As I began to read this lengthy novel, I found myself trying to reckon with whether I was seeing two alternative pathways, two alternatives of a life well-lived with only one that was real. I won't spoil that for you, but allow me to say that this is my book of the year from my favorite author who somehow always manages to take on the hot potato conundrums of human existence and show us clarity. I'm fortunate to have shared some of my own life with Picoult and begged her to tackle my some of my own questions at some point in a novel that; like all of hers, enlightens the reader as to how to look at things we've yet to encounter but read about in news and tabloids. She has taken that on and is consulting with another author who has lived one of those pathways and found peace. I can hardly wait to see where that journey takes me. My own journey included exactly the type of lost love that this takes us on, and I did find myself crying before I was done, with both joy and heartbreak. I lost my love after twenty-six years, and despite the anguish know that I've never really been able to come to terms with the emotional remains of that. Are we best to face the known, or revisit the love we never saw to the end?

Mummies and quantum physics and plane crashes! Oh my! There is a lot going on in this book. Maybe almost too much?

We know that our lives are defined by the choices we make, and every choice leads to another one, and so on. But what if you got the opportunity to explore the other path? What if you were able to go down the road not taken? What if? That is the premise behind The Book of Two Ways. We find ourselves ping-ponging back and forth between Egypt and Boston as Dawn, an almost-Egyptologist turned "death doula", navigates her present and the past she left behind. In the present is her quantum physicist husband and daughter. In the past is Wyatt, a competitor turned lover, who happens to explore ancient graves for a living. As I said, there is a lot going on!

Since it's Jodi Picoult, you know she's done her research, so there's plenty of hieroglyphs and quantum theories. Sometimes there are nuggets of truth in those passages, but not always, so feel free to skim those parts. I got hung up on a few things in the book, especially when it came to Dawn's daughter. And the style of present-day scene that quickly turns into a flashback started to feel a little old after awhile, and was sometimes confusing. I frequently forgot if I was in the present or the past. Since my reaction to the book was just lukewarm, I feel that I have to give it three stars. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy..

As Jodi Picoult has always been one of my very favorite authors I was so excited to have the opportunity to read an arc of her latest book, The Book of Two Ways. I absolutely loved the depiction of the family dynamics between Meret, Brian, and Dawn. So realistic given today’s world. I also loved Dawn’s job as a death doula. Such a wonderful concept to offer people at the end of their lives, as well as their families. Win was such a special soul with such a moral dilemma...love the way it played out. Also loved the backstory and the renewed relationship with Wyatt. Seemed like a situation that no one wants to find themself in.
The beginning reeled me in right away. As the story unfolded I found myself getting bogged down in the amount of quantum physics information that may? have been necessary to give a more complete picture of Brian and why he feels/acts the way he does. For me personally, I found myself rereading in order to make more sense and it ended up getting in the way of my enjoyment of the story. Although I have enjoyed reading nonfiction texts about Egypt, the pharaohs, and their tombs and seen the phenomenal exhibit of King Tut’s tomb at the Boston Museum of Science many years ago, I did find that the abundant information included in the story again got in the way of the storyline. Jodi obviously has learned an admirable wealth of knowledge about hieroglyphics and Egyptology, which is pivotal in developing the storyline with Dawn and Wyatt, but I think it would be much more powerful if some of it was scaled back.
The depiction of the relationship between Dawn and Wyatt was extremely powerful and I found myself loudly sobbing so many times when they reconnected. The last third of the book was Picoult at her finest...again presenting the reader with a moral dilemma-questioning what they would do if they were Dawn. So appreciated the tie in with the title! The end result is I have already had to do my own research of some of the
recent discoveries made, as well as more information on the Book of Two Ways. That is always a bonus for me.
Many thanks to Jodi Picoult, Ballantine, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read The Book of Two Ways to be published in September.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review -
Dawn, a death doula is injured when a plane has trouble. Her thoughts are not for her husband and daughter at home but for the man she used to spend time with - Wyatt. A thought provoking book that makes you question everything. Will she return to her husband and daughter or is her love for Wyatt more? With alot of information on archeology, which i found hard to read through, i still enjoyed the romance and delimia that Dawn faces. You will want to grab this book.

