Status
Available
Description
Fiction. Literature. HTML:#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER â?˘ From the author of Small Great Things and A Spark of Light comes a â??powerfulâ?ť (The Washington Post) novel about the choices that alter the course of our lives. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY MARIE CLAIRE Everything changes in a single moment for Dawn Edelstein. Sheâ??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 destination is to fly home, but she could take another path: 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 Waysâ??the first known map of the afterlife. As the story unfolds, Dawnâ??s two possible futures unspool side by side, as do the secrets and doubts long buried with them. Dawn must confront the questions sheâ??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 hadnâ??t turned out to be the p… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
The Book of Two Ways, Jodi Picoult, author; Patti Murin, narrator.
Dawn Edelstein is a Death Doula. Her job is to help guide the dying and their families through the process in order to make it less stressful and more manageable. She carries the burden so the family can let it go. She becomes a part
As a student at Yale, Dawn studied Egyptology. While studying in Egypt, she met Wyatt Anderson. They were both researching “The Book of Two Ways”, found under the bodies in the ancient tombs. It outlined the paths of life and death and contained spells to guide the dead. This part of the book was often difficult as an audio, as many of the technical terms and words were hard to understand. I recommend the print version so that the pronunciation of strange words does not interfere with the reading of the book. Visually, it will be easier.
Wyatt and Dawn, both young and vying for the same recognition, compete and spar with each other. Then, somehow, they fall madly in love. They are like two sides of the same coin. When Dawn’s mother enters hospice, she must return home. She tells no one. She simply disappears. Wyatt cannot find her. Dawn is overwhelmed. She had not known that her mother was ill. There is no money for her to return to school and no one else to care for her minor brother, Kieran. She has to work. While her mother is in hospice, she meets Brian Edelstein, a Quantum Physicist, and they move in together. After the birth of their daughter, Meret, they marry. Fifteen years later, Dawn is one of only 36 survivors of a plane crash. The novel begins with the crash.
The novel’s timeline is confusing. As it progresses back and forth, Dawn’s life is revealed and the threads are often disjointed. At first, the reader learns a great deal about Egyptology as the author has obviously done extensive research. At times, the narrative is like a text book. Some of the information seems incomprehensible. Some of the words and hieroglyphics were too obscure and opaque for me. When Dawn’s life as a Death Doula is explained, the novel becomes clearer, although the job seems profoundly sad, even if it serves an admirable purpose.
Throughout the book, humor is injected into the dialogue, especially between Dawn and Wyatt. This takes some of the darkness from the novel, but it is, overall, depressing. Current social and political issues are introduced, including the author’s own personal political views when she indicates that Dawn wishes that Hillary was President. Because of Dawn’s sacrifice, Kieran was able to study medicine, although it doesn’t seem that enough time has passed. He is also gay. Meret was larger than most children her age and has been bullied. Brian is accused of being disloyal, but honestly, it seemed to be a non-issue. He really did nothing wrong. Dawn, on the other hand, took infidelity to an art form. I did not find Dawn likeable. She seemed selfish and arrogant, often believing she was the smartest one in the room and behaving without thinking about others or the effect her behavior would have on others. I believe she was a very flawed character.
The major theme of the book was about how we live and how we die. All of the questions that arise at the moment we learn of our impending death and the days that follow are examined. As a Doula, Dawn tries to make the experience of death more tolerable so that the person dies with dignity and is free to let go when the time comes. She assists the family members as well and essentially, becomes a part of the family. She will grant them any wish she can to make the journey easier. How do we face death? How have we lived? When we discover we are dying do we live what is left of our lives differently? Are some things more important than others? Are there scores to settle? Can we go back and relive parts of our lives to capture what we have lost or been forced to give up? These are some of the questions being tackled.
Since Dawn was researching “The Book of Two Ways” which contained the spells that were buried with the dead, it did seem fitting that she should choose to be a Death Doula when she could no longer continue her studies.
