THE BOOK OF TWO WAYS: A STUNNING NOVEL ABOUT LIFE, DEATH AND MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

Have you thought about who you would be, if you hadn't turned out to be the person you are right now? Have you any misgivings about the way it ended up? Did you have a choice or did the choice make you?Get ready for a roller-coaster ride of emotions as you tread along the path Dawn takes. You would end up wondering where you would be if you had power to change the past.The Book of Two Ways is a fantastic read for those who love Egyptology and Physics. It also talks about Irish superstitions and death. The efforts the author might have taken for writing this book is worth mentioning. The section where Dawn was searching for Thane on the internet while Brian, speaking to her about some science is well-structured and interesting. If you read between lines you would feel as if what he was saying somehow interlinked or guided her search for Thane. Well, I could not help noticing a connection as if he was giving her clues throughout his speech.The Book of Two Ways is a precursor to the New Kingdom books of the underworld as well as the Book of the Dead, in which descriptions of the routes through the afterlife are a persistent theme. The title is so apt for the plot as Dawn was living her life in two ways. She was there and here and left with choices either to embrace the past and live her dream or to flow with the present to be with her daughter, a constant reminder of her past and Brian, her husband, the unshakable support. Honestly, I felt angry towards Dawn for turning back on her first love who was so much in love with her and then turn back on her ever supportive, ever worshipping Brian and then… again turn to Wyatt, but this time for a reason.I must say the ending is brilliant. How tactfully the author brought the ending without hurting further the already torn-between whom- to -choose predicament of her readers, deserves an applause. What is so dreamy about this story is the unending and unconditional love of the Wyatt, Brian and Felix towards their women. She has successfully etched down the emotions and sufferings of Dawn, the feelings of dying through her job as death doula and her client named Win. Different timelines in the story were pretty tricky and kept me wondering if it was in the past or in the present. However, I must say, it is worth your time.

Am and will always be a fan of Jodi's...Luv her well researched and poignant books on diverse topics. Had great expectations on this one as well though it was slightly disappointing when I did go through it. Even though I have no complaints on the plot and the basic storyline, the Egyptian references were too lengthy and and did not add much to the storyline. On the other hand , they did take you away from the real story and by the time you reached back to the same, you would have forgotten what was happening in the first place. Therefore,it was disconcerting at times. It just felt that they were fillers to increase the length of the novel. In an ideal world they should have transported me to Egypt and brought out the excitement of the dig.. unfortunately it failed to do so... therefore a bit disappointed on that regard.

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.

When Dawn learns that her plane is about to crash and her Life is going to end in a few seconds & in that instant the only thought that crosses her mind in her moment of death is not God but her best past(her love with Wyatt) before she goes into coma & forms the very essence of the story " The book of two ways" and which nevertheless holds most of the readers with excitement to complete the book. A powerful Love story between Wyatt & Dawn(Olive) & not to forget Brian too( A sort of Love triangle) with indepth information about Egyptology,Ancient history ,hieroglyphics mummies etc. Though the Egyptology, the history,the depiction of pictures etc perhaps may intrest an historian or a research scholar but as a reader I felt distracted and got bored at times too.I also see as much a merit in Brian as a husband as I see in Wyatt as a lover. Moreover that Dawn & Brian lived for 15 long years along with their loving daughter Meerat& to imagine the relationship ending as a couple is somewhat hard to take and more so when one learns that Brian is not the biological father pales the real impact of love between Dawn ,& Wyatt.On the whole the novel didn't inspire me as much as " Small Great Things" where you endup with a "Feel Good" factor though I am awestruck with admiration their for the minute details the writer has put their into the book.

エジプト学者になることを断念し終末期の病人の世話人（医者でも看護師でもケアマネージャーでもない）になった女性のお話。古代エジプトの"The Book of Two Ways"、主人公の夢と現実、元カレと現在の夫、夫の専門であるパラレルユニバースと、幾つものtwo waysが異なる対立軸として描かれ作品に奥行きを与えています。前段の設定披露はテンポ良く進みましたが、後半は作者の癖で必要以上に時間を前後してストーリーが飛ぶので読み辛いです。クライマックス近くにお約束の爆弾が炸裂しますが、話が散らかっており余り効きません。主人公は作者の作品に度々登場する悩みながらも自分に正直に生きている個人主義＝自己中心的な女性です。お陰で周りは全員えらい迷惑なのですが、そこをポジティブに捉えられるかどうかが本作の評価、果ては西洋と東洋の分かれ目です。

Had to leave 5 stars, because the fact that I did not enjoy the book (and I love her books) has nothing to do with the fact that the book arrived quickly and is in perfect shape. There was way too many details about ancient Egypt for my liking

This book covers topics such death, loss, destiny, our decisions, mixed in with a good background of egyptology and quantum physics! It certainly made me think, and I found it very interesting. What I love about this author is that she researches her chosen subjects so well. Cleverly written, I enjoyed this.

If you like books that make you think and question your own decisions, this book certainly makes you think back and ponder your life. If you are also interested in ancient Egypt and Egyptian beliefs, plus the strength of feeling people can feel for others, you won’t want to put the book down. It haunts you even when you have moved on to other books.

Good book. Keeps you interested until the end. Goes to and fro, jumping in time, but well conducted. Jodi Picoult did a great investigatión on Egiptology AND burials, sometimes a little too deep for a novel, but very interesting.