Never stay in one place more than at most four days. Never backtrack. No deep friendships, only acquaintances. Loneliness, injuries. But, many languages learned, and skills to support oneself: hunting, fishing, walking for hours on end. And, despite a debilitating illness arriving like a hammer stroke if stopping in one place for too long, a sense of wonder and compassion cultivated and kept alive by main character Aubrey LaTourelle on her long years of mostly solitary travel.

Author Douglas Westerbeke has written an intriguing novel with some lovely prose, populated by many interesting people Aubrey met over her many years of wandering. From others’ perspectives, her life feels like such an adventure traveling the world, but, the longer I spent with her, the more I felt this was actually a horror story, with Aubrey never making any lasting or deep connections, and intense pain and death always around the corner, so to speak, and a strange presence relentlessly pushing her forward, from her childhood onward.

As someone who loves libraries, I loved the libraries she occasionally found (I guessed correctly who the unseen individuals’ voices belonged to) and spent time in. They not only educated her, but functioned as portals to new locations, which was both neat and a little disconcerting.

I will confess I lost the thread of the narrative at one point; Aubrey’s new acquaintances blurred a little in my mind, except for 1) the Prince she met in India and his fascinating painter friend, and 2) the last people she met in the book.

Aubrey learned so much over her years, especially how to take care of herself and take joy in each new person and place, and even gets to experience some short romances. But there is that underlying horror, and tragedy, in the impossibility of ever standing still or finding refuge.

This is a cleverly written story; I felt sympathy for Aubrey throughout, and liked the sense of melancholy, but also joy, permeating the novel. This is an interesting effort for a debut novel, and I look forward to more by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Avid Reader Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

The title of this book is either ironic or misnamed. There is nothing short about this walk as it takes Aubrey Torvel, a French lass of the late 19th century, on an unrelenting journey all over the world. The travels begin in her childhood and continue through old age,as she tries to outrun a malady that causes her to bleed copiously and fatally if she stays in the same place for more than a few days. It is the perfect vehicle to present innumerable episodes in exotic settings. Unfortunately, just as Aubrey must have wearied from the constant movement, so does the reader.
We do see the character mature and become more self aware as the story develops, and what is particularly interesting is the relationship that grows between Toyrvel and her curse. It brings to mind the role of Death in The Book Thief. What starts out as an abstract concept becomes a strong character in the story.
This was a fascinating journey but I think it would have benefited from judicious editing.

I was interested in this when I heard that it was similar to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue + Life of Pi. While it does have a similar vibe/feeling to both of those books in certain ways, I enjoyed this much less. The story became repetitive and by 20% into the book I was already ready for it to be over. It goes on and on and on without the story ever really feeling like it’s going anywhere. It had a lot of potential but essentially no mysteries/questions were answered which left me feeling unsatisfied.

I really wanted to like this one, but ultimately it fell short for me. I was not a fan of the pacing, it felt like all the characters were very two dimensional, and I also have so many unanswered questions! SO MANY! I love when books give me feels during/after I’ve finished, but this book really only left me with confusion and mild satisfaction. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

I'm going to keep this quick because I want to forget this book exists and move on with my life, but this book gave me the ick from the very beginning. The plot centers around Aubrey, a white European girl/woman who is cursed to have to constantly change locations so she doesn't painfully suffer and die. She lives a certain exciting life and adventures to a lot of "exotic" places.
A letter to the reader at the beginning of the book states that the author wanted to write "a page-turning adventure story I...]for adults" featuring a "woman Indiana Jones." I was expecting a more modern take, but instead it more accurately resembles adventure movies and shows from the mid-20th century, including the casual racism, exoticism, and misogyny. I think it's possible to take something nostalgic and make it new and interesting, but if that was the goal, it was poorly executed. The target audience for this book is retirees who want to read something that reminds them of the "good ole days."
Honestly this could have been a fun story but, in addition to the problematic elements listed above, the plot was relatively boring and there didn't seem to be any underlying themes or messages. Also, despite the fact that she's fluent in multiple languages and has traveled the world, Aubrey is somehow still written as ditzy and naive.

A SHORT WALK THROUGH A WIDE WORLD is a beautifully written story about life, love, and the search for finding a place in this world. Westerbeke effortlessly blended a fantastical world with the realities of real life.

Aubry Tourvel is a gift to readers. Her travels through time, her interactions with those across the globe, and the underlying “illness” that forces her to be on the move all create a unique character that is engaging. The journey the reader goes on with Aubry is only enhanced by the mystical element tying her to the reason for her situation.

A SHORT WALK THROUGH A WIDE WORLD is a lyrical epic tale bringing the reader from one port to the next and encountering vastly different and distinctive people along the way. This is a book I spent a short amount of time with because I devoured it so quickly. And yet, I am content with that because I know I will make this trip again.

Audiobook Note: I enjoyed Saskia Maarleveld’s overall narration of this book and how she gave a voice to the character. This narrator’s diction and pace were spot on. However, the truth is that I did enjoy reading the paperback more than I did listening to the book. I spent more time within the pages than with my headphones.