I have enjoyed most books by this author, but this was not one of them. The themes were overdone and seemed contrived. The book was too long and needed editing. It was hard to determine whether or not Dawn was reliving the past or was living in the present as her story was told. The resolution of the issues was unsatisfying and unrealistic. Dawn was impulsive and rash, resented male superiority and seemed dissatisfied with her life. She wanted a redo. Although she took responsibility for her actions she didn’t seem to learn from them. The sex scenes seemed too explicit and seemed out of place in what seemed to be a serious book. The profane language seemed unreasonable and unnecessary.
Dawn Edelstein is a Death Doula. Her job is to help guide the dying and their families through the process in order to make it less stressful and more manageable. She carries the burden so the family can let it go. She becomes a part
Show More
of the family in the process, and she promises to do whatever they ask her to do, if possible, to make the situation easier for all of them, so they can bear the loss they must face.As a student at Yale, Dawn studied Egyptology. While studying in Egypt, she met Wyatt Anderson. They were both researching “The Book of Two Ways”, found under the bodies in the ancient tombs. It outlined the paths of life and death and contained spells to guide the dead. This part of the book was often difficult as an audio, as many of the technical terms and words were hard to understand. I recommend the print version so that the pronunciation of strange words does not interfere with the reading of the book. Visually, it will be easier.
Wyatt and Dawn, both young and vying for the same recognition, compete and spar with each other. Then, somehow, they fall madly in love. They are like two sides of the same coin. When Dawn’s mother enters hospice, she must return home. She tells no one. She simply disappears. Wyatt cannot find her. Dawn is overwhelmed. She had not known that her mother was ill. There is no money for her to return to school and no one else to care for her minor brother, Kieran. She has to work. While her mother is in hospice, she meets Brian Edelstein, a Quantum Physicist, and they move in together. After the birth of their daughter, Meret, they marry. Fifteen years later, Dawn is one of only 36 survivors of a plane crash. The novel begins with the crash.
The novel’s timeline is confusing. As it progresses back and forth, Dawn’s life is revealed and the threads are often disjointed. At first, the reader learns a great deal about Egyptology as the author has obviously done extensive research. At times, the narrative is like a text book. Some of the information seems incomprehensible. Some of the words and hieroglyphics were too obscure and opaque for me. When Dawn’s life as a Death Doula is explained, the novel becomes clearer, although the job seems profoundly sad, even if it serves an admirable purpose.
Throughout the book, humor is injected into the dialogue, especially between Dawn and Wyatt. This takes some of the darkness from the novel, but it is, overall, depressing. Current social and political issues are introduced, including the author’s own personal political views when she indicates that Dawn wishes that Hillary was President. Because of Dawn’s sacrifice, Kieran was able to study medicine, although it doesn’t seem that enough time has passed. He is also gay. Meret was larger than most children her age and has been bullied. Brian is accused of being disloyal, but honestly, it seemed to be a non-issue. He really did nothing wrong. Dawn, on the other hand, took infidelity to an art form. I did not find Dawn likeable. She seemed selfish and arrogant, often believing she was the smartest one in the room and behaving without thinking about others or the effect her behavior would have on others. I believe she was a very flawed character.
The major theme of the book was about how we live and how we die. All of the questions that arise at the moment we learn of our impending death and the days that follow are examined. As a Doula, Dawn tries to make the experience of death more tolerable so that the person dies with dignity and is free to let go when the time comes. She assists the family members as well and essentially, becomes a part of the family. She will grant them any wish she can to make the journey easier. How do we face death? How have we lived? When we discover we are dying do we live what is left of our lives differently? Are some things more important than others? Are there scores to settle? Can we go back and relive parts of our lives to capture what we have lost or been forced to give up? These are some of the questions being tackled.
Since Dawn was researching “The Book of Two Ways” which contained the spells that were buried with the dead, it did seem fitting that she should choose to be a Death Doula when she could no longer continue her studies.
