Iz asked this question about
The Book of Two Ways:
So? What does everyone think she chose and was I the only one who wanted to see it in black and white?
Anna
This answer contains spoilers…
(view spoiler)[Oh my god, this book was such an unexpected find. It sat on my “to read” shelf for ever until I picked it up yesterday on a whim and I just could not put it down- I read until 4 in the morning when the birds outside my window where starting to chirp again and the ending left me a bit perplexed and then a bit angry with the author. However, this morning when I woke up, I had changed my opinion and I think it is a stroke of brilliance to leave it to the reader to decide. First, I looooove books that keep you thinking about plots and arcs well after you have read the last page. Second, books belong to their readers. A good book might entertain you for a couple of hours, serve as a welcome distraction or send you to places that you have never known and been. But a brilliant book, and this is one, teaches you something about life and/ or about yourself. In the end to me the question is not whom Dawn chooses but who you, the reader, would choose? What do you want from life? Do you want a love that consumes you? Do you want someone that shares your passion? Or do you want someone who is pragmatic, loyal and caring? The answer to this will likely not only depend on your personality but also on where you are at in life. I can see myself revisiting this book ever couple of years and maybe even changing my answer. Based on my personal perspective and the way I perceive Dawn as a character, I would like to believe that in the end it is not so much about which man she chooses to be with rather than about whether she chooses herself. We get to know her as someone who has consistently prioritized other people`s needs and I believe that has stifled a bit of what is at the core of her being. She chooses to leave her dream job next to a man whom she is immensely attracted to right after she has a personal and a professional breakthrough in order to be by her dying mother`s side. After her mother dies, she severs contact with what I think is her soulmate because deep down she knows that she would choose Wyatt any day over her family. Pretending like Wyatt never even existed is the only way for her to do what she believes is right and her duty - be there for her brother and help him through these emotionally and financially challenging times. Walking away from Wyatt is hard the first time already when she goes to be with her mother, and I believe it would be impossible to do it a second time. Not only is she leaving behind her soulmate, but she is leaving behind what turns out to be the discovery of the century in the field she is passionate about. This only works because she compartmentalizes and pretends like Wyatt does not even exist. This is how fiercely loyal and selfless she is. When she seeks out solace and company in the arms of a man who is basically a stranger to her, she is in a very vulnerable position. Her dreams and aspirations are shattered, she is grieving for a mother whom she clearly loved very much and she is very lonely in a role as caregiver and head of the household. This is a role for which she is not prepared at all and which she takes on because she feels duty bound. That must have been utterly devastating. And in this moment of darkness there is Brian, a caring, loyal, wonderful man who extends a hand to her. Of course, she is bound to love him for who he is as person, he is very lovable, and she needs him to fill the void in her life. When she finally finds out she is pregnant she truly believes that the child is Brian`s (who by the way is probably infertile since they do not succeed in conceiving another child). That is what she must believe in order to stay sane. This child fixes her in a way, it is like the last piece of jigsaw puzzle that makes the picture complete. Meret turns what is a very fragile and messed up situation into something which has an order. They become a family, the child stabilizes the relationship she started on a whim and out of loneliness. The mere thought that she could be an omnipresent eternal reminder of all that she lost when she left Egypt is so devastating that her mind protects her from even considering this option. She truly does not know because she would not be able to cope with this living, breathing reminder of her passion for Wyatt. Meret is her reassurance that she will never be alone. It makes Brian and her a team and they are a good one when it comes to supporting each other and being loving parents. They love and cherish each other. Yet, there is something missing. She NEEDS Brian and he makes her a better mother and sister, a good wife but what she really WANTS is Wyatt with whom she can be truly herself and unashamedly pursue her passion. He loves her for who she is and not for who she is when she is with him. Wyatt accepts her and understands her in a way that gentle Brian never could. That is why, in the end, when all the people she loves and cares for no longer depend on her, she finally gets to choose what is best for her. So se chooses what she has wanted all along: Wyatt, her soulmate. I would like to believe that they return to Egypt together and that Dawn finishes her passion project, the dissertation on the iconography of the Book of two ways and that Dawn and Wyatt go on to be an unstoppable duo in the field of Egyptology who maximized each other`s brilliance by bouncing ideas off each other. Finally Dawn can be who she was always meant to be. We also have to keep in mind that Meret is 16 now, wise beyond her age and has a loving father with whom she shares a strong bond to support her until she goes to college once she turns 18. Maybe Brian even makes things work with Gita who is likely to care more about his work than Dawn ever did (not out of spite, just because the interest of lay people has limits). (hide spoiler)]
by
Jodi Picoult (Goodreads Author)
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