Oh wow! A short Walk Through a Wide World by Douglas Westerbeke was a crazy ride.
There were times I couldn't get enough and times I was totally confused as to what was happening. The ending cleared some things up but I still have some major questions I need answered. I definitely thought the similarities to Addie LaRue and Midnight Library were spot on!!

A very beautiful book. . . A lovely story about a young girl, Aubrey, who discovers she has an illness that prevents here from staying in a place for more than three days. If she stays in a place for longer, she begins to have severe pain and starts bleeding from every orifice. The only way to stop it is to move on.
Consequently, Aubrey is constantly on the move. And not only must she keep moving but she cannot go to the same place twice.
Her story is unique, fascinating and also sad. She sees many wonders. She is alone most of the time. Difficult to have relationships when you are constantly on the move. Aubrey is an interesting person in a very unusual situation. For me , I love to travel but also enjoy coming home. For. Aubrey, there is no home.
Aubrey sees many places and things and meets many people along the way, some good and some not. I enjoyed the book very much and hope others enjoy it , too. Happy reading!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
I thoroughly enjoy A Short Walk through a Wide World. The discovery of self thru pain, loss and love.

3.5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Addie LaRue and 9 year old Aubry Tourvel are made of similar DNA. Like Addie, our protagonist goes on an epic quest filled with whimsy, travel and growth. A Short Walk Through a Wide world has it's own distinct voice and will open your eyes to the beauty of exploration and what it means to be alive. I wish that the first half of the book had a swifter pace, but I don't think I'm the right audience for this book anyway.

Aubrey is a no nonsense child with a mind of her own. She is a fierce character and takes on the world. In this novel Aubrey Tourvel is plagued by an illness that does not allow her to stay in the same place for more than a few days, thanks to a visit to a very unorthodox water well. The journey around the world many times over in Aubrey’s stories is magical. She will tell her life stories to anyone who listens or asks and is not ashamed of any of it. She is larger than life and it’s refreshing traveling with Aubrey in the late 1800s to the early 1900s. She suffers through loneliness and love lost many times over and we get all of it and more. The different cultures and stories with creatures never seen before is spectacular, making us think about how there are parts of our world unseen.

This book is adventurous, mysterious and just plain clever. It’s incredibly well written and I definitely recommend reading it.

A Short Walk Through a Wide World centers on Aubry, a girl with a strange disease that causes her to constantly be moving throughout the world to stay alive. You follow along on her many adventures around the world.

The sense of adventure and seeing what Aubry came across is what kept me reading this novel. I felt the writing was beautiful and it was interesting to see the world through her eyes. It felt like a fairytale for adults. However, the timeline was confusing for me. Aubry would be telling her story to multiple people over her life, and I think I would have enjoyed it more if she was only telling her story to one specific person, almost like in Forrest Gump.

This book has a lot of things going for it, but I don't think it was a good fit for me. I would recommend to people who enjoy fantasy and who liked The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.

This book reminded me so much Of Addie LeRue. The main character in both is essentially alone for eternity, but for different reasons. Aubry needs to keep moving in order not to bleed out and die from her curse. She lives a lonely life, only being able to connect with others, or stay in one place, for short periods of time. On the one hand, always moving allows for great adventures around the world, in exotic and fabulous locals, which in many ways enriches her life, and certainly add interest to the story. But never really putting down roots does take it's toll on Aubry. I like the way she feel so connected to libraries and finds temporary sanctuary in them, while at the same time is it also adds a bittersweet aspect to her journey . The author's writing style is delightful to read, incorporating elements of magical reality to the beautiful prose, giving the story a whimsical quality at times. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC opportunity.

I am so enjoying this story! A young French girl , Aubry, "cursed" with an illness that forces her to travel, never to the same place twice? Fascinating! The chapters are just the right length for commutes, so one should never be stuck in the middle of a chapter, waiting to see what happens next. Every chapter is a new adventure: new scenery, new village, town, city, country, new characters.... Learning about how Aubry picks up survival skills and the people who come to her aid along the way, it's just so intriguing. Totally novel story. Mind, it is mostly narrative, but the ilanguage just draws one in with it's descriptiveness. There always seems to be a new twist that keeps one wanting to keep reading to see what happens next! Kudos Doug Westerbeake; I can't wait for your next book!

I was drawn to this one based on the comparison to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. It was a bit slow to start, and I was having trouble getting into it.

I keep switching this back and forth between four and five stars, but ultimately I think it was a really well written 4 star book as it's probably not one that will stick with me.

