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.

Wow, wow, wow. I'll admit, I was skeptical when I read the book description - could Jodi Picoult really write a "sliding doors" type novel? And how can she follow up with another page turner that sucks you in as much as A Spark of Light? I'm just reading along, enjoying the two parallel stories, really digging (no pun intended) the Egyptian history, rooting for Dawn and her husband, and her lover, and her daughter and not really knowing how I want the story to end. And then BAM! The Jodi Picoult twist we all know and love. I cannot recommend this book enough and will surely be boring my family, friends, and book club members when I tell them, ad nauseum, to run out and read this book. So incredibly unexpected and the perfect book to escape from this world for awhile.

I have read every book by Jodi Picoult, so when I received this ARC from Netgalley, I was SO EXCITED! While I enjoyed this book and you can tell how much research went into it, there was a lot going on from the start. This book revolves around Egyptology, physics, lost love and the subject of death and leading up to it. It’s not a quick read, but one I highly recommend diving in to. It was a very different book for Jodi and I am glad she took the time to write for us.

I count myself as a card-carrying member of the Jodi Picoult fan club. I was excited to get an advance copy of this book. However, I must say that I didn’t make it all the way through. I’ve always been drawn to Picoult’s writing because of the plot lines and character development. Each novel is so diverse – and you know that Picoult has researched everything to the nth degree. I never really gave it a second thought before now – but her previous books have all provided me with some level of general interest. The dilemma or subject matter was either something I was initially interested in, or she gave me reason to be interested.

That is just not the case with this book. It was a rather torturous read for me. The main characters focus on Egyptology, the process of dying, and physics. Picoult uses her research skills to develop each character, but it’s just too much detail to be interesting (to me). And the high-level detail totally bogs down the flow of the story.

I read a few reviews that said the plot picks up about 70% of the way through the book, but by then I was out. Life is too short for this much work – especially from an author that we have come to expect so much more.

I received an advance digital copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

Rounded up to 4 stars, actual rating 3.5
The only way I can review this book objectively is to act as though I don't know the author. Using that premise, this is a solid 3.5 for entertainment and characters one can appreciate. It's an interesting take on the loves of our lives, once again using the currently popular alternate timelines/locations device to tell the love stories.
Where Picoult's touch is apparent is her hallmark research into a subject - in this case, two subjects: Egyptian archaeology and death doulas. The drawings and readings of hieroglyphics didn't translate well in the Kindle edition, and I'm not sure the detail added all that much to the story. For my reading purposes, it was clutter.
Ultimately, I can't forget who the author was, thus the need to make a statement that this is far from my favorite of her works.

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. *

Guys, when I say I’m a total Jodi Picoult Junkie— I mean it. I have devoured every single one of her books usually in one sitting.

But I just couldn’t muster my way through the first half of this book without finding myself completely lost and over my head. There’s a LOT going on— you have a flash back and forward situation, Dawn’s clients and their sub plots, Egyptology, physics and other science related terminology that my brain was just like— wow, please take a time out.

It took me two weeks to make it through the first half of the book and see what in the world was going on. And then just like that, the plot picked up and I was able to charge my way through the rest of the story.

There was a lot that happened in the last 30% of the book, lots that was emotionally exhausting and then finally, my least favorite type of unanswered ending—
The unanswered cliffhanger!

Instant grief— I plodded my way through the beginning and I don’t even get an answer! Ugh.

This is just a book that really requires some serious concentration and maybe even some notes in the beginning to follow what was happening. If you can get past all of that, you’ll really enjoy the deep down discovered story.

This book was well researched and as always with her book presenting multiple opinions but I found it slow compared to some of her others.

I was so excited when this popped up as a possible ARC to read and then I got approved, so then I got very excited. But I really had a very, very difficult time reading this book. I love history, especially Egyptian history, but I really felt that all the history bogged this book down. I felt like I was in an Advanced Egyptian History Class, not reading women's fiction.

