I feel like this novel was an attempt to impart some ethereal wisdom that I was supposed to appreciate, but all I can say is, "What the hayl did I just read???!!!" Clearly, I was not intelligent enough to understand what the author was hoping to promulgate. Honestly, it took me FOREVER to finish this book... like 2 months😱!!! I just couldn't get into it, but I never gave up! The bloody scenes were just too much for me to stomach, and such a strange way to move the plot along. The frustration of Aubrey never being able to escape her unbidden reality only ended up frustrating me.

This book was likened to Addie LaRue, which is the reason I chose to read it, but I must respectfully disagree. Whereas I absolutely adored Addie LaRue, I muddled through this one. I feel terrible being so forthright about my feelings with regard to the book because I know this was the author's debut and he poured his heart into it, but I must be honest, it just wasn't for me.

However, don't discount it just because of my opinion - if your thing is magical realism with moments of horror, and a tinge of mystery, this might be your cup of tea! But beware of a nonlinear and confusing (for me) storyline that will leave you with many unanswered questions.

Truth be told, I just don't think I was the target audience, so Ima go rinse my palate with something light and lovely.

Many thanks to partners, Avid Reader Press & NetGalley for this gifted review copy! So sorry I didn't love it y'all🙈.

I wanted to love this book, but just found it too slow and drawn out. I never really felt I knew Aubrey or what made her tick. Also the time jumps could be confusing. By the end, I didn't have any answers to the questions I started with.

This is an interesting concept that I think would work much better as a short story. In its current form, the plot is a bit meandering and repetitive. I struggle with flashback books in general these days, but I found this one particularly hard to follow because I would lose track of when the main character was experiencing something in real time vs. telling the story of past travels. There are moments of this that were very cinematic and impactful, and I found some of the side characters delightful, but I only finished this a week ago and I've already forgotten a lot of the details as well as most of the ending. I used to say that magical realism was my favorite genre, but too often authors use this descriptor to avoid explaining or justifying elements they throw in to make the book cooler. I really felt the frustration of that here. I wish I had gotten more from what is clearly meant to be a profound story full of life lessons, but I don't really think this one will stick with me.

Nine-year-old Aubry Tourvel is spoiled and picky. When she comes across a peculiar wooden puzzle ball on her way home from school, she doesn’t take it home. But somehow it ends up in her bag anyway. And when her two sisters decide to sacrifice items that mean something to them to an odd well in hopes of making the world better, Aubry takes her new puzzle ball with the intent of helping someone. But at the moment she should toss it in the well, she just can’t do it.

Soon after, she starts bleeding and spasming. Aubry is in terrible pain, and her parents are horrified. The doctor can’t find a description of what she’s experiencing in his literature. But as she and her family leave Paris, she immediately recovers. Soon, she finds that she can only stay in one place for three days at the most until the strange disease returns. From that time on, Aubry is constantly on the go. For years, she primarily walks … around and around the world. She finds ways to provide for herself and gets help from kind strangers. And she cannot stay long to enjoy friendships or lovers. The illness kicks in within several days if she doesn’t go somewhere she has never been before.

The book’s description says this: “A spellbinding and inspiring story about discovering meaning in a life that seems otherwise impossible, A Short Walk Through a Wide World reminds us that it’s not the destination, but rather the journey—no matter how long it lasts—that makes us who we are.”

I confess that I didn’t quite feel that throughout the story. It went in some strange directions and seemed at times to be saying that, but at other times not. The message felt muddied as the story meandered. The penultimate section of the book felt like a fever dream, honestly, and one whose meaning I wasn’t entirely sure of either. The conclusion was interesting, and I liked how it tied together some important elements. However, I still did not feel quite satisfied. I had hoped for more from the book, and it’s possible I’m just being dense, or that I’d benefit from a good discussion with other readers. Either way, it just wasn’t quite for me.

Happy publication day to this debut novel! I requested the arc of this book due to the comparison to Addie LaRue and Life of Pi. I think those are excellent comparisons, but this book is something all its own.

We follow Aubry. At eight years old she develops an affliction - she must constantly keep moving, and she can't ever stop or she will die horribly. She also can't ever return to the same place.