I wanted to love this book because it’s by one of my all time favorite authors. I didn’t hate this book because there were many things I did like especially the characters and the basic storyline. BUT there was way too many superfluous descriptions about Ancient Egypt. Talk about information overload...you had to flog through trying to pronounce all of the names of the various nomarchs from ancient Egypt to get to the bones of the story. Fortunately, the actual story was good and had some unexpected surprises. There was an impossible love triangle, a fascinating career choice and a bit of teen angst but it was buried in all of the extraneous details about Ancient Egypt. It did get a little confusing at times because it went back and forth between Egypt wand now and present and past.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy to read and review.

There are times that a book just seems to come at just the right moment. Perhaps it is because of a life situation, a death or birth, or just because one finds themselves at a junction in life where the subject matter hits home with multiple punches. I have a 94 year old mother who is frail and as I read this book my thoughts constantly drifted to her and the end of life choices she and I will eventually need to make. Death is an absolute. None of us escape death, none of us return from it, none of us know what awaits us.

Dawn Edelstein is studying to be an Egyptologist. She is a young woman on the cusp of fulfilling a dream when a phone call comes that changes forever the direction her life will take. Her mother is dying, and even though she has fallen in love with Wyatt Armstrong, another Egyptologist, she rushes home to be with her mother and her young brother at this stressful time. She will not return to Egypt to the land and the man she loves as duty to her mother and brother prevail.

Dawn meets a man, a quantum physicist, Brian, who is brilliant and explores the concept that we, as living things could in theory live in alternate universes where are choices are different, and our lives are not ones we are now experiencing. They have a child, a daughter, and eventually marry but there is always at the back of Dawn's thoughts the idea of Wyatt. Dawn loves her husband but with a love not equal to that she shared with Wyatt. Will her love for Brian win the day or is Wyatt the person she can't live without?

These are multiple themes explored in this story. The concept of ancient Egyptians's belief in an afterlife and preparation for it was fascinating. Dawn's eventual job as a death doula offered a unique and heart felt perspective into how we can prepare one for their demise. And ...what if we were able to live an alternate life? Would we have been with the person who first filled our life and our soul with his or her love? How many of us have thought back and wondered what road we would have traveled if our life followed the pathway of a first love? Where are these first loves now?

I found the book to be utterly fascinating and it touched my emotional core and made me think and wonder and reflect. Do we actually at the end of our days wonder what if? Do we come to terms with the life we lead or do we constantly think perhaps if only.

I absolutely loved this story, its message, its cautionary warning that life is fleeting and how we need to grab onto the moments that thrill us. There is much spoken of in this book of the ancient Egyptian stories and rituals of long ago with their plethora of gods, paths to follow, and rituals. I was fortunate in understanding this section, since I taught a unit on Egypt for many years to the many classes that passed through my teaching life. It fascinated me drew me back to the wonder and joy my students and I experienced exploring and learning of what came before us.

I most definitely recommend this book for all the ways it might conjure up your thoughts, make you see a reality that perhaps you didn't chose, and realize that all of us will eventually face a life that will come to an end. It's the road we travel that we see in the end, its joy, its sorrows and perhaps the people we left behind along the way.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book due out on September 22, 2020.

4 stars. The book of two ways is exquisitely written. The start of the book is gripping and immediately pulls you in.

It then explores Egyptian burial rituals (in detail), while allowing the reader to watch the romance between Dawn and Wyatt evolve.
After a brief illness and death of her mother, Dawn abandons her life and first love in Egypt where she was working towards her doctorate in Egyptology. It’s there that she falls in love with Brian. It is a steady love until she ventures back across the globe and is reunited with Wyatt. The book explores the what ifs we all grapple with. Dawn can stay in the life that’s she’s built with her husband and daughter or she can start again with her first love and rediscover the career that she walked away from. Dealing with death and ultimately being reborn, the store is multi dimensional, heartfelt and thought provoking. My only criticism is that the story is so descriptive it reads like a textbook or thesis during the early chapters.

Not your typical read. Lots of interesting Egyptian history and discussion about tomb excavation and preservation. Difficult relationships and playing the “what if” game makes this a very interesting read!

Like the title suggests, there are two ways to read this book. One way is that is was like a textbook but underneath all the talk of Egyptology and Quantum Physics is another way: A story of Dawn and a merging of her past and present lives. I think Jodi Picoult is a master storyteller but the story she was telling got bogged down under all the information. I am glad I plodded through - took me a longer time to read than usual - because there were some quotes that were moments of brilliance.
Sharing a couple....
"Love isn't a perfect match, but an imperfect one. You are rocks in a tumbler. At first your bump, you scrape, you snag. But each time that happens, you smooth each other's edges, until you wear each other down. And if you are lucky, at the end of all that, you fit."