I felt that less historical detail could have been included and the story would have profited from that. I understand the need for that history, but this still was women's fiction. The book was very heavy on archaeological terms and Egyptian which made it very hard to read. I found myself flipping through parts of that because I got bogged down and bored by those sections. Sadly, because I skimmed so much of it, I would not recommend this book to Picoult fans. This is nothing like what I remember of her older much-beloved books that I treasure and have sitting on my shelves.

Thank you to Jody Picoult, Random House-Ballantine and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I really wanted to love this book, and while I did end up liking the story and the characters I felt like the whole book was a really slow read for me. I struggled to get into the book with all of the history behind the Egyptian tombs, etc. I also didn't love how long the chapters were, but that's really a preference thing. After finally getting into the book, I did love the relationship between the characters and really enjoyed reading about Dawn and her role as a death doula. I give this book three stars. If I could have filtered out all of the passages about the history behind the tombs I think I would have given it four.

This book was very different for this author. Instead of every other chapter being told by a different character, the whole story is all told by the main character. Each chapter then goes back and forth between Egypt and Boston.
I had no issues with that but this book didn't work for her, in my opinion, and I wonder if her changing her style is partly why.
The storyline of this book was good...I liked to hear about Dawn's past life, her being a death doula and about the struggle with her family. I like being curious about how current Egypt and current Boston would fit together and wow was it different than I thought it would be!
There was way too much information in this book that just didn't matter. I skimmed a lot! It was so text heavy with science and facts about Egypt past. Some of it was interesting but most just bored me. I don't read novels hoping to find my favorite text book.
Lastly the ending just pissed me off. I can't say more without spoilers.
Thanks to Netgally for giving me this book for an honest opinion.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I have to give major props to Jodi for all the detail and research that went into crafting this story. This book will be a mix bag for some people. You are going have people to really love it or not get it at all. For me, it just was a little slow for me. It is still compelling enough to give it a shot.

When Dawn, a death doula who spends her life shepherding people through their dying days, survives a plane crash, she decides to take charge of her own life. Rather than flying home to her husband and adolescent daughter, she goes to Egypt, where she reconnects with her first loves: the band and the dig site she left behind.

Or does she? The original Book of Two Ways shows that there are two paths to reach the other side: through land or through water. In this book, Ms. Picoult explores two paths Dawn may have taken: did she return to Egypt, or did she go back home, and try to rebuild her struggling life there? In alternating chapters, we see alternating choices play out, Sliding Doors style...or do we? Ms. Picoult plays with time and narrative structure here, so while we are reading alternating chapters and lives there is no insight into which life is true, which is current, etc. It is an interesting choice, but for me, it felt more confusing than illuminating (like her last book, which was written backwards).

As usual, Ms. Picoult has done research on her topics, and here, she explores a lot of different ways of thinking about death and life: the viewpoint of the ancient Egyptians, through Dawn's work as a graduate student; the viewpoint of modern physics, and Schrodinger's Cat and alternate realities, which is the work of Dawn's husband ; and the actual experience of the dying, which is Dawn's current work. There is a LOT of information conveyed, all different ways of thinking about life and death. It is interesting, but also often feels like Ms. Picoult is saying "look at all the things I learned about life and death, from ancient Egypt to modern day scientists."

The book is missing one really important element for me, though: stakes, and plot. It's never clear to me why it matters which road she chooses, since neither life seems particularly urgent. As a reader, I wasn't overly invested in either relationship; both guys seemed nice enough, but neither seemed like a great love. There was no urgency to the story, no sense of escalating stakes, just a woman who wonders which life she should have chosen, and through narrative device, gets to live them both...for at least a little while. A late breaking plot twist was an attempt to create some momentum, but for some reason, it didn’t grab me.

Ms. Picoult has written some fantastic books that I love: Leaving Time, the Pact, Small Great Things. But she's also written some that fell flat for me, like A Spark of Light. I would put this one in a middle tier: better than the misfires, but not overly compelling as a read.