The Book of two Ways

Locations
Call Number: Fiction / Picoult, Jodi, Adult Book / Fiction / General / Picoult, Jodi
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Pittsfield Branch, Traverwood Branch, Westgate Branch

"Dawn Edelstein is on a plane when she is told to 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. 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. The airline ensures that the survivors are seen by a doctor, then offers 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. As the story unfolds, Dawn's two possible futures unspool side by side, as do the secrets and doubts long buried with them."--Publisher description.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Two Ways: the right way and the wrong way submitted by gclites on April 26, 2021, 8:14am Truly, the book does reference two ways to approach live and love. The one that most characters take is the way that causes the most pain and suffering.

The book’s premise is excellent: that life has many channels and choices and people often wonder about the channels and choices not taken. What if . . . ? This was nicely woven into Egyptology and quantum mechanics of physics. Ms. Picoult tries to teach us about the lives of ancient pharaohs, new physics, Schrodinger’s cat, death, and what might come after death.

However, the major characters, except maybe Meret, are a train wreck. Dawn seems to think that she can store unselfishness in a “bank”, e.g. her death doula work and taking care of her mom and brother. Then, at her whim, she can be as selfish as possible, hurt her loved ones, and no one will object. As she says, she is definitely a coward. Wyatt is all about himself, through-out, never changing, never caring about anyone besides him and his sexual relationship with Dawn. Brian is all milquetoast and honey, excruciatingly forgiving no matter what Dawn does to him and “his” daughter. Win is cut in Dawn’s mold and would destroy other lives to serve her notion of love.

I was hoping the potential tragedy would let Dawn and Wyatt see real love and the right path to take. It would have been better for them to have died.

The ambiguous closing had to happen because of the self-centeredness and failing to see the big picture of most characters. Also, it was a good ending because readers wouldn’t want happiness and closure for the flawed characters.