I have enjoyed most books by this author, but this was not one of them. The themes were overdone and seemed contrived. The book was too long and needed editing. It was hard to determine whether or not Dawn was reliving the past or was living in the present as her story was told. The resolution of the issues was unsatisfying and unrealistic. Dawn was impulsive and rash, resented male superiority and seemed dissatisfied with her life. She wanted a redo. Although she took responsibility for her actions she didn’t seem to learn from them. The sex scenes seemed too explicit and seemed out of place in what seemed to be a serious book. The profane language seemed unreasonable and unnecessary.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Loried
I thought the premise of the book was very interesting, and I was happy to have the opportunity to read an advance copy of the book. I loved the main story, but I thought the rhythm of the book was disrupted by the excessive background details the author provided. I understand that when authors
Despite the above criticism, I enjoyed the book and found it thought-provoking. I think it would make a wonderful choice for book discussion groups.
Show More
spend a lot of time researching material for a book, they don't want all this information to be "wasted". This extra information was unnecessary for the reader to know, and it detracted from the flow of the book. I also found the details of the airplane crash revealed at the end of the book confusing to follow.Despite the above criticism, I enjoyed the book and found it thought-provoking. I think it would make a wonderful choice for book discussion groups.
Show Less
LibraryThing member sleahey
This is a novel about choices we make and their possible outcomes. The book opens with a plane crash, Dawn's survival, and the split second decision she makes about where to go from there provides a pivotal moment. Instead of returning to her comfortable life with her husband, teenage daughter, and
Show More
career as a death doula, she gets a flight to Egypt to revisit the site of her love affair fifteen years earlier. As a young woman she was a brilliant Egyptologist involved in an exciting dig in middle Egypt, but her career--and steamy affair--were cut short by her mother's terminal illness, death, and her obligation to raise her younger brother. At her mother's hospice she met and fell in love with physicist Brian, and married him within the year. Fifteen years later a dying client's last request raises issues that Dawn had thought put to rest, prompting her to seek out her former life. Brian's research into parallel lives offers a convenient counterpoint to all of the "what if" questions Dawn and her client have, and help make sense of the second plane crash scene at the end of the book. This novel provides an interesting glimpse at the role of a death doula. However the amount of description of the history of ancient Egypt and the archaeological process seemed quite didactic, and I found myself skipping much of it. I also found some of the motivation behind Dawn's actions difficult to understand and therefore sympathize with. Show Less
LibraryThing member amysan
This was not quite what I was expecting from a Jodi Picoult novel. I'm usually a fan of her work and was excited to read this book, with it's intriguing premise, but parts of it read more like a textbook than a novel.
LibraryThing member mzonderm
Sometimes, when I'm reading a book, I start writing the reivew before I finish reading. I only had a few sentences put down for this book by the time I got close to the end, which is good, because I had to scrap them. In other words, this book is not what it seems. It's even better.
After surviving
Thus we are introduced to the theory of parallel universes, and so, the chapters alternate, beginning with Dawn choosing to return to Egypt to explore the what-if she left behind. In the other chapters, Dawn returns to her home in Boston, and the familiar struggles of marriage and motherhood. Or is that what's going on? There's a twist (don't expect me to give it away!) and in typical Picoult fashion, there are no clear right answers.
Picoult is not coy about what she's setting up. Dawn's husband is a physicist who explores just that topic. As a graduate student in Egyptology, Dawn's thesis was on The Book of Two Ways, an ancient Egyptian text that essentially posited that, after death, one's soul can take one of two routes, but will end up in the same place, feasting with Osiris. But sometimes, Picoult gets a little heavy-handed, such as having one of Dawn's clients face a very similar dilemma, and having Dawn learn a lot about her own life as she works things through with her client.
In Picoult's hands, even this last doesn't seem like much of a flaw, and if it is one, it's easily forgiven for the pleasure of the rest of the book. This is the kind of book that you want to read again as soon as you've finished it, that will make you want to go out and learn all about hieroglyphics, and that you'll recommend to everyone you know.