"Our bodies are just what holds us together, you know. They're not who we really are. Everyone leaves them behind, eventually."

Thank you. #Netgalley

Received an advanced copy from the publisher.
The blurb sounding promising but this was a bore. This book was just too much. Too much information and not enough story. Lots of facts about quantum physics and Egypt and symbolism. The author obviously did a lot of research but this book was too much like a textbook and not a novel. Do not recommend.

I'm glad I stuck with this one, it certainly picked up speed as it went. Starting out, a bit too much research for my interest in egyptology, but I was intrigued by the death doula. I found the protagonist to be mostly unlikable, that also made it a bit harder to get into. I just didn't like Dawn throughout the book. Also felt like a few too many story lines threaded through, and last complaint, the name of the book is used waaaay too many times in the text! The title should be special, with that aha moment of when you get why it's named what it's named.
Regardless, I'm super gratefulohave had the opportunity to read this prepublication edition, and can't wait to add this to our library and keep the discussion going on this!

Life consistently presents us with crossroads. When you die will the path you chose be the right one that lead to your best life? “The Book of Two Ways” was hard for me to get in to at first. All of the historical Egyptian information as well as the quantum physics had me struggling. Once I delved further into the story I couldn’t put it down. Overall, it was well written and a very good book. Jodi Picoult did not disappoint.

I have loved all of her books and while I would recommend this one too, it felt at times that she just tried to do too much in one book. It read in places more like an Egyptology textbook while in other places, its focus was on being an end of life doula. It was wildly interesting and informative and while I was surprised at how different it seemed from other Picoult books, the layered storyline, connections, and depth of storytelling here made it a fascinating read. All in all -- worth it and would recommend, all the more so for anyone interested in Egyptology.

Few authors pull me into a story the way Jodi Picoult does and The Book of Two Ways does this effortlessly. Dawn Edelstein is on a plane when it's announced that they will be making a crash landing. As is often said, her life flashes before her eyes, but instead of her husband being on her mind, the man she left behind stays with her. Dawn survives the crash, but so do her doubts. What would her life have been if she had stayed on an earlier path?

As Picoult does in other books, the timeline varies between past and present, and I had some aha moments as some pieces came together. As with many of Picoult's books, The Book of Two Ways opened my eyes to new things (Egypt, archaeology, quantum theory) and made me think philosophically about how my life would be different if I'd made a different decision at various points in time. Am I living the life I was meant to? What would I have missed out on if I'd taken a separate path? Dawn goes through these thoughts and we visit her experiences with her mom, her brother, Wyatt (the man from Egypt), her husband, her daughter... Character development is good and the narrative allows the reader to understand each character's role, personality, and perspective. As always, this is an area that Picoult excels in.

I wouldn't consider The Book of Two Ways a beach read. It's a recreational read with depth and one that makes me want to talk about the concepts in it. What makes us who we are? How do our experiences define us? And when a fork is in the road presents itself, what do each of the paths mean?

I recommend The Book of Two Ways for both fans of Jodi Picoult and as an introduction into her writing. Thanks to Jodi Picoult, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I initially was put off by the Egyptian history focus but after the first chapter, I began to be interested in the topic. In classic Picoult style, the story was woven together with Dawn reflecting on her life and her position as a death doula. Very thought provoking and insightful into the things that are most important. This has actually pushed me to have some tough discussions with my own family.

Dawn is split between two lives—the Egyptologist unearthing Egyptian tombs and in love with the group leader, Wyatt. And her second life as a death doula, guiding dying individuals through their death journey and preparing the family left behind. Although it’s been 15 years since her life in Egypt, when she fled to Boston and started a new life there, she is suddenly thrust back in time to her time spent with Wyatt in Egypt. And she is faced with a decision of two paths—a path which leads to her first love and the past, and the unknown future.

The Book of Two Ways is named after a similar text that is found in Egyptian coffins, serving as a guidebook to the dead to find their way to life by providing a map. Dawn has spent her early life in search of this discovery, and the second life as modern day doula providing her own modern day map to help the dying seek peace. Both lives which bring a host of questions that intertwine. This book is full of symbolism and deeper questions, such as the timelines we are on, and what causes us to find one path instead of another. Is there another life that we serve on another timeline?