The story is told in a nonlinear fashion, with Audry relating anecdotes to the people she meets on her journey about her past. The book takes pains to let us know how old Audry is in each story, so I never felt confused by the timeline.

There are a lot of themes to explore here, and I won't spoil them. This was a solid debut novel. It is magical realism, which doesn't always work for me, but in this instance I did not mind it. Don't expect explanations, as is usually the case.

Recommended to those who like magical realism with a literary twist. Four stars!

Reviewed on Goodreads, Youtube, and Amazon

Very unique and interesting book.

The characters were interesting, but I couldn't help but feel a sense of some detachment from our main character. I got confused with the timeline, and just didn't feel like enough was fleshed out as the story progressed. It was slightly hard to get invested in and stay with it. Overall, a good read for those who like these types of stories.

As someone who adores books set in far-flung places and rich with imaginative detail, A Short Walk Through a Wide World by Douglas Westerbeke was an enthralling read. The story of Aubry Tourvel, a young girl cursed to endlessly journey to stay alive, is both heart-wrenching and mesmerizing. Westerbeke's debut novel brilliantly captures the sense of wonder and isolation as Aubry travels through a world filled with mystical libraries, ancient lands, and unforgettable encounters. The vivid descriptions and the deep emotional currents running through Aubry's relentless quest for survival and meaning make this book impossible to put down. It's a spellbinding reminder of the beauty and challenges of life's journey, perfect for anyone who appreciates a blend of historical adventure and magical realism. Highly recommended for a unique and compelling read!

2.5 stars rounded up. The first 35% was amazing. I was already dreaming up the best first line for this review - “Addie LaRue walked so that Aubry Tourvel could run….literally.” Unfortunately, this book just didn’t work for me after that 1/3 point. The timelines became too convoluted and while others may enjoy getting in the weeds of Aubry’s survival tactics, I was left wanting to know more about the magic system and Aubry’s relationships along the way. The author wanted to do a lot between the library, the puzzle ball, and the disease and I was left unsatisfied with each component. The ending was actually somewhat well done and redeemed it enough for me to round up to 3 stars.

Thank you to Net Galley, Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster and the author for the early copy.

Sometimes the best solution to a problem is to walk away. Leave. So often our only choice is to stay and work it through. Didn't stop me from engaging in wishful thinking about those escapes though! Here's a book with a shoe on the Other Foot. . . .a 9-yr old girlie with attitude who has been struck with a malady for which the only cure is travel (I read it as escape. . .). Leaving. . . .to someplace she's never been. What's the catch? She can't stay more than 3 days in any one place. And she can never Return to that place. To that narrative add a puzzle ball with a mind of its own. . . .

?What? This book is her journey. . .I thoroughly enjoyed it.

*A sincere thank you to Douglas Westerbeke, Avid Reader Press, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and independently review.*

This is the story of a nine-year-old girl named Aubry, as it begins the year is 1885, and her life through the years that follow will bring her fame that is on a level that no one would want. This begins, innocently enough, with her finding a wooden puzzle ball on her way home after school one day, which she throws over a fence, but mysteriously is in her backpack later. Days pass, and one night at dinner, she begins to bleed, and it doesn’t stop.

When she realizes that moving is what keeps her from bleeding she begins a journey that will separate her from her family, as she can only stay for brief periods of time anywhere before the bleeding returns, and she can’t return to places she’s been.

It is a challenging life for her, and often heartbreaking. Those who extend kindness and love to her often don’t understand why she has to leave, and those that she loves and has to leave in order to keep moving in order to keep living don’t always understand.

As the years pass, her story gains more attention, which brings her some degree of fame, although not the kind that anyone would really want. But her fame has also brought new people into her life, some wanting to tell her story and some just wanting to help her find peace.

Stories, in this story, have a prominent place, as well. As she journeys through the world she is drawn to old, seemingly abandoned libraries, where she stays as long as she is able before she needs to leave to stay alive, and reads as many books as possible while she is there.

At its heart, this is a story that is about the choices we make about how we live, who we love, and finding the place that we can finally call home.