After surviving
Show More
a plane crash, the airline offers to fly Dawn wherever she wants to go. Does she choose to return to her daughter and husband of fifteen years, or does she choose to find her lost love, the man she thought of as the plane was going down?Thus we are introduced to the theory of parallel universes, and so, the chapters alternate, beginning with Dawn choosing to return to Egypt to explore the what-if she left behind. In the other chapters, Dawn returns to her home in Boston, and the familiar struggles of marriage and motherhood. Or is that what's going on? There's a twist (don't expect me to give it away!) and in typical Picoult fashion, there are no clear right answers.
Picoult is not coy about what she's setting up. Dawn's husband is a physicist who explores just that topic. As a graduate student in Egyptology, Dawn's thesis was on The Book of Two Ways, an ancient Egyptian text that essentially posited that, after death, one's soul can take one of two routes, but will end up in the same place, feasting with Osiris. But sometimes, Picoult gets a little heavy-handed, such as having one of Dawn's clients face a very similar dilemma, and having Dawn learn a lot about her own life as she works things through with her client.
In Picoult's hands, even this last doesn't seem like much of a flaw, and if it is one, it's easily forgiven for the pleasure of the rest of the book. This is the kind of book that you want to read again as soon as you've finished it, that will make you want to go out and learn all about hieroglyphics, and that you'll recommend to everyone you know.
Show Less
LibraryThing member LoriKBoyd
3.5/5
I always jump at the chance to read a Jodi Picoult book. Whether you agree or disagree with the storyline, she always makes you see both sides of the story. I will say I am a huge fan of the early JP books, versus the newer ones.
This book just had too much packed in it for me! Egyptologist
I enjoyed the storyline and the triangle of Dawn/Brian/Wyatt. As someone who is in the process of watching someone die, I found the death doula addition interesting and very enlightening. Parts of this were very emotional for me to read. For my ease in reading, I dislike long chapters but in this case, they work to get into the separate scenarios. There is a lot of back and forth within the chapters themselves. I can usually fly thru a JP book, but I found this one more difficult, stopping and starting very often. This might have been due to the overload of information and the Egyptology storyline. I prefer a neater ending than the one written, and did feel a little let down. As with all Ms. Picoult’s books, she will make you think outside the box or your comfort zone.
I love Ms. Picoult’s earlier works, and the triangle storyline reminded me of these. I went back and forth between really liking and disliking this book. I will always be a fan and always jump at the chance to read one of Ms. Picoult’s books. I appreciate her research, her attention to detail and the honing of her craft. But, I miss the Plain Truth, My Sister’s Keeper, and 19 Minutes Stories!
Thanks to Ms. Picoult, Random House Publishing/Ballantine and Net Galley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.
I always jump at the chance to read a Jodi Picoult book. Whether you agree or disagree with the storyline, she always makes you see both sides of the story. I will say I am a huge fan of the early JP books, versus the newer ones.
This book just had too much packed in it for me! Egyptologist
Show More
and hieroglyphics and Quantum mechanics...oh my! The author’s research and attention to detail are second to known! But, I’m sorry to admit that I was so bogged down with the detail and descriptions that I ended up skimming thru a lot of the material and, in doing this, I might have missed little nuances. But, time is short and my book list is too long to read a textbook, which at times this felt like. I enjoyed the storyline and the triangle of Dawn/Brian/Wyatt. As someone who is in the process of watching someone die, I found the death doula addition interesting and very enlightening. Parts of this were very emotional for me to read. For my ease in reading, I dislike long chapters but in this case, they work to get into the separate scenarios. There is a lot of back and forth within the chapters themselves. I can usually fly thru a JP book, but I found this one more difficult, stopping and starting very often. This might have been due to the overload of information and the Egyptology storyline. I prefer a neater ending than the one written, and did feel a little let down. As with all Ms. Picoult’s books, she will make you think outside the box or your comfort zone.
