The Gilmore Guide to Books

Connecting Books and Readers One Review at a Time

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Reviews
    • Reviews by Author
    • Reviews by Title
    • Reviews by Genre
  • Podcast
  • Policies
    • Review Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Policy

The Book of Two Ways

October 9, 2020

book of two

The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult
Published by Ballantine
Publication date: September 22, 2020
Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Historical
one-star

Jodi Picoult’s new novel, The Book of Two Ways, straddles the worlds of death and life choices, both in the present, and in the case of death, all the way back to ancient Egypt. Dawn is a woman fifteen years into a marriage when she decides she wants to know what might have happened in the life she had as a graduate student. Unlike other alternate lives novels (Life After Life) Picoult doesn’t rely on the magical or science fiction as the impetus for Dawn’s questions. Instead, she survives a plane crash—which occurs at the beginning of the novel, but at an unknown point in the timeline—to explore the existential question “What if?”

Dawn was in Egypt, studying the funerary texts found in the coffins of the pharaohs, when she was called back home due to her mother’s terminal illness. She left behind a British archeologist with the same focus as hers and with whom she was falling in love. During her hospice vigil Dawn met Brian, a young man visiting his grandmother. The women’s illnesses created a bond between them. After her mother’s death, Dawn is left responsible for her teenage brother. Returning to Egypt is not possible, but love and marriage to Brian is.

Picoult is a pro at guiding the reader. Her books are seldom confusing and The Book of Two Ways is no different. Chapters are neatly divided between what was, as it unfolds in Egypt on a dig where exciting discoveries aiding her research occur, and in the recent past in Boston where she lives with Brian and their daughter and works as a death doula. A form of caregiver, a death doula is hired to provide the same kind of support a birth doula provides, only for the dying. In this way, Dawn is able to live out a version of her academic fascination with how the dying are guided from one life to the next. Her experience in this role is deeply touching.

Unfortunately, what was a multi-layered story about the passage of death in ancient times and modern and a reflection on the paths we take in our own lives, devolved into a romance novel about one woman wanting it all. If you’re a die-hard Picoult fan or in the mood for the sugary tones of love always always always working out for everyone, then The Book of Two Ways could prove satisfying reading. For me, it took an intriguing look at another culture’s intricate beliefs about the afterlife and upended them into a superficial mashup of ‘I still have a crush on the hot guy I met in my 20s’ lust and ‘I had to give up my dreams for family obligations’ resentment. I’m not saying the latter lightly because I have read lots of outstanding fiction about an older sibling having to discard a much worked for future, but this isn’t it. Again, if you’re looking for fairytale reading, that’s fine and The Book of Two Ways may be entertainment perfection, but by the time I finished I was furious. The novel felt like a bait-and-switch. I went in expecting nuance and got Danielle Steele.

 

Jodi Picoult reading I loved: Small Great Things, A Spark of Light,  Leaving Time

 

This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I get a small commission (at no cost to you).

 

 

one-star

Related Posts

  • Related Posts
  • Same Genre
  • 1 Star Books
  • By Jodi Picoult
midwinter
Midwinter Doldrums: Mini-Reviews
stargazer's sister
The Stargazer’s Sister
christie
The Christie Affair: A Novel
mistress
Mistress of the Ritz
knockoff
The Knockoff
knockoff
The Knockoff
malibu
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
story hour
The Story Hour
american
American Royals by Katharine McGee
How to get filthy rich in rising Asia
How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia
motherland
Motherland
dnf
DNF: The Dreaded Did-Not-Finish
beautiful lies
Beautiful Lies
november
November Reading
ohio
Ohio by Stephen Markley
december
December Reading Wrap-Up
january
January Reading Wrap-Up
Small Great Things
leaving
Leaving Time
October
October Reading Wrap-Up

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: chick lit, historical fiction

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Save time and subscribe via email

No time to keep checking for new reviews? Enter your email address to subscribe and receive notifications of new posts by email. No spam!

Currently Reading

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle
Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle
by Emily Nagoski
The Dutch House
The Dutch House
by Ann Patchett
Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me
Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me
by Adrienne Brodeur

goodreads.com

Affiliate Disclosure

I’m an affiliate for Indiebound and Amazon. If you click on a link that takes you to any of these sites and make a purchase I’ll earn a small fee, which goes towards the costs of maintaining this site. Your support is appreciated. Thank you!

Archives

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.

Theme Design By Studio Mommy · Copyright © 2023

Copyright © 2023 · Beyond Madison Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in