Really great story, I love that it is unusual, has elements of mystery, and keeps you guessing throughout the entire book. When I read, I like a story to be able to take me into a world far away from my daily life and this does! It's a great mental escape and one I readily looked forward to reading.

Highly recommend this book!

This was a wonderful story and I enjoyed the way it was narrated. It felt like a fairy tale. Aubrey grew up to be an amazing character as she traveled the world. She learns to hunt and be mostly self sufficient in her travels and even becomes famous. I felt for her pain and her loneliness, and loved her strength. I feel like I've seen places I'll never visit and can picture them vividly, the writing was so well crafted.

My only problem with this story is with the ending. It wasn't a bad ending at all. I just didn't understand it. That may be just a "me" problem, but it was not a very closed ending with explanations and, honestly, I like things explained. I like to go "Aha! That's why that thing happened!"

All in all, a was fun trip with Aubrey, and I do recommend this book to those like magical tales.

United States Publication: April 2, 2024

Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for this advanced reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.
(Of note, I could not attach a rating to this title because even after reading it I am unsure how much I liked it - if I liked it! However, because NetGalley asks for a rating to accompany feedback, my rating here reflects the work Westerbeke put into creating such an atmospheric story and characters. In the other places I have posted this review, there are no ratings attached.)

Aubry Tourvel is famous, but not by choice. In 1885, as a nine-year-old in Paris Aubry fell ill with a sickness nobody could name, find in her body, or cure. And the only way, it seems, for the sickness to be satisfied is for Aubry to never stop moving. This mysterious illness leads her to spend the rest of her life outrunning the sickness by traveling the world several times over. The catch is she cannot return to the same place twice, she can only visit each place in the world once. Eventually, she's going to run out of the world. As Aubry ages and her plight becomes known through word-of-mouth, she becomes an enigma - unknowable to even herself. She lives a very isolated life among the residents of the world. Throughout her travels she meets with temporary companions, people she wishes she could keep in her nomadic life but her constant movement is unrealistic for anyone but her. Part of her mysterious illness is also a secret way of travel in the underside of the world, through a labyrinth of libraries that provide her sanctuary from not just her illness but the harsh realities of traveling non-stop. But these library stays are brief and eventually her sickness drives her back out