I love Ms. Picoult’s earlier works, and the triangle storyline reminded me of these. I went back and forth between really liking and disliking this book. I will always be a fan and always jump at the chance to read one of Ms. Picoult’s books. I appreciate her research, her attention to detail and the honing of her craft. But, I miss the Plain Truth, My Sister’s Keeper, and 19 Minutes Stories!
Thanks to Ms. Picoult, Random House Publishing/Ballantine and Net Galley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.
Show Less
LibraryThing member fredreeca
Dawn is a death doula. She works with hospice patients to ease their way into the afterlife. She is lead to this career after her mother passed away and this is also when Dawn’s life shifted from Egyptologist to wife and mother. As of late, she is questioning her choice. And the pull of an old
This book is so well written and I loved it! Now, it is totally out of this author’s normal type of book. It is what I call a “smart read”. It is full of science and historical Egyptian references. Not sure everyone will feel the same way I do. But, I was so captivated by Dawn and her Egyptology and throw in her husband and his quantum physics with parallel universes and I was hooked.
But, that is not what made this book for me. The characters and their plight and the unique way Picoult wove the tale together is absolutely amazing. You do not want to miss this one! Makes you think…in more ways than one!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Show More
lover, Wyatt, may be too much for her to handle.This book is so well written and I loved it! Now, it is totally out of this author’s normal type of book. It is what I call a “smart read”. It is full of science and historical Egyptian references. Not sure everyone will feel the same way I do. But, I was so captivated by Dawn and her Egyptology and throw in her husband and his quantum physics with parallel universes and I was hooked.
But, that is not what made this book for me. The characters and their plight and the unique way Picoult wove the tale together is absolutely amazing. You do not want to miss this one! Makes you think…in more ways than one!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Show Less
LibraryThing member brangwinn
Unlike other Jodi Picoult books, this one took a long time for me to get into it. Once I did though I understood the importance of all the detail about ancient Egyptian beliefs about death and quantum mechanics. It is sort of like going to school. You learn all the facts, but its not until you are
Show More
grown that you can put all the pieces together from your former classes and make connections. Dawn, who is a death doula helping people die, thinks she is going to die as the plane she is in plummets to earth. She lives, but in those few minutes reflects on her life and wonders if she had done something different what her life would be like. So after the crash, instead of returning to her rock-steady quantum mechanics professor husband and her teenaged daughter, she boards a flight to Egypt to find the man she loved before having to reshape her life after her mother’s death. She was a brilliant Yale Egyptology graduate student who was working on her dissertation about the “Book of Two Ways”, an ancient Egyptian book about death. She was working with a man whom she loved on a dig in Egypt when her mother’s cancer forced her back to Boston to be with her mother and raise her younger brother. While with her mom in the hospice home, she met Brian, the professor she loved. And here’s where the background Picoult has set forth in the first part of the book becomes important. She gets her degree in social work and becomes a death doula helping people die. When a client dying of cancer asks her to take a letter to a former lover in Britain, Dawn starts questioning choices she made in choosing to marry Brian instead of returning to Egypt. The book requires some heavy thinking, as Picoult looks at the various facets of being a woman, motherhood, and choices. The story is complex with “what if” questions that are not easily answered. Show Less
LibraryThing member nicx27
This really was a book of two ways for me. I've loved some of Jodi Picoult's books and was keen to read this one as the storyline really appealed to me and I was so intrigued by it.
Dawn is a death doula, which means she is there to do anything that helps a person to pass away. That doesn't mean
This is not a Sliding Doors sort of story and we don't see both possible lives as they would have played out, but it does bring forth the question of what would happen if we had taken that other path. Where would we be now? What would we be doing? I really liked that aspect of the story.
There were some very thoughtful and moving sections. Picoult has never shied away from moral and ethical dilemmas and putting her characters in provocative situations. The parts where Dawn talks about her experiences as a death doula often brought tears springing to my eyes. But I'm afraid I struggled with the parts where Egyptology is at the forefront and I'd have preferred there to be a lot less of it.
