I don't even know where to start with my review for this book because I absolutely love Jodi Picoult and so this review is very difficult to write because I did not like this book. In fact that is putting it very lightly because this book honestly enraged me slightly.

I found the first 20% of the book difficult to get through because it felt like I was reading a text book on Egyptology. I imagine it's interesting if you're into that but I honestly just felt I was being lectured most of the time and that's not what I want when I set down to read a contemporary book. I appreciate that Picoult has clearly done a lot of research into this topic but it really just wasn't what I wanted going into this book and I found it difficult to get enticed to read it.

I think my main issue with this book is that I just hated Dawn. I feel like we're meant to relate to her but I just found her unbearable; something life changing happens and instead of going home to her family she flies off to see a man she knew over a decade ago. This women, who prides herself on being a parent, abandons her child AND THEN DOESN'T MESSAGE HER FOR GOD KNOWS HOW LONG. Oh, and shock horror, Dawn and Brian's daughter is not Brian's... what a cliche shock that I did not see coming at all (although I still can't figure out the timeline on this) and everyone is just A-OKAY with it. And Dawn's first thought, obviously, is to fly to Wyatt and tell him, rather than comfort her husband who just had his world ripped out from under him....

Also the fact that she can just swan off to Egypt and join up on the group with little ramifications or impact... oh and because of her they make this amazing breakthrough... again what a shock horror!

I hate cheating storylines and that is essentially what this whole book is focused on. Brian is such a placid person and doesn't seem overly bothered by the fact that his wife just suddenly leaves him or finding out his daughter's not his - he's just like, oh okay, Wyatt why don't you go and watch her play tennis?! I just felt that Dawn was so hypocritical throughout because she gets so angry at Brian for ending up in a situation with a student who fancied him (and he didn't do anything) when she's essentially been fantasising about another man their whole marriage?!

Wyatt was a fantasy if anything; they spent a steamy summer together searching for mysteries and then she left to care for her mother, and never saw him again FOR 15 YEARS. If she loved him that much she could have gone to search for him at anytime; her behaviour is so selfish because it honestly makes it seem like she has just settled for Brian this whole time and that she never really loved him. She seems to hold Wyatt on this big pedestal but really they spent little time together and as she says, don't really know much about each other. Apart from the fact that they're both okay with cheating and ruining relationships *enter shrug moment here*.

AND THEN WE HAVE THE ENDING. The start of the book makes it seem like Dawn ends up in a plane crash and then we follow two alternative realities; one where she goes to Wyatt and one where she goes to Brian. But actually, what we realise is that the start of the book is actually almost the ending of the book and the events in Egypt are happening after the events in Boston (mostly, I think, apart from flashbacks which just help to understand the plot so much). Turns out she's on the plane with Wyatt after telling him he's a father and then their in a plane crash and blah blah. Honestly just the rage I feel about this ending because guess what, there isn't really one and we're left to guess who she ends up with and what happens. It's a completely ambiguous ending and I am not a fan of those.

Ohh god... I love Jodi Picoult, and I will love her after this book, but I just could not manage this book at all. Really not one for me. Thank you NetGalley for letting me read an eARC.

This one took a lot of brain power for me to finish having nearly given up on the story 2-3 times but I persevered and it was quite the read.

Do you or have you ever had a moment, an event, or just something happen in your life that makes you reevaluate everything? We meet Dawn who has such a moment and it is one which transports her out of her current life - as a mother, wife and death doula, living in Boston - and transports her - mentally and then physically - to some time ago to Egypt, to the job she left, the man she left, the life she left - because she was forced to return home on the death of her mother.

We learn quite a lot about ancient Egypt - the Kings, the symbolism, the hieroglyphs, the burial ritual all of which I found interesting but heavy going, perhaps a little too much detail which for me in many ways detracted from the story that was trying to be told. Before the book I had no idea what a Death Doula was, now I do!

