around you to remember you? What do you want to be remembered for? Before her mother passed Dawn was a budding Egyptologist. After her mother’s death she becomes a death doula and mother. But what would her life be like if she had gone back to Egypt? If her mother hadn’t died? A touching story about life, love, the choices we make and the choices that pass us by. Spectacular imaging of ancient tombs and how they are unearthed. The Book of Two Ways is a wonderful read full of many dimensions

Thank you NetGalley, Jodi Picoult and Ballantine Books for this edition and hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you
#partner

I was blown away with this novel's complexity, attention to detail, fluid storylines, and realistic characters. I must admit I'm a Picoult lover from way back... but this novel was beyond!
Main character, Dawn, raised by a superstitious Irish mother, searches for life through many facets of death, whether that be in Egypt, as a PhD student sifting through ancient hieroglyphics & the coffins of kings, or in Boston, as a death doula sifting through the lives of her dying clients. Although she appears to be grounded by her daughter and husband, Dawn questions her own mortality as reflected in her current life choices -- especially after catching the scent of roses recently emanating from her husband, Brian, and in the memories being shared by her newest client, Win.

The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult will be a big hit for readers with a strong interest in the ancient civilization of Egypt. For me, the book was too heavy in detail about that aspect. I had to drill down to the story of Dawn Edelstein who was shaken to the very core when she survived a plane crash that made her question if her choices in life had been the right ones.

Was her choice to marry Brian, have a daughter, live in Boston, and become a death doula the right decision? Or should she have stuck with her education to be an archaeologist and work with Wyatt in Egypt to complete her research about The Book of Two Ways, a map of the afterlife?

Within the story are these BIG questions: what does a well-lived life look like, what do we leave behind when we die, do we make choices or do that make us, and who would you be if you had picked another path when you were making life choices?

The book is well researched and well written as one comes to expect with a Jodi Picoult book. Picoult has always been one of my go-to authors. I especially have enjoyed the twists she gives in her conclusions to her books. My favorite book was My Sister’s Keeper. Picoult lives with her family in New Hampshire.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting July 31, 2020. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50265329-the-book-of-two-ways

I’d like to thank Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

This is the first book I have read by Jodi Picoult. She always comes highly recommended and I appreciate the opportunity given to me by Ballantine Books, the Author and Netgalley to review this ARC.

Let me start with the positive. Jodi Picoult is a poet. Her words are beautiful, mesmerizing and make you fall in love with her story. The relationships Dawn has are real, complicated and pull you in. Her relationship with Meret, her daughter is somewhat typical of most Mother's relationships with their 16yo daughter. There is very little they can do right. I loved seeing how their relationship grew in the book. Her relationships with Brian and Wyatt are both complicated yet delicious. You don't know who to root for and in the end you don't get to decide. but my favorite relationship is with Wyn. I loved every moment we got to spend with Wyn and Dawn. I wish there was more of that.

Dawn is a very complex character. As a reader, I didn't quite understand the choices she made. One being deciding to leave her daughter for six weeks without saying goodbye with no thought to how this might affect Meret, who is struggling. She seems to put Wyatt above everything else, including her job and her family. She made a lot of selfish choices that I couldn't understand.

Now the Elephant in the room: Egyptology. Egyptology was at least 60% of the book. This almost made me put down the book in the first 50 pages. I would understand it as a backdrop to introduce us to Wyatt but the descriptions and detail were just too much for the reader. It felt like a textbook of a subject you really didn't want to take in College but needed to. I would have given this book 5 stars if the Author had focused more on the relationships and Dawn's job as a Death Doula, which is fascinating. I gave it four stars because Jodi Picoult clearly knows her stuff and is a beautiful writer.