The Book of Two Ways - by Jodi Picoult

Amazing book with interesting facts and information. I was enthralled the entire time. A new Jodi Picoult fan! It was so good I actually donated it to my local library after reading rather than keeping it due to the huge wait list the library had.

Picoult delights again with a story from many view points, past and present. Beautiful tribute to hospice workers (I didn’t know a death doula is an actual job?)— but the way she spins the story, allowing a character to reflect on their own choices, and then having an epiphany from some alarming situation, rings true. The history in this one is also fascinating and is so beautifully intertwined with the main character.

I love a book that makes me think. That makes me want to Google phrases to understand more of what the book is about. That stays with me after I’ve read it and makes me wonder, what if? The Book of Two Ways hit all of what I love in a women’s fiction novel, but it was more than that. It made me question my own romantic relationships and where they might have gone. The ‘what if’ factor is huge. There is much talk of death, but for the most part, it’s not depressing. I would have to say it’s eye opening. As a society, we do not talk enough about something that we’re all going to face. Since the book revolves around Egyptian burial traditions, archeological digs, and discoveries, and the main character is a death Doula, I learned much. I was a bit confused at the beginning of the book, it was in the present, then the past, then where was it? The confusion of where you are, present or past, resolves itself at the end so stay the course! Another thought-provoking book by Ms. Picoult.