Genre: Adult Fiction, Contemporary
Pages: 416
Published: September 22nd, 2020
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Synopsis:
Dawn Edelstein is a death doula, helping her patients ease the transition between life and death. Her life suddenly changes when she survives a plane crash and is left with a choice. She can go back to Boston and be with her husband, Brian, and their daughter. Or, she can go to Egypt and reconnect with Wyatt Armstrong, an archeologist, and her abandoned studies of Egyptology and The Book of Two Ways. As these two juxtapositions both unfurl before the reader, Dawn is confronted with many of life’s existential questions about what it means to truly explore a fulfilling life.
Review:
I have to confess, I love mythology. And I’ve also been a fan of Jodi Picoult for many years.
So when I saw this book, I knew I had to read it.
This is a book that definitely got me thinking: about how I can live a life with no regrets, about what I truly want out of life, and about how I can leave this world better than it was before me.
I find myself invested in the outcome of the protagonist, pleading for the satisfaction of the ending I want for her (#TeamWyatt). However, other relationships in the story (such as between Dawn and her patient Win) seem more like watered-down filler and not essential to the plot as a whole.
I really enjoy the symbolism throughout the book – mirroring the cultural artifact in the story (The Book of Two Ways) the structure of the novel, and the plot.
It is reminiscent of a choose-your-own-adventure but getting to see the outcome of each option simultaneously, both melding into a dramatic conclusion.
However, at times it is rather textbook heavy, even for someone who casually enjoys the subject. I can see how this would be off-putting to many readers. There are plenty of instances where the factual research could be culled without hindering its importance to the story.
At some point in the middle the plot seems to drag but by the third act, as more turns are revealed, it picks up again.
I find the setting to be a fascinating part of the story.
Picoult has a way of transporting readers into the sensory experience of what it’s like to be an Egyptian archaeologist.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read and I do love this book, even with a few nit-picky issues along the way.
Anyone who is familiar with Jodi Picoult’s design of perfectly flawed characters and her manner of crafting stories that make you contemplate your existence, will also really like this book – even if it is not quite up to par with some of her previous, more spectacular works.
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