Aubry Tourvel has not been able to stay in one place for more than a few days without excruciating pain and/or bleeding from every orifice since she was nine years old. So instead she walks the globe, in a new place meeting new people every day, never sticking around long enough to call anyplace home. But Aubry travels more quickly than she should be able to on foot and magically survives conditions that should have killed her. And then there are the mysterious underground libraries she seems to find in the strangest places, all over the world.

This book was beautifully written. I really can't gush about the writing enough and I will probably read anything Douglas Westerbeke writes because it was really lovely. Aubry was a sassy but thoughtful, strong and well rounded character. The rest of the cast maybe not so much but this is really The Aubry Show so it was fine. I love finding a book that follows a character I love from childhood to old age, too.

I'm still genuinely confused about the timeline of Aubry's life but I do think that was kind of the point. This book is offbeat but also weird in a way that sneaks up on you so slowly it's almost disarming. Don't expect to have all the answers at the end. I don't have very many. Smarter people than me may glean more from it but I'm left still pretty in the dark, which is kind of fine. I think. Clearly, I'm still working through some feelings about this.

Also, I'm sorry but I just feel like I have to mention: the queer baiting. It felt like there was queer baiting. Throughout the book we follow Aubry through her journeys, the bulk of the time spent on her time with the various men she's loved and had to leave. But then she meets a woman who wants to travel with her and one night they're in a cave and said woman comes on to her HARD, literally touching her thighs, and Aubry is clearly confused at the very very least and then IT'S NEVER MENTIONED AGAIN EVER. That was frustrating man, let me tell you, and honestly might be the sole reason I knocked it down from five to four stars.

Otherwise, it was maybe a little slow to start and I can't quite pinpoint when it happened, but at some point I fell in love with this. I don't think it'll be for everyone and I don't think I'd recommend it if you want a fast paced plot or a lot going on at once. Aubry wanders, meets people, sometimes falls in love, sees beautiful sights, sometimes thinks beautiful thoughts. I may read it again some day because I'm sure there's plenty more I can get out of this story.

3.75 Stars

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.


Pub Date: 09 April 2024

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book! The premise of this drug me in - what if you were cursed to wander the earth or else face the consequence of a powerful curse? We follow Aubrey as she navigates exactly that. Due to the nature of the premise, Aubrey is the main focus throughout, without much a glance at side characters or the people Aubrey meets. The writing is beautiful as we travel through Aubrey’s perspective. The ending comes abruptly and without much of a resolution, but fits with the overall theme of loneliness in the novel.

The story follows Aubry Tourvel, a young woman cursed with a condition, due to a singular and selfish life decision, that forces her to keep moving in order to stay alive.

From the very beginning, this book draws you in with its intriguing premise—Aubry's inability to stay in one place for too long. Creating a sense of urgency and constant motion that many of us may relate to as we're off avoiding adult responsibilities.

🗺️ The world building is easy to follow, as this book is based in the real world. At times the jumps between periods in time and places can be a little jarring but easily picked up again at a later time.

🌶️ The spice level is nearly 0 with a few small bits sprinkled along the way. This book focuses more on the characters worldly experience and not those experiences in her pantaloons.

📚 This book is for you if you enjoy historically based books, that take you to new yet visitable destinations. Or if you yourself are an avid traveller and can relate to the unique areas that Aubry visits.

✈️ Not always the easiest read for travelling, you may find yourself flipping back to previous pages as the timeline jumps around. At times the book is exceptionally fast paced and other times a little slow.

Bonus points for the fun destinations and experiences that Aubry has, and the joy of knowing that travel in 2023 is a lot easier and more comfortable.

I wasn’t really sure how to feel about this book. In some parts, it was wonderful and so engaging. In other ways, it was confusing and convoluted in others. The ending was odd and abrupt, but I really did enjoy parts of the story. I just feel like it is a great concept but could have been executed better. I’m curious to see more from him so I can see if it’s done better.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Very good! I enjoyed this one quite a bit. It read very much like a modern classic, entangled with adventure themes and magical realism. I enjoyed the characterization and the plot! The character of Aubry was very well-developed and complex. I also enjoyed the numerous topics brought up in this novel, such as identity, and searching for meaning in life, as well as questioning the boundaries of reality. The prose was lyrical as well.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for the e-ARC!
Expected publication: April 9, 2024

This is an artfully crafted debut novel about Aubrey, a young girl who becomes afflicted with a condition that causes her to bleed to death if she stays in any one place for too long.

What I liked:
Beautiful writing—it was a pleasure reading about all the places Aubrey visited as well as the words of wisdom interspersed between her travels! All the places that Aubrey traveled were so well-detailed and descriptive that it felt like I was traveling alongside her. Douglas Westerbeke’s writing has the ability to really bring a story to life!

