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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
Jodi Picoult is true storyteller. This book has many layers and is beautifully woven. It’s a wonderful story of family, love, death, and our history. I love all the Egyptology references in the book. She had to do much research.
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
A friend has been raving about this book since she listened months ago and since I have a love-hate relationship with Jodi Picoult I was hesitant to pick it up and use one of my precious hold spots at the library for it. So when I was perusing the new release section while picking up my holds and it was available, I decided to take a chance.
Like every other reviewer says, it’s heavy on Egypt. The first chapter almost turned me away because it felt like a textbook, it under the excellent review of my friend, I persevered.
I’m glad I did. The structure is interesting and feels like two universes based on the real historical book called The Book of Two Ways. I gasped aloud at one point around page 230-250, when I finally understood the structure.
It begs the question of when do you decide who you want to be? And can you ever leave your past behind?
The book is a lot about death and understanding the Egyptian view of the afterlife. The main character is a death doula, which is a fascinating career … but there’s no mention of the Christian version of the afterlife. It felt weird to completely leave it out and base the story on the premise that there is nothing after death. I know it’s not everyone’s view of what happens next, but it felt weird to have zero mentions of such a widely accepted belief system.
Like every other reviewer says, it’s heavy on Egypt. The first chapter almost turned me away because it felt like a textbook, it under the excellent review of my friend, I persevered.
I’m glad I did. The structure is interesting and feels like two universes based on the real historical book called The Book of Two Ways. I gasped aloud at one point around page 230-250, when I finally understood the structure.
It begs the question of when do you decide who you want to be? And can you ever leave your past behind?
The book is a lot about death and understanding the Egyptian view of the afterlife. The main character is a death doula, which is a fascinating career … but there’s no mention of the Christian version of the afterlife. It felt weird to completely leave it out and base the story on the premise that there is nothing after death. I know it’s not everyone’s view of what happens next, but it felt weird to have zero mentions of such a widely accepted belief system.
Dawn was living a mostly happy life when a crash landing made her question the choices she has made in the past. During the fleeting moments of the plane going down, she wasn’t thinking of her husband, but of the man she hasn’t seen for fifteen years. The airline has her checked by a doctor and then offers to transport her anywhere she wants to go. She should go back to Boston. That is where her husband and daughter are, but she finds herself thinking about Wyatt, the archaeologist she left behind, and the research she abandoned years ago. What questions will Dawn face as her two possible futures unfold?
The Book of Two Ways is a stand-alone realistic fiction novel about hope and life choices (both the hard and everyday kinds). Picoult does her magic again where she embeds information about a topic throughout her novel so that readers leave feeling as if they have not only read a great story but have become more knowledgeable about Egyptian archeology. As a person who frequently visited the Egyptian exhibit at the Field Museum in Chicago, I have always held a fascination with archeology and this story had just enough to teach without feeling like school. This is a great book, even if Picoult isn’t one of your go-to authors.
The Book of Two Ways is a stand-alone realistic fiction novel about hope and life choices (both the hard and everyday kinds). Picoult does her magic again where she embeds information about a topic throughout her novel so that readers leave feeling as if they have not only read a great story but have become more knowledgeable about Egyptian archeology. As a person who frequently visited the Egyptian exhibit at the Field Museum in Chicago, I have always held a fascination with archeology and this story had just enough to teach without feeling like school. This is a great book, even if Picoult isn’t one of your go-to authors.
I think my opinion is opposite of most. I loved the Egyptian history and the quantum physics. I loved the learning. I hated what she did to Brian and the being torn between two men, and, the Jerry Springer elements.
Very Detailed Novel
While this book was extremely well researched, it was hard to follow at times. I appreciate the thought that Picoult puts into all of her novels and enjoyed reading this one.
While this book was extremely well researched, it was hard to follow at times. I appreciate the thought that Picoult puts into all of her novels and enjoyed reading this one.
challenging
slow-paced
3⭐️🎧
I had the audiobook read by Patti Murin.
Two very different topics are flung together in this book. Dawn is now a Death Doula, an intriguing and obscure occupation. Dawn decides to return to Egypt to follow her original dream.
It’s quite heavy going with the Egyptology and the quantum mechanics with the physicist husband.
It flips between time frames and stories.
But behind it all is are really sad love stories. But that ending!!! Arh!!!
It wasn’t a favourite for me.
Like others have said the lectures on egyptology were tedious maximus and detracted from what could have been a fun and moving story. Very close to DNF.
Quite good-written but I am not a fan of Egyptian mythology