Aubrey finds a wooden puzzle ball when she is 9 and selfishly decides not to 'donate' in a local well with her sisters. After she keeps the ball, she is inflicted with a horrible condition that causes her to bleed profusely and be in horrible pain unless she moves locations after a few days. Aubrey is eventually completely torn from her family as she wanders the world.
For Aubrey and for the reader, the journey is the point I think although I started to have issues pressing on with the story. It's beautifully written with a premise that seemed very unique to me. That being said, it started to seem repetitive and I read to the end to find out what the point was.
I'm giving this 3 points-others may like this book more than I did. It's definitely different and beautiful but kind of dragged for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for my honest review.

DNF at 35%—
I was initially drawn to this book because its premise was billed as occupying a similar space to that of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, which was easily one of my favorite reads of all time. While the storytelling here wasn't terrible by any means, I do think the book does itself a disservice by aligning itself with Addie LaRue, purely on a stylistic basis. The writing was just too dense and monotonous to keep muddling through in order to get at the heart of the story, which frustrated me enough to make it feel like a chore having to return to this book rather than the adventure I wish it had been. Hopefully this resonates better with other readers, but unfortunately this one just wasn't my cup of tea.

Considering I gave The Short Life of Addie La Rue 4/5 stars I had to rate this slightly lower. The level of writing is just not up to the same level in my opinion, but it is still a really enjoyable story of freeing and finding oneself. I think this is probably perfect for young adults.

Aubry has a strange condition. She has had it since she was 9 years old and she found a strange puzzle ball. Her condition is that she bleeds to death. She discovers that nothing works except to keep moving. So, she has been traveling the world her whole life to keep this condition at bay.

Aubry is a unique character and the puzzle ball…this had me guessing all throughout this novel.

I did find this tale a bit wordy and monotonous. Aubry’s condition is very interesting and intriguing but it does get a bit repetitive. I did enjoy the countries and the libraries! This added a lot for this avid reader.

Need a story which takes you all over the world…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

I requested this book because it was described as the Invisible Life of Addie LaRue meets Life of Pi, and I truly don't think there could be a better description. If you have feelings of wanderlust, you have got to read this captivating novel.

The main character Aubry must be traveling at all times, lest a horrible sickness sweeps her body with the possibility of killing her. Aubry can stay in place for 4 days at the most before this illness hits. Due to this, we meet Aubry at a time when she has traveled the world 3 or 4 times already, never able to repeat the same place twice. Throughout the novel, we see Aubry at various points in time as she recounts her experiences to other travelers she encounters. Due to her inability to stay put, Aubry is cheated of the opportunity to love deeply, although she is given glimpses of this throughout her life.

This novel is simply lovely and I was transported by the story. It's unique and captivating and made me want to pack a suitcase and go. Definitely a standout debut and one I will be recommending to others.

What an interesting book! I loved the unique story and enjoyed the characters Aubry met along her journey. I am still unsure how I felt about the ending, but I would highly recommend the book for anyone who enjoys historical fantasy novels. Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this work in exchange for an honest review.

I was immediately drawn to this when I saw it being compared to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and I'm so happy to have received an arc for this! What an incredibly beautiful journey for Audrey and what a wonderfully written story. There was a slight bit of a pacing issue for me but other than that I truly enjoyed this one.

There are so many beautiful themes throughout, touching on the Human connection and need for belonging.

I understand this book has gotten a lot of buzz, but I really didn't like it at all. I read the first half and then started skimming the second. Aubry's condition was fascinating to me, and I loved the premise of her needing to travel to keep her sickness at bay. But after a while, all of her adventures felt the same. It didn't seem like she learned anything new about her illness, herself, or anything that would stand out as the answer to, "What's the point of telling this story?"

I realize some people will absolutely love this, and it's probably better suited for those who enjoy literary fiction. It's possible that I'm not the target audience for this novel. It's clear the author did a lot of research into different places in the world at the time Aubry's travels begin, but beyond her observances of different people and the changing of centuries, I honestly felt confused about the whole book. As much as I wanted to like it, especially based on the blurb, it didn't match my expectations at all.

This book is described as The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue meets Life of Pi. While I haven’t read Life of Pi, I can totally see the Addie LaRue themes in this one.

It’s whimsical and somewhat tragic. Aubry one day starts to bleed to death, and her family realizes that the only way she can survive is if she keeps moving. She can never visit the same place twice, she can only stay places for 2-3 days at a time, and this takes her all around the world multiple times.

If you don’t think too hard about it, it’s an interesting concept. Aubry meets so many different people and is always sharing her story. She learns how to survive early on, and you travel along with her during different times in her life.

There’s a lot of magical elements and a lot of adventure. I felt the pacing of this book was a lot quicker than Addie LaRue (if you’re looking to compare). I think I was waiting a lot of the time to find out like, why this happened to her? And I’m not sure that thread was fully tied up for me, but the ending was very sweet.

I think if you liked the concept of Addie LaRue, but don’t want to get as dark as that book did at times, this book would be one for you to pick up. This stays fairly light, though the underlying darkness is still there. A quick and lovely read.

Thank you @netgalley and @simonandschuster for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

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.