I will generally read anything Jodi Picoult writes, so I quickly snapped up her latest release despite seeing some mixed reviews. Her books can be hit and miss, but they'll always be eye-opening and though-provoking. This one, I struggled with more than most, but it still has a lot to offer.

Our protagonist is Egyptologist turned death doula - yep, two pretty unusual careers there - Dawn. Happily married to Brian with a teenage daughter, her life seems to be on track, but a close call with death makes her question everything. After surviving a plane crash, she finds herself at a crossroads, and her story divides down two paths. In one, she returns home to her family. In the other, she boards a flight to Egypt to track down Wyatt, a man from her past that she can't quite let go.

So, we follow Dawn's two paths and the two biggest romantic relationships of her life. We learn about her whirlwind, fractious relation with Wyatt in their original stint in Egypt and how she fell for sweet scientist Brian at a difficult time in her life. Her past is intertwined with present day as she's driven to make a huge choice in her life, again. 

The opening is strong and the premise is great, but I got a little lost somewhere in the middle. There's something of a bombardment of information - from Ancient Egypt, symbolism and hieroglyphics to the concept of death and after life care, with a little quantum physics thrown in along the way courtesy of Dawn's husband, Brian. This isn't a new technique from the author - many of her books explore in-depth topics and she clearly does her research well - but it's just a little much here to the point it interferes with the plot. I thought I had a mild interest in Ancient Egypt so I might have enjoyed this part, but Dawn is an expert in her field and this book goes into so much depth on the research methods used and the symbology, that I found myself skimming some parts.

But at some point, the information overload slows down and the plot takes centre stage again. After skimming a lot of the novel and struggling to pick it up, I found myself racing through the final third. As always, Picoult excels at creating authentic characters and getting under the skin of their relationships, and there's some touching connections in this story. From Dawn's latest client Winnie to her family to her long-lost love Wyatt, each character is complex and genuine, offering a new perspective on love and life, and through them Picoult explores the complexities of what it means to be human and what it means to live life to the full.

I really struggled with this book in the beginning stages and came really close to giving up. I got to about 30% and I found myself starting to be intrigued by the storyline. I also realised I was looking forward to reading more.
I am so glad I finished the book, it was amazing! Although it is very informative about Egypt (some parts of these I did skim) I really enjoyed the story and feel sad that I’ve finished.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I'm afraid I bailed on this book and I *never* bail on books.

I had already read some reviews before I started; reviews which said that the book was too much of a knowledge-dump of information on Egyptology.

I hadn't let this put me off, as I'd been to a talk by the author many years ago, at which she talked about how she goes about her research and I found it fascinating. I have also enjoyed all of Picoult's books and I think there's only one or two that I haven't read.

However, this book really did have too much detail in about Egyptology - it felt like 80% textbook and 20% novel. I started skim reading those parts as I don't think that they were actually adding anything to the story but then, when the MC's husband-to-be was introduced by way of a detailed explanation of quantum mechanics - that was enough for me!

When the plane Dawn is on crashes, her life doesn't flash before her eyes, the one she left behind does, including the man she loved. She survives - now her path can go in two different directions. Which will she choose? An enjoyable read though some of the Egyptology lingo got a bit dense.

Jodi Picoult always writes intriguing and powerful books and this one is no exception. So many fascinating concepts brought into my thoughts and in several parts I stopped and read passages to my husband as I wanted to share the brilliance & thought provoking excerpts.
This is a very clever story about Dawn, a death doula (the descriptions of her job alone are just brilliant and humbling) and how she reflects back on her life through an opportunity no one JP’s have foretold. The choices she faces and the deep thinking and reflections she faces.
Wyatt (her lover from the past) & Bryan (her husband) are carefully brought to life and are polar opposites in everything apart from their fierce love of Dawn.
Meret, her daughter, brings a whole level of loving and need to the story and I empathised hugely with the decision faced by Dawn. What I particularly enjoyed is the growth of all these characters throughout the book.
The story alternates settings from Boston to Egypt and both are described effectively. I really enjoyed how Egyptian beliefs were interwoven with life nowadays.
This book has obviously been painstakingly researched and must have been a tough write. For me, the only downside was I found the Egyptian history went into a little too much detail, my brain became bogged down trying to embed it.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and am aiming to go back to find the passages that really resonated, so that I can reflect on them again. Definitely recommend.