An interesting book, A Short Walk through a Wide World, is difficult to describe. It crosses historical, women's stories, adventure, and fantasy genres. It took me a while to read and a while longer to review as I continued to think about it after I finished.

At 9yrs old, Aubry Tourvel starts bleeding to death and the only thing that saves her is constant movement to new places. She spends her life on the move, unable to stay anywhere more than a few days at a time before she starts dying again, including the inability to revisit a location. From a young age, she leaves her family and all she knows to keep moving and stay alive. Aubrey was described as selfish or stubborn but she sounded like a typical 9yr old, perhaps more outspoken than obedient, especially for the time period. I struggled a bit because despite the time we stayed with Aubrey and her travels, I still felt a disconnect in knowing her.

A Short Walk is a historical adventure novel. Perhaps paranormal because of the curse and the well. Both fantasy and reality, it's a well written story of resilience and adaptability. The end went on a little too long for me, but the book as a whole was very well done and is thought provoking about life and relationships. It's especially amazing as an author's debut.

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

4.5 stars This was not what I was expecting when I started this novel. I went in expecting to most likely to DNF this book. While the premise was good I was worried that the writing style was not going to keep me engaged. Was I wrong, I was sucked in on Aubry's life and adventures, the mystery of her sickness, and what was going on around her. I say that for a debut Westerbeke wrote a fantastic story and I cannot wait to see what may come next.

Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book in exchange of an honest review.

I love books that have a feeling of fairy tales to them. This book was whimsical and charming and gripped me immediately from the start. It had me glued for so long, but sadly it kind of grew repetitive. It feels like the same thing over and over again with no new information or details. I did love the plot, but it didn't have a great payoff. Not only that but I was struck by how extremely sad the whole thing was though that's never really looked that much into. Left me with more questions than answers but I still mildly enjoyed.

This book made me feel like I was sitting by a fire listening to someone’s tale it was beautifully written and wandered from place to place but a very descriptive slow burn and I loved every page of it. This is for fans of Addie La Rue it reminded me of it with both characters damned to wander alone just because of different causes. I loved the writing in this book it was very descriptive and lyrical I really look forward to reading more from this author in the future. Aubrey the main character was really well fleshed out and I enjoyed how she was flawed it made her more relatable and believable. The other characters I wanted to know more about this is one of the few books where I could say I wish it was longer. I would like to thank net galley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

A Short Walk Through A Wide World
By: Douglas Westerbeke

I really liked this book. I gave it 5 stars. This book is usually compared to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue & The Life of Pi. I’ve only read the Life of Pi, but I think this book was soo much better.

This follows a 9 year old girl in 1885 who is cursed with a deadly disease that makes her have to keep moving or she becomes seriously ill. So her only solution is to walk around the entire world. She can’t stay anywhere for more than 3 or 4 days or she gets sick.

I highly recommend this book. As she journeys the world, she sees so much and makes you think what we miss on a daily basis as humans. This a fantasy read and there’s also an underground library!

*4.5 stars rounded up*

Aubry Tourvel is either cursed or blessed (or both), depending on how you look at it.

In the late 1800’s Aubry is a young Parisian girl & finds a puzzle ball that she cannot open; anytime she tosses it away, it mysteriously reappears. A few days later, she inexplicably begins bleeding & no form of medicine makes it stop; the only thing that helps is to be on the move, so this is when her journey begins.

Slowly but surely, Aubry covers ground & crosses water: traveling primarily on foot but occasionally by train, on horseback, by boat, or even briefly via airplane. She discovers more & more about the peculiarities of her condition (one of the biggest difficulties being that once she’s been somewhere, she can never go back) & has an amazing variety of experiences with a vast array of people. She learns to hunt since it’s a useful skill to have while providing for oneself on the road, & she sees unbelievable things like a massive network of underground libraries where time seems to be different…

This story was magic & heartache & connection & loneliness & self-exploration & adventure & discovery & the wonder of this earth & all the lives that it contains. It’s entertaining, thought-provoking, & makes you feel oh-so-many feelings throughout the course of Aubry’s nomadic existence. The impossibilities of our planet & the curiosity Aubry possesses in regards to our world was amazing to read about, & I sincerely hope that this debut author continues publishing.