The author spent significant time researching Egyptian mythology and history. Readers who are fans of the movie, The Mummy, will love this book. It’s rich in Egyptian tradition, discoveries, and mummies. I did struggle a bit with the timeline towards the end with the trips back and forth, but overall I found it to be a very good read.

First I would like to thank NetGalley and one of my all time favorite authors Jodi Picoult for the eARC of the book of two ways. I could not put this book down and read it in only a few days. I could not get enough of all the science in this story. I learned a ton and loved all the Egyptology education and thought that went into it.

Everything changes in a single moment for Dawn Edelstein. She’s on a plane when the flight attendant makes an announcement: Prepare for a crash landing. She braces herself as thoughts flash through her mind. The shocking thing is, the thoughts are not of her husband but of a man she last saw fifteen years ago: Wyatt Armstrong.

Dawn, miraculously, survives the crash, but so do all the doubts that have suddenly been raised. She has led a good life. Back in Boston, there is her husband, Brian, their beloved daughter, and her work as a death doula, in which she helps ease the transition between life and death for her clients.

But somewhere in Egypt is Wyatt Armstrong, who works as an archaeologist unearthing ancient burial sites, a career Dawn once studied for but was forced to abandon when life suddenly intervened. And now, when it seems that fate is offering her second chances, she is not as sure of the choice she once made.

After the crash landing, the airline ensures that the survivors are seen by a doctor, then offers transportation to wherever they want to go. The obvious option for Dawn is to continue down the path she is on and go home to her family. The other is to return to the archaeological site she left years before, reconnect with Wyatt and their unresolved history, and maybe even complete her research on The Book of Two Ways—the first known map of the afterlife.

As the story unfolds, Dawn’s two possible futures unspool side by side, as do the secrets and doubts long buried with them. Dawn must confront the questions she’s never truly asked: What does a life well lived look like? When we leave this earth, what do we leave behind? Do we make choices . . . or do our choices make us? And who would you be if you hadn’t turned out to be the person you are right now?

Hands down one of the best and will be at the TOP of the best sellers list! When this releases do yourself a favor and grab a copy.

I’m a big fan of all Jodi Picoult books. When I heard she was writing a new book about Egypt and archaeology, I said to myself I guess this is one book where I see it all go down the hill, what kind of issues, will she be able to come up with? Boy, I was so grateful that I was wrong. Again, she’s right on point with so many issues that we face everyday. When I cry once in a book, it’s a good book, but when I cry 3 maybe 4 times it’s a wonderful book. Sometimes I hate to write a review and give out too much information. We are all connected in someway and how the lives of these characters intertwined and how she brings us into the lifes of all these people. It’s just amazing. From one life changing event, to death, to rape, to finally finding your soul mate. This is way above a 5 star book. She’s my favorite and will remain by favorite author. Can’t wait for her next book.

The story would have been great had it not been for heavy details on archaeology and Egyptology. It is rare to have a choice of two different lives and that is what Dawn faces. But the story was so weighed down with heavy facts, that it made for prolonged reading. Nevertheless, it was enjoyable.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Dawn Edelstein hears the words you never want to hear while in flight, “A planned emergency” which translates, plane crash. As Dawn braces for impact her mind is racing. Is she thinking of her family, no her thoughts are of a man she last saw fifteen years earlier.
Miraculously, Dawn survives the crash. Luckily Dawn can now return home to her husband, Brian, and her beloved daughter, and her work as a death doula. She helps to ease the transition between life and death for her clients. But that, although the logical choice, is not what she does. No, somewhere in Egypt is Wyatt Armstrong, who works as an archaeologist unearthing ancient burial sites, a job she once studied for, but was forced to abandon. Now, that Dawn has stared death in the face, she feels life is offering her second chances. Now she is not as sure of the life choices she once made.

After the crash, once they've been checked out by a doctor, the airline offers the passengers flights to a destination of their choice. Dawn chooses to reconnect with Wyatt and their unresolved history, and maybe even complete her research on The Book of Two Ways--the first known map of the afterlife.

As the story unfolds, Dawn's two futures flip between her home in Boston and Egypt. As a death doula, Dawn wonders what does a well-lived life look like? When we leave the earth, what do we leave behind? Maybe you are not really the person you turned out to be. She has the chance to explore her options and she does just that.

This book is an amazing work of technical research.
Thought provoking but not an easy read.