The premise was really intriguing! Overall, I enjoyed the storyline. I think if you’re someone who gets hit with feelings of wanderlust you will probably enjoy this book since it felt like a really adventurous read. There were plenty of lonely moments though that left me with a feeling of melancholy.

I agree with some other reviews in that the ending doesn’t wrap up the story very well and leaves some questions unanswered. Despite this, I do think the ending was a good fit for the rest of the story!

I like that the chapters are short! :)

What I didn’t like:
The story meanders between Aubrey’s travels and although there was an overarching plot, it often felt like it wasn’t progressing. I read this book in a few sittings but had to put it down a few times because it started feeling repetitive. I would say this book leans towards “no plot just vibes,” so if that’s something you’re interested in I would definitely recommend this book!

A Short Walk Through a Wide World follows the life story of Aubrey Tourvel, a woman with a strange disease who cannot stay in any place for more than short time. We follow her adventures around the world exploring exotic locations, meeting interesting people, and learning about life and all it has to offer.

I enjoyed reading this story as it was whimsical and well paced. The places Aubry visited were written with so much detail and description that it makes me wonder if the author has visited these places or just has an incredible imagination? Overall I liked Aubry as a character, I thought she was brave, resourceful, independent, and passionate. The origins of her incurable disease were mysterious but there were too many unanswered questions at the end of the story. I couldn't quite grasp what the purpose of Aubry's adventures disease, and strange library were?

I'm not entirely sure what the author's message was in writing this story, but if I had to take a guess, I would surmise that the book is about treating life like a story, every day is a new adventure, life has its chapters, and you are the author of your own life. Aubry was only able to keep her disease at bay when she was on the move, and perhaps that is the key to life...to keep things moving because movement brings change which is the only way we can turn the page in our book of life.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

An enchanting debut, brimming with marvels! We embark on a captivating journey with the odyssey of Aubry Tourvel, the protagonist who stumbles upon a mystical puzzle ball. While her siblings toss their treasured possessions into a well, aiming to snag wishes, Aubry detours. Opting to safeguard her newfound gem, she sets in motion a sequence of events. Mere days later, a chilling scene unfolds – Aubry's life begins to ebb away right at the heart of the family dining tableau. Swift medical intervention stems the crimson tide, yet the wake-up call sets her on an escapade beyond the city's edge. Aubry then realizes that movement alone keeps her alive and must keep moving and traveling to survive.

The narrative, bedecked with fantastical hues, is a symphony of self-discovery stretching across the tapestry of an entire lifetime. Amidst sweeping panoramas and ceaseless exploits, the story weaves an unquenchable thirst for exploration that snared my attention like quicksand. Though bittersweet in moments, it is an uplifting saga of solitude and the ache for belonging, all adorned in eloquent prose. The tale evokes emotion, crafting a poignant narrative that entranced me from the very outset. The author's imagination spun into Aubrey's exploits, and their finesse breathing life into an extraordinary premise is nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Summing it up, this literary gem is a masterpiece of penmanship, and the premise, oh, how I adored it! Wholeheartedly, I absolutely 1000% recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for the ARC!

This book almost reads like a classic travel adventure book, probably because it is historical and is very much centered around this original woman, with a fantastical disease exploring a world that doesn't exist anymore.
There were some very nice moments, but it is written in such a way that I had trouble "forgetting" that I was reading. And while there were lots of great things in this novel, I'm not sure how I feel about it.
I think this novel would appeal to people who enjoy early 1900 travel stories, a certain dose of fantastical, and novels like Benjamin Button or A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar.

** spoiler alert ** Aubry Tourvel is always on the move, constantly leaving, ever arriving. But her mystery illness means she can't ever count on anything, not even being able to see her friends or family for the briefest amount of time which means she can't truly forge connections between herself and others. Can she love anyone? Can anyone love her?

I'm a huge fan of spec fiction, slipstream stories and the like. This book is recommended for fans of VE Schwab's "Addie LaRue", of which I am most assuredly one, and it didn't disappoint. That being said, one of the problems in not having a character be able to connect is that we don't connect either. We may long for Aubry to settle down but the author refuses to let that happen again and again and we, like Aubry, get our hearts broken one too many times. By the end I was resigned to her being unfulfilled - all those libraries and books available to her may be entertaining and enlightening but they can't take the place of friendships and intimacy.

Still, I would definitely recommend. I think the prose is also beautiful and evocative.

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc to review.