As a huge fan of previous Jodi Picoult books, I was eager to start her newest one.
Wow! As with all Picoult's books, this one really doesn't disappoint. If you have any interest at all in Egypt or Egyptology then this book has the added bonus of quite a bit of obviously very carefully researched detail. On the flip side though if Egyptian detail isn't really your thing it could be a bit tricky to get into this book but I'd wholeheartedly encourage trying to stick with it.
This is another book which will leave you reflecting for a good while after reading it.

I was really excited to start this book as I have read a lot of of Jodi's books and the subject matter sounded really interesting. The plot was good , held my interest and was very thought provoking in its exploration of the 'what if' moments we all have when looking back on our lives, but I did find some parts were like reading a textbook on Egyptology and I must admit to skipping a lot of this. I do hope that this 'heavy' style of writing is not continued as I found it very distracting and spoilt my enjoyment of the story to some extent.

Jodi Picoult is one of my favourite authors. I’ve seen her three times in person during book tours and I cannot describe just how deeply I admire her. Incredibly eloquent and intelligent, I’m always in complete awe of her. So much so that when I actually got to talk to her, my words kind of mushed and fell out into sheer nonsense. Not the best impression. I’m only comforted by the fact that there were so many people there, that I would have been a blur.

I was so excited to see that this was coming out, and on my birthday too. It felt serendipitous. I even leapfrogged over several others in the tbr pile to read this as soon as I could.

The concept is brilliant. And something I mull over myself so often. Our lives are a series of decisions made and we are the outcome of those decisions. What if. How different could things be?

One of the things I love about Jodi Picoult novels are the depth of research. And The Book of Two Ways is no different. Dawn is a Death Doula, but was previously an Egyptologist, a subject which, therefore features. It doesn’t end there though. Her husband, Brian is also a Quantum Physicist, therefore quantum physics also gets a major look in. I don’t have a grounding in Egyptology, and my only education in quantum physics is from my obsession with the Marvel films, therefore it just felt….a lot. Perhaps it was just the effect of 2020 on my brain, but for the first time I felt that the concept and research overtook the real heart of the novel, and the characters became less important than the how and the why. For this reason it took me quite some time to connect with the characters and to actually care about what was happening. My mind was continually blown with an overload of information. For me, on this occasion it just felt to be too much and my early enjoyment of the book did suffer for it.

That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it. Once I’d pushed through, I was as into the story as I would expect to be when reading a Jodi Picoult novel, and I absolutely loved it. But this thought niggles at me; if it were any other author – would I have stuck with it? In all honesty, I’m not sure. It really is a book of two halves, and I think it will be a novel that divides a lot of fans.

In short – whilst not my favourite Jodi Picoult novel, it is still a good novel. Though challenging in the beginning (and if you have a working interest in either subject, then you may find the novel much easier to get into) the second half made up for the initial struggle. I cannot deny that I love the concept though and I think it is one that I will perhaps revisit when the world is a little less up in the air and my reading brain is able to focus a little better.

We live life looking forward and understand it looking backward. What if we could preempt two possible futures and choose between them?

Dawn is a death doula, and spends her life helping people make the final transition peacefully. But when the plane she's on plummets, she finds herself thinking not of the perfect life she has, but the life she was forced to abandon fifteen years ago – to leave behind a career in Egyptology, and a man she loved.

Against the odds, she survives, and the airline offers her a ticket to wherever she needs to get to - but the answer to that question suddenly seems uncertain.

