I absolutely loved this book. I liked the way it meandered along from place to place, like Aubrey herself. This story was chock full of adventure which is something I've been struggling to find in adult fiction. My only wish was that we had more stories of her travels. A Short Walk Through a Wide World is a fantastic debut and I can't wait to see what else Douglas Westerbeke writes.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for the ARC! A senjoyable debut, filled with wonder

DNF @ 45%

I was worried we wouldn’t have any resolution because I was bored and not jiving… well I heard there was no resolution. I may listen to the audio if my Libby hold comes in, but I don’t think I will finish the physical. Same old meet people then move on.

Beautifully written, but ultimately repetitive and, as a result, longer than it needs to be.

We spend so much time with Aubry traveling the world, unable to stay in one place very long, and yet very little seems to change from story to story. The new characters we meet all fill the same handful of roles - many of them men that want to possess or save Aubry - and exhibiting very few differences. There are aesthetic changes: a Russian train, an Indian palace, the deserts of North Africa. However, the cultures don't seem to affect the characters in any meaningful way. It feels like the same dance in a different room.

The non-linear storytelling also created some issues for me. I've read this in ways where it lands before, but here it became muddled pretty quickly. How tense can I feel for 30 year old Aubry when her plight is interrupted by 50 year old Aubry somewhere else? How am I to follow the order or these events - if she knows x person or y person - if I don't know her age or even where she is? Since she is sometimes framing the story herself, in her mid-40s telling a story of her 20s, it gets even more wound up. A nesting doll of stories within stories that don't seem to have been put together properly. And everything with the libraries only further confused this.

The concept for this was great, but it should have been a novella, and the various locations should have stood out more.

I’m not even sure where to start with this review. The completion of this book has me feeling a little confused, a bit lonely, somewhat inspired, and also touched by the goodness of (most) strangers.

Before reading, I saw comparisons of A Short Walk Through a Wide Worls to the Addie LaRue book. I can see why these two are compared, yet there are also some big differences. Aubrey’s story has nothing to do with forgetting, but rather a (never truly explained) need to keep moving. Consequently, she is never to make the connections that are (in my opinion) necessary to the human experience.

I found the book very readable, even as it hopped around different parts of the world, different acquaintances, and different ages. That said, the “disease” was confusing and never explained. Was it a demon, as it was occasionally referred to? Also, at the risk of giving away spoilers, where was she at the very end? Some version of an afterlife? What was the point of the ball? And the libraries?

Ultimately, I enjoyed the book, but I’m left feeling as if there should’ve been more explained before it came to an abrupt end.

Thank you Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read an early copy of A SHORT WALK THROUGH A WIDE WORLD in exchange for my honest review.

A Short Walk Through a Wide World is perfect for fans of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (which I am raising my hand high here). Both are filled with such stunning prose full of longing, profound statements and ideas. Where The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue follows a woman who moves throughout her life destined to be forgotten by everyone she meets, in ASWTAWW, our main character, Aubry, has the unfortunate fate of not being able to stay in one place for too long without succumbing to a severe sickness. Therefore, she is constantly on the move, never given the chance to call a single place "home" or create long-lasting connections with anyone.

"She tells him of her travels, the inability to stay in one place...Others romanticize her illness. They imagine an eternal holiday, which is ludicrous, of course. Does anyone really want an eternal holiday? [...] In the end we are creatures of habit who prefer possession, security, the bonds of family. But where are Aubry's comforts? Where are her bonds? What are her routines and what, God forbid, can break them?"

I found ASWTAWW to be an extremely thought provoking read and it will sit with me for a long time. I love it when a book makes me think and contemplate the things that really matter in life.

The magical realism elements were an added plus. I loved the use of the library that opened these doorways for Aubry to travel through.

The only thing that keeps me from giving this five stars is I wish I connected more with Aubry's character on an emotional level. The story is clearly very emotional and thought provoking, but those aspects I mostly connected to in the overall themes of the book and not so much in the main character herself.

✨ Review ✨ A Short Walk Through a Wide World by Douglas Westerbeke; Narrated by Saskia Maarleveld

Thanks to Simon and Schuster Audio, Avid Reader Press and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

Book of the Month's featuring this book made it catch my eye. Most simply, I'd describe this as a story of a girl who can't stop moving and must keep walking from place to place because she can never stay anywhere for more than a couple of days.

The book takes Aubry Tourvel from her home in Paris in 1885 as a 9yo on the run, constantly moving, as she traverses the world. She experiences great pain and loneliness but also experiences incredible beauty and uniqueness on her journey.

The first third of the book was gripping - full of magic, I couldn't put it down.

The middle third was still engaging but became confusing in places as timelines were harder to keep straight, and it felt like I, like Aubry, had wandered astray.

The final third was still interesting but caught me a bit by surprise in places as the story continued.