As always, the author has obviously done a lot of research and she's produced something quite remarkable. As a whole it didn't really work for me and I think the death doula storyline on its own could have made for a really compelling read, but there were segments that really drew me in, not just the doula parts but also Dawn's family life and how the plane crash affects her.
The Book of Two Ways wasn't quite what I was hoping for and I think it will divide readers, but nevertheless I still enjoyed the writing and much of the story.
Dawn is a death doula, which means she is there to do anything that helps a person to pass away. That doesn't mean
Show More
nursing, but pretty much everything else. But she had wanted a career in Egyptology and that was cut short by family events. A near-death experience sets her thinking about the other path her life could have taken. This is not a Sliding Doors sort of story and we don't see both possible lives as they would have played out, but it does bring forth the question of what would happen if we had taken that other path. Where would we be now? What would we be doing? I really liked that aspect of the story.
There were some very thoughtful and moving sections. Picoult has never shied away from moral and ethical dilemmas and putting her characters in provocative situations. The parts where Dawn talks about her experiences as a death doula often brought tears springing to my eyes. But I'm afraid I struggled with the parts where Egyptology is at the forefront and I'd have preferred there to be a lot less of it.
As always, the author has obviously done a lot of research and she's produced something quite remarkable. As a whole it didn't really work for me and I think the death doula storyline on its own could have made for a really compelling read, but there were segments that really drew me in, not just the doula parts but also Dawn's family life and how the plane crash affects her.
The Book of Two Ways wasn't quite what I was hoping for and I think it will divide readers, but nevertheless I still enjoyed the writing and much of the story.
Show Less
LibraryThing member susan.h.schofield
I really struggled with this book. It took me a while to get into it and even then it was tough - there was just too much information. Too much Egyptology, quantum physics and death - I cared about the characters and their stories but not everything else. It was obviously very well researched and
Show More
well written but it is not what I would have expected from a Jodi Picoult book. Show Less
LibraryThing member shazjhb
Loved the book. Enjoyed all the stuff about death, Egypt, and love story. Books like that deserve an epilogue
LibraryThing member DrApple
Although I got a bit lost in the bouncing back and forth between the character in Egypt and in Boston, I did enjoy the book. I loved the Egyptology information, and I enjoyed the discussions of death, and what is a good death.
LibraryThing member JRlibrary
.I just have to say this book really wasn’t for me.
While I did enjoy the last quarter immensely, I just could not sustain interest in the in between. I just didn’t care enough about her unhappiness with her husband or her endless talk of archaeology in Egypt so I skimmed through that part. The
If you’re debating whether or not to finish it... DO!!!
While I did enjoy the last quarter immensely, I just could not sustain interest in the in between. I just didn’t care enough about her unhappiness with her husband or her endless talk of archaeology in Egypt so I skimmed through that part. The
Show More
in depth discussion of Egyptian coffin writing or the mention of quantum mechanics wasn’t over my head... I just didn’t engage. I’m so glad that I pushed through to the ending though. Yet I definitely needed to know more than the ending gave me. If you’re debating whether or not to finish it... DO!!!
Show Less
LibraryThing member librarygeek33
Just couldn't get into this one.
LibraryThing member Nightwing
This book came into my life when I most needed it. I cannot say why, but the reasons are those that others are, I *know*, experiencing as well. I have always loved Ms. Picoult's stories, they are addictive to read and stay with me, enriching my life by making me look at it differently. This one
Show More
also made me cry, not just sad tears, but lots of tears, and it will affect me even more than all her others put together. Show Less
LibraryThing member lamour
Our introduction to Dawn Edelstein is finding her on an airplane that is about to crash. We quickly learn that she survived and are led to believe she is continuing her journey to the new destination of Egypt rather than her Boston home. In Egypt she makes her way to an archaeological site where
Using opposing chapters, Picoult explains the background between Dawn and her former lover, Wyatt, and the fact that she has a husband and daughter back home in Boston. We also learn that Dawn gave up archaeology to become a death doula and we are taught what a doula is and why their services are important to some people. We spend many pages of the novel with Dawn in her doula role.
