In 1885 Paris, a 9-year-old girl named Aubry discovers a wooden puzzle box. Despite her attempts to dispose of it, the box keeps reappearing. After a few days, she experiences uncontrollable bleeding but realizes that staying in motion prevents the bleeding. This marks the start of her lifelong journey, as she never stays in one location for more than a few days.
This book is magical and it will keep you guessing 100%.

Aubrey has been wondering the world since she was 9 years old. Unable to stay in any one place for more than a few days before she starts to get very unwell.

I was very interested in the concept of this book, but it fell short for me. A story about loneliness, and adventures, and travel. It had the potential to really something exciting, and while I found the writing to be lovely I just wasn't interested in Aubrey or her story.

A Short Walk Through a Wide World is essentially the life story of a unique woman, told through her own voice. When the story begins Aubry Tourvel is nine years old, the spoiled youngest daughter of a prosperous family in 1885 Paris. Aubrey and her sisters gather at an odd wishing well. Each girl holds an item they personally treasure and they have agreed to offer the items to the well while making a worthwhile wish for another. Aubrey holds a wooden puzzle ball and she is supposed to wish their neighbor's sick baby will get well. But she has a moment of selfishness and refuses to give up the puzzle ball. Not long afterward she is struck by a strange disease of bleeding, wracking pain, and convulsions. Doctors are unable to help and Aubry's family soon realize the only thing that does help is travel - to a place she has never been before. Thus begins Aubry's lifetime of travel by boat, train, and mostly on foot. If she stays more than two or three days in one place her disease strikes hard and she nearly dies. As long as she keeps moving, she's fine.
This is a quote from the publishers description. It says what I felt, so much better than I could:

From the scorched dunes of the Calashino Sand Sea to the snow-packed peaks of the Himalayas; from a bottomless well in a Parisian courtyard, to the shelves of an infinite underground library, we follow Aubry as she learns what it takes to survive and ultimately, to truly live. But the longer Aubry wanders and the more desperate she is to share her life with others, the clearer it becomes that the world she travels through may not be quite the same as everyone else’s
The only small quibble I have is that Aubry's story seemed a little long. But I was never tempted to put it down

Thank you so so much NetGalley and Avid Reader Press.

Aubry is a 9 year old girl in Paris in 1885. She finds a wooden puzzle box, tries to get rid of it, but it returns. Days later, she starts bleeding uncontrollably. She learns that if she is on the move, the bleeding will stop. Thus begins a lifelong journey of never being in the same place for more than a few days.

What a fascinating story about longing, loneliness, travel, and curiosity. The story jumps in to the past and into the present as Aubry's various journeys around the world are described. This is such a unique tale, and it is all about Aubry and her successes and struggles. Can you imagine living life where you can't go to the same place twice? There are a few supporting characters who do not stick around for long, so it is really about Aubry. I was so lost in this story that I didn't even realize it had ended until I got to the acknowledgements page. I wish it would have continued on and on and on...