The audio narration was stellar and I appreciated how it took me on the journey with Aubry. Note that the chapters are often short and can jump timelines -- there's a short section at the beginning of each chapter to help you situate to the time and place. Pay attention to these!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The emphasis on storytelling, on the value of life and experiences and living well, and the constant movement were really a delight.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: magical realism, historical fiction, fantasy
Setting: all over the world
Reminds me of: Addie La Rue
Length: 11 hours 3 minutes
Pub Date: April 2, 2024

Read this if you like:
⭕️ magical realism and historical fiction
⭕️ storytelling and books
⭕️ nested narratives in multiple times
⭕️ short chapters

Super interesting concept and idea for this story. I loved Addie LaRue so immediately requested and glad that I did! I liked the pacing and the concept and the characters. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

“She is practiced at the art of leaving. No loss of composure, no tears.”

“Perhaps her illness is a rejection of the sedentary life, her body rebelling against an inertia that mankind has, over the millennia, eased itself into.”

It is Paris, 1885 and we are introduced to Aubry Tourval, a headstrong, precocious nine year old. Soon after she finds a strange wooden puzzle ball in her backyard, she becomes seriously ill and begins to bleed out. After medical treatment fails to cure her, her parents move her outside the city and she recovers immediately. She discovers she cannot stay in one place for more than a few days at a time, so this begins Aubry’s lifelong journey, staying ahead of this dreadful disease. She travels the world many times in the next 60 years,
meeting scores of different people, finding romance and adventure, along the way.
This was a fun ride. An easy, narrative to follow, with plenty of colorful characters and places to visit on her serpentine voyage.

This was an interesting book, but it never really pulled me into the story. I am disappointed they used the Addie LaRue callout in the blurb because this isn't Addie LaRue. It was a good story, but the characters and the setting couldn't keep me sucked into the story like others do.

The first 30% of this book had me intrigued. I really liked the storyline. I wanted to know more about the illness and about why it chose Aubry... I had to DNF at 76%. I tried so hard to finish. The story just became so mundane and boring. I found myself no longer caring.

So I don't really know why I requested this. From what I've heard of The Midnight Library I would absolutely hate it and looking back at this book now the description throws me way off. I apologize to the author and the publisher, I'm sure that their audiences love this.

A Short Walk Through a Wide World by Douglas Westerbeke. #NetGalley
This novel doesn't have a clear purpose. It tells the story of Aubry but you aren't sure of much of her background or if the sickness is a type of lesson/punishment. I wasn't sure if she qas taking in enough of the world atound her on her journey. Or could she not because she was in such a hurry to outrun her sickness.

Some times in her life are given with more detail and others are glossed over. I'm not sure the importance of either.

The way the sickness speaks to her and she to it, reminds me of the tose and the prince in The Little Prince.

I think this novel spends a lot of time on her journey without a lot of explanation of her 'goal'. Is it a lesson? Is she just trying to survive? Why DOES the library exist?

You're left with more questions than answers at the end and if I hadn't been expected to leave a review I probably would have abandoned the read before the halfway mark.

This was a lovely book. I listened to the audiobook and I think the narrator did a fantastic job of moving through this story and this world. I was very excited to find out a librarian wrote this.

I really liked the concept and story, and especially enjoyed reading about Aubry traveling the world. Aubry’s relationships throughout the years were interesting to read about as well. I struggled with the pacing in the middle of the book. I’m still trying to process the ending and all the symbolism, but I do like the concept of libraries and books being another way to travel the world and gain knowledge.

BEST DEBUT NOVEL OF 2024! Such a beautiful story, I can't wait for the next journey Westerbeke takes us on! Definitely an author to watch!

This started off with much potential. It drew me in and the initial stories of travels were truly interesting but ultimately, it felt endless, similar to Aubrey’s life. I wanted to give up but at the same time wanted to know the reasons behind this journey. After I was through 60% of the book it just became work to get through it and I started skimming the stories just to finish the book. The conclusion was just okay, but if I had to do it again, I wouldn’t. Beautiful writing but other than that, I can’t recommend.

At age 9, Audry Tourvel learns she has an unusual disease which requires her to keep moving every three days and not go back to a place that’s she’s been to. Or she will bleed to death. So she travels the world mostly on foot or by boat many times during her lifetime, starting in Paris in 1885. Of course she meets all kinds of interesting people, sees beautiful places, learns how to survive, misses her family. It’s an odyssey

This is a well-written, immersive story that I really enjoyed! It has a very unique premise and I was invested in how it was going to end. I would highly recommend this! Special Thank You to Douglas Westerbeke, Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for a honest review!

Thanks to the publisher for the eARC.
This was overall a fun and interesting read. I enjoyed being on the journey with Aubry even if I didn't understand it completely. I did like the storytelling here. I didn't mind the jumping around because it gave a great tone to this story. The frustration was palpable, and I wanted to know what was next for her. Towards the end, I did feel like I wanted more insight into the magical realism aspects because I started to find myself getting lost. I am not sure I understood the ending at all, even with reading it multiple times to try and figure out what I missed. I almost wish it had ended a bit earlier with the (minor spoiler ahead) dust part. IYKYK. Overall, not a bad book and I was impressed with how this woman was written. I would try this author again in the future.