It Is true that this a multilayered love story but it is also an education in Egyptology, Ancient Egyptian tombs and death practices much of which I had previously learned when I read The Egyptian by Mika Waltari many years ago. Dawn also covers the dynamics of having an affair and discovering you love both individuals but know you are willing to give up everything including possibly children for one and the pain that everyone experiences as the crisis is resolved.
Show More
her former lover is in charge of opening a newly discovered ancient tomb.Using opposing chapters, Picoult explains the background between Dawn and her former lover, Wyatt, and the fact that she has a husband and daughter back home in Boston. We also learn that Dawn gave up archaeology to become a death doula and we are taught what a doula is and why their services are important to some people. We spend many pages of the novel with Dawn in her doula role.
It Is true that this a multilayered love story but it is also an education in Egyptology, Ancient Egyptian tombs and death practices much of which I had previously learned when I read The Egyptian by Mika Waltari many years ago. Dawn also covers the dynamics of having an affair and discovering you love both individuals but know you are willing to give up everything including possibly children for one and the pain that everyone experiences as the crisis is resolved.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Vanessa_Menezes
I love Jodi Picoult's books and I did like the premise of this book.
This is a story about visiting one's past and regrets and at the same time wondering how life might have turned out if different life choices had been made. Dawn's journey to confront some of the questions about her past while
I have a huge admiration for the amount of research that the author has made to actually write this book. It was extremely well written but I could not enjoy the book as much as I would have liked to because it is not my area of interest. Hopefully, some day later on in life when I do get interested in some of the topics covered in this book, I will be able to re-read it and truly appreciate it to the fullest.
Thank You to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC!
This is a story about visiting one's past and regrets and at the same time wondering how life might have turned out if different life choices had been made. Dawn's journey to confront some of the questions about her past while
Show More
dealing with her present was interesting to read. Also, her job as a death doula was kind of inspiring and made me wonder how emotionally strong she must be to actually be able to do that. This book deals with a lot of Egyptology, which unfortunately I have no idea of and was a kind of struggle for me to read as well as to understand.I have a huge admiration for the amount of research that the author has made to actually write this book. It was extremely well written but I could not enjoy the book as much as I would have liked to because it is not my area of interest. Hopefully, some day later on in life when I do get interested in some of the topics covered in this book, I will be able to re-read it and truly appreciate it to the fullest.
Thank You to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC!
Show Less
LibraryThing member brookiexlicious
DNF. All the heavy Egyptian history is interesting at first, but it made it hard to slog through to the actual story. I attempted to skim through it to get to the other chapters, but the beginning honestly ruined the rest of the book for me. I applaud Jodie Picoult for doing something different
Show More
than her usual narrative, and I was a little guilty to have to contribute to the numerous other reviews that feel as I do. I guess I’m just not in the right mindset for this book right now. Perhaps I’ll try again someday Show Less
LibraryThing member nyiper
I'm afraid I need to go back and reread sections….was the first description of a plane crash all in her mind??? And the end was just a tiny bit frustrating….what are we supposed to assume that she decided to do with her two paths?? I really needed an epilogue of some sort. I LIKED the book but
Show More
it was a struggle to get through all of the Egyptian analyses and then to maybe wonder how much all of that mattered???? I am totally in awe of the amount of research Picoult managed to do and understand and explain in this story but it did get a little exhausting to read. I thoroughly appreciated her entire experiences as a death doula. That entire section of the book was worth reading the whole book. Show Less
LibraryThing member mojomomma
Dawn rushes home from Egypt when her mother is dying and never goes back to finish her research or get her doctorate. Also unresolved is her relationship with her colleague Wyatt. She assumes the care of her young brother and meets Brian. An unexpected pregnancy causes them to start their own
Show More
family and Dawn to begin a new career as a social worker who specializes in helping die at home--a "death doula." A client who wants to find the great love of her life, even though she is happily married, causes Dawn to wonder about her abandoned career and her lost love. Show Less
LibraryThing member MrLloydSpandex
I absolutely adored this book. I’ve heard great things about Jodi Picoult and this is the first book I’ve read of hers. It’s now one of my favourite books. I’ve never been interested in Egyptology before but I love learning new things. This is not only a romantic fiction book, but a lesson
Show More
in art, physics and Egyptian history. I’ve never found anything that has combined the two so beautifully. I didn’t want this book to end. Show Less
LibraryThing member jtsolakos
I really wanted to like this book. I usually enjoy historical fiction. But this was dry Egyptian textbook history and Quantum Physics. Instead of feeling part of this book I was bored, skimming through the text. Then came the end. The end...........
