The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult

 

For April, we discussed The Book of Two Ways, by Jodi Piccoult, with The Four Winds, by Kristin Hannah, on deck for May. As promised, following the discussion, we concluded voting in our picks for next year's reading list~ thank you to everyone who participated! The next twelve books have been decided and are currently being organized into a cohesive reading order that will be announced very soon! Please check back here in a day or two for the finished reading list~ we will also have printed copies available at the desk, if you prefer! 

Last year, our book club read Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens, and as it turns out, it has been made into a movie that is tentatively set to be released sometime in July 2022. At yesterday's meeting we tossed around the idea of having a book club movie night, with the option of either seeing it at the Perham Comet Movie Theater, or waiting for it to be released on DVD and having a private viewing at the library. So far, the general consensus is we'd like to support local business and view it at the movie theater in town~ with each member being responsible for their own ticket and snack purchases. July is a ways off, and things can change, but it's something we'd like to plan for as best we can. 

P.S. It was also suggested that for the 2023-2024 reading list we omit the "Classic" genre and replace it with a "Books Made Into Movies" category, and we make a book club movie night into a regular, yearly thing! All those in favor say, "Yeah!" (down below in the comments, of course!). If that doesn't sound like a good idea, let us know that too!

To the recap!

 

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, 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.

The overall, majority feeling at the meeting was that this book is most definitely not one of Picoults best works. We predominately feel disappointed in the read, expecting much more from such a revered, well-established writer. While we can respect and appreciate how much time and research must have gone into writing this book, with the exception of one member, we thought there was far too much Egyptology content, and it left us bored, bogged down, and lost at times. As a whole, we didn't care for Dawn. We found her selfish, spoiled and utterly void of good sense. We were confused about the plane crash... was it just the one at the end with Wyatt in tow? Or was there another closer to the start of the book that lead her back to Egypt and Wyatt in the first place? 

There were also several unbelievable parts throughout the read~ the way Brian handled Dawn's affair, the way Merrett quickly and readily accepted Wyatt into her life, and how Wyatt and Dawn seemed to walk away from surviving a plane crash completely unharmed, with no PTSD, their only concern being Dawn's impossible choice.

On a positive note, we were intrigued with what it is to be a death doula. If the book had largely highlighted this aspect, instead of Egyptology, it would have been a far more enjoyable read. We also like Jodi Picoult's writing very much and are fans of several of her other books (check out Small Great Things and House Rules). Even though the components of what she wrote about in The Book of Two Ways weren't for us, her writing style and usage are well done.

Do you agree with our review, or were we too harsh? Are you up for a book club night at the theater? Let us know in the comments below!

 

Did you enjoy The Book of Two Ways? Fans of this book also enjoyed: The Lost Symbol, by Dan Brown, Blood Orange, by Harriet Tyce, and Girl Last Seen, by Nina Laurin. All of these titles are available in Viking~ reserve your copy today!

 

At the conclusion of every book club discussion we ask three questions and track the average answers:

Would we recommend this to another book club for discussion?
"NO"
Would we recommend this to a friend to read? 
"NO"
Rate the book 1-5 stars, with 1 being the lowest rating: 
2 stars