As the path of her life forks in two very different directions, Dawn must confront questions she's never truly asked: what does a well-lived life look like? What do we leave behind when we go? And do we make our choices, or do our choices make us?

I chose this book because a). I’d never read a Jodi Picoult before and b). The implied Sliding Doors writing style sounded exciting.

The parallel narratives build up suspense as they unveil their secrets. In one world Dawn is picking up where she left off – back in Egypt, studying dig sites with Wyatt Armstrong. In another, she is home with her husband, Brian, and Meret, their teenage daughter.

The story is a little heavy on History and Science but it helps if the subject interests you. On the home front, Dawn’s life tiptoes around their family issues and provides a deep insight into the challenges of being a death doula. She displays contrasting personalities in each world showing how our circumstances mould us. The author brings the story full circle when the two worlds intersect as Dawn battles an ethical dilemma.

Expertly researched and emotionally turbulent, it leaves you wondering whether life is about the journey or the destination.

This ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Hodder Books.

I've yet to read a novel by Jodi Picoult I didn't love - and this one is the same, loved it! The thing I love most about Picoult's writing is that with every novel she introduces new and seemingly unrelated topics (Physics + Archaelogy) and somehow they both are analogies for various elements of the plot, but also both come together beautifully.

Let me start this by saying that I absolutely love Jodi Picoult. She is my all time favourite author and I have never read a book by her I disliked.

The opening of the book hooks you in. Dawn is involved in a plane crash. Then in true Jodi Picoult style, a sophisticated narrative covering a large time is constructed and unfolded to reveal how Dawn got to this point in her life.

I loved how Jodi Picoult placed this story in two different geographical areas. It was nice to escape to a whole new setting. I loved reading about the heated atmosphere in the chapters about Egypt.

The premise of the story, in some ways is very simple. The Book of Two Ways refers to an ancient Egyptian scripture, which Dawn studies with her love interest, Wyatt.

However, it could also refer to Dawn’s dilemma. She loves Brian, but she is in love with Wyatt. Brian represents one way of living – home, security, safety, family. Wyatt represents passion, dreams, risk, adventure. Who should she choose, and why?

There were some parts of the novel I found difficult to deal with, at first. Though it is clear that Jodi put a lot of research into the Egyptology side of the story, it went over my head a little bit.

I also feel like readers need to be aware of the trigger warning associated with death. Dawn comes into contact with death and the dying a lot, due to her job. Whilst reading, I couldn’t help but think of my Nan, who died in 2018. However, I think if you’ve recently had a bereavement this is one you should shelve for a little while.

During the last 150 pages, I really got into the story and fell in love with it. The characters are raw, flawed and damaged. They are beautifully created and executed.

Overall, this is a beautifully written and cleverly crafted story about what it means to be in love, and how facing death can make us ask hard questions about our life.

A good read and one I will revisit again.

My views on picoult are complex. I loved her early work, and find her more recent work harder to read. She clearly loves to research and become an expert - that shows - but sometimes it feels at the expense of the heart wrenching narratives she used to write.

I would love to see her go back to her old style. This is not to say it is a bad book - not at all - but it requires a different type of reading.

A sweeping novel - full of heart, rich characters & beautiful storytelling!

The 'what if' storyline is powerful & thought-provoking, it examines the questions surrounding death and what that means for our life.

Dawn's job as a death doula is really interesting! - I didn't know such a thing existed.

The imagery of Egypt was spectacular, really all-encompassing. The research Picoult must have carried out to convey that level of knowledge is phenomenal but sadly for me, it read like a textbook on Ancient Egypt at times.

That being said like all of Picoult's books it made me feel, it certainly made me think & it stayed in my mind long after I'd turn the last page. Not a quick read but definitely a rewarding one.