LibraryThing member Bibliofemmes
Hosted by Donna for April Meeting. Excellent discussion, good questions and quotes. Yielded strong feelings on characters.
LibraryThing member indygo88
Dawn is a death doula, someone who assists the client & family with the transition between life & death. She's married to Brian and has a teenage daughter, but when the plane she's traveling in crashes, she is forced to think about her own life choices and she begins to wonder where life would have
The majority of Jodi Picoult's novels deal with controversial topics. This one, however, breaks from the mold a bit and explores parallel universes, so to speak. In some ways this novel was all over the place, both literally and figuratively, and I will admit I had trouble following the timeline throughout the majority of the book. I wasn't initially engaged with this story and I was really back and forth with this one -- there were parts that I liked and parts that I disliked. The main character was not necessarily likeable in that she often appeared selfish and made questionable decisions. It bothered me that the story began by capturing the reader's attention with a plane crash, but then there were seemingly no lasting effects or references to it throughout the bulk of the story, which I didn't feel was very realistic at all (though this was remedied later in the book). I liked the Egyptian references, though at times they were dry and too academic for the general feel of the novel. I think the part that appealed to me most was the idea of a death doula, a sort of super-person who aids the dying and their loved ones in all sorts of ways -- emotional & practical -- and it made me wonder why such people are not more well known and utilized in today's world. All in all, this was a decent book, though it had some weaknesses. It would be good for group discussion, however.
Show More
taken her if she'd pursued her dream of becoming an Egyptologist and followed her heart to her first love, Wyatt. The majority of Jodi Picoult's novels deal with controversial topics. This one, however, breaks from the mold a bit and explores parallel universes, so to speak. In some ways this novel was all over the place, both literally and figuratively, and I will admit I had trouble following the timeline throughout the majority of the book. I wasn't initially engaged with this story and I was really back and forth with this one -- there were parts that I liked and parts that I disliked. The main character was not necessarily likeable in that she often appeared selfish and made questionable decisions. It bothered me that the story began by capturing the reader's attention with a plane crash, but then there were seemingly no lasting effects or references to it throughout the bulk of the story, which I didn't feel was very realistic at all (though this was remedied later in the book). I liked the Egyptian references, though at times they were dry and too academic for the general feel of the novel. I think the part that appealed to me most was the idea of a death doula, a sort of super-person who aids the dying and their loved ones in all sorts of ways -- emotional & practical -- and it made me wonder why such people are not more well known and utilized in today's world. All in all, this was a decent book, though it had some weaknesses. It would be good for group discussion, however.
Show Less
LibraryThing member LivelyLady
A woman pursues her past love of 18 years earlier when she thinks her husband is having an affair. She had been an egyptologist and her old flame still was. There was a lot of technical info about tombs, and Egyptian history which I ended up skipping over. But the human relationship segment was
Show More
good. I am surprised this book did not get more publicity but it could be that it came out during the pandemic. Show Less