Thank you to NetGalley & Avid Reader Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

ARC Review: A Short Walk Through a Wide World by Douglas Westerbeke

Quotes: "She doesn't want to wander around the world. She wants the world to wander around her."

This is a single leaf on a bare tree. Forests are coming."

"The world was so full of wonders. Why do you include him? What was he to you?"
"He was a wonder."

"It appears that pictures are no substitute for words, as words are no substitute for the things themselves."

"And if everything you lost came back to you. Would that make you happy?"
"It's not the things. It's what they meant."

Review: This is described as The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue meets The Life of Pi, and I can see the similarities in the story.
Aubry has to constantly be on the move to stay alive. To keep this mystery illness she has at bay. She sees many magnificent sights and meets all sorts of people along the way.

The note I'd have about this is the story jumps around a lot, and it was difficult for me to follow.
I thought the loneliness Aubry has to endure in the story was so sad. Never being able to settle anywhere and constantly saying goodbye to people she cared for or became friends with.
I may try to re-read this at some point.
There was some beautiful writing in this.
I'll give it 3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley and Avid Readers Press for the advanced copy for my unbiased review

Thank you for reading 📚

At the age of 9, Aubrey Tourvel, experiences an illness that requires her to continously travel the world or she'll die. This story was magical and wondrous. I felt for Aubry not being able to find a proper home & basically having to be on the run her whole life. However, she comes across many people along her journey & experiences many different cultures. I did enjoy the book but I think some answers would have been nice.

The New York Times declares Westerbeke’s “dazzlingly epic” debut novel “…The Life of Pi, The Alchemist, and The Midnight Library rolled into one fantastical fable.” That is quite a blurb. An instant bestseller, A Short Walk takes readers on an imaginative, labyrinthine journey that features libraries. In fact, Westerbeke is a librarian in Ohio. He says that working at one of the largest libraries in the U.S. and serving on the local panel of the International Dublin Literary Award for over ten years inspired him to write this novel.

It opens in Paris in the 1880s. Precocious nine-year-old Aubry Tourvel’s parents have indulged her stubborn tendencies, so she is accustomed to bending the world to meet her desires. A sudden, serious illness strikes her on the evening after she finds a mysterious looking wooden puzzle ball on her way home. It seems connected to the wishing well she visited with her sisters earlier. Aubry and her family soon face a difficult reality: she will only survive if she keeps moving, moving away from home to a place she has never been. To live means that she can not only not go home again, she cannot revisit anywhere either. She meets amazingly colorful characters along her journeys and visits mysterious private libraries. Spanning over eight decades and around the world more than once, this is a marvelous tale.

In 1885 Belle Époque Paris, selfish, ungrateful nine-year-old Aubry Tourvel finds a wooden puzzle ball on a dead man’s doorstep. She picks it up, but quickly tires of it and throws it away. It reappears in her backpack as though attached to her, and when her sisters ask her to sacrifice something precious at a wishing well, to do some good in the world, she refuses to part with it. Shortly thereafter she becomes very ill, spasming and bleeding profusely. The doctor makes things worse, so she runs. Running away improves her condition, so her mother travels with her until exhaustion takes over, and Aubry then sets out on her own.

Moving keeps the sickness at bay as she learns to hunt, survive, and barter rather than beg or steal. She circumnavigates the world many times, but she cannot stay in one place for more than two or three days, and can never go back or revisit somewhere she has been. The fatal illness follows her but allows her to accomplish seemingly impossible journeys. She crosses the Calanshio Sand Sea on foot, crews in the Seychelles, slaughters whales in the Faroes, follows wildebeest across the Serengeti, discovers doors to labyrinthine underground libraries, and finds love on a train to Vladivostok. And much more.

It took a while to settle into this novel but once I did, I was struck by the superbly descriptive settings, particularly in the latter half. Feeling Aubry’s journey eluded me quite often, as I felt as though I was watching her and hearing her story and only sometimes living it. Time is a fluid, inconsequential thing in this intriguing, unconventional novel―an Alice-in-Wonderland-type allegory, a coming-of-age in the broadest sense and a fantastical odyssey to find meaning, understanding, and self-acceptance.