CONTAINS SPOILERS
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 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, her beloved daughter, and her work as a death doula, where she helps ease the transition between life and death for patients in hospice.
But 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 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 the survivors are seen by a doctor, then offers transportation 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 beside 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?
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Family. Love. Choices.
I have been reading Jodi Picoult for years. A friend told me about her back when I was getting my first degree. I have read most but her recent book. Since I started reading her books, there hasn't been a single of her books that I didn't fall in love with. I bought The Book Of Two Ways last year when it was released, but didn't have a chance to read it until recently. Like all of her other books, I fell in love with The Book Of Two Ways within the first few pages. I wished that I had picked up the book sooner. Jodi Picoult has a specific style for her characters, the story. The Book of Two Ways is unlike any of her books, not what I expected it to be, but so much better. A few times, I read late into the night because I couldn't pull myself away; I needed to know what would happen with Dawn and Wyatt next.
I could tell how much research has gone into this book. The amount of Egypt history, I learned so much about Egypt just from reading the book. Once I finished the book, I wanted to know more. I love historical fiction books where you get a chance to learn from them. From all of her previous books, this one seemed to have intrigued me the most. When Dawn was in Egypt and Wyatt, my favorite part of the book was more interesting than the present timeline. You could see the connection between Wyatt and Dawn right away. I couldn't help but hope that the two of them would find a way to each other. I knew that Brian loved Dawn, but there wasn't any connection and love Dawn and Wyatt had. I wondered what would happen if she didn't leave Egypt all those years ago.
I went through mixed emotions while reading this book. The Book Of Two Ways touched me in many different ways. The descriptions had me imagine being there in Egypt and wishing that I could visit. The timeline between present and past was a bit confusing at times, maybe because it was written. The Book Of Two Ways is a book that I see myself picking up in the future. One of the best historical fiction that I have read. If you are a fan of historical fiction, I would highly recommend it. I cannot wait what Jodi Picoult has in store for us next.