A huge thanks to NetGalley & Hodder & Stroughton for gifting me a copy in return for an open & honest review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dawn lives in Boston with her husband & daughter. She is a Death Doula- someone who helps the terminally ill to come to terms with dying & to let them die on their own terms. A plane crash brings her face to face with her won mortality & the choices she made to leave behind the academic world of Egyptology to care for her mother. The Egyptians believe that you can choose the path you take in the afterlife. The Book of Two Ways dealt with this & was her area of expertise.

I am a huge fan of Jodi Picoult & have read all her books & loved nearly all of them, however this one was a big disappointment. I found the 'Egypt' stuff a bit too much. I didn't really warm to the characters- apart from Meret. It will not stop me looking forward to the next one but for me this is one missed! Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting e read & review this book.

The main characters dawn helps people at the end of their lives to transition for their next journey. Having her own near death experience on a plane she chooses to go back to a time in her life when she was in Egypt, single and studying. She lives behind her husband and daughter go pick up a life she had already left behind once before.
While the plot was enjoyable the Egyptology and quantum physics was a little too hard hitting for me, it was interesting but too much and I became bored at times and wanted to skip pages. I have always enjoyed this authors books however this one was a little different at times. Over all an ok read about life and death and the choices we make.

It’s been a while since I picked up a Jodi Picoult book, I used to be itching to get my hands on her latest release. This book did not disappoint. There was so much going on: Quantum psychics, philosophical approach to life and death, reincarnation, superstition, Egyptology, marriage, unfulfillment, fat-shaming and the role of a death doula. It was fascinating and kept my attention because there was so much happening all the time. I loved the whole sliding doors vibe. It took me a while to start this book, but once I did I struggled to put it down. There were a few tears shed.
Thanks to #Netgalley for gifting me an ebook copy of #thebookoftwoways in exchange for an honest review.

“Home isn’t a where...it’s a who.”

In “The book of two ways” we meet Dawn - a death doula who helps her clients prepare for a good and peaceful death. She is settled in the life she has created with her husband and her daughter...or so it seems until Dawn has a near death experience of her own. She finds herself with one foot her existing life and the other foot in the life she could have had.

Jodi Picoult is the author of my absolute all time favourite book and so I was so excited to be able to indulge in another of her novels.

From attending her talks, I am aware she immerses herself in researching the topics she writes about . Nevertheless, for this reason “The book of two ways” was a slow burner for me. There’s a wealth of information about Egyptology and quantum physics in the initial part of the book and whilst I learned a lot, it meant the plot didn’t get under my skin until halfway through the book.

However, from that point onwards I was hooked and whilst I was irritated by Dawn at some points, I was really emotionally invested in the characters and how the book would conclude. I really enjoyed Dawn’s relationship with her client and wow the relationship with Wyatt was as hot as the desert it unfolded in.

But that ending! I’m being careful to avoid spoilers. I wasn’t sure how I wanted the book to end, but it definitely wouldn’t have chosen that ending. I understand why that ending was chosen and how it fitted perfectly with the ongoing themes of the novel. However, as a reader who had become emotionally invested in the lives of characters, it was unsatisfying and disappointing.

Still, I think there is something in what Win says in the book- that sometimes with any form of art “You don’t have to understand it you have to feel it”. This, like all of Jodi Picoult’s books, made me feel and they certainly make me think. I’ll be back for the next one!

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC

Dawn Edelstein is on a plane that crashes, which she miraculously survives. But when the airline offers her transportation of where to go she has a choice. Does she go home to her husband and daughter or return to her previous abruptly truncated life as an Egyptologist and the man she was in love with then? It's not exactly Sliding Doors as these two possible futures play out side by side. But I loved how unafraid Jodi Piccoult is to tackle big subjects, this book takes in Egyptology, quantum physics, dying and how to lead a good life. I found the Egyptology sections dense and a bit hard going at times but the themes they raise (what do you need to transition to where you need to be and the choices you make to get there) are undeniably pertinent. I also loved that Dawn makes questionable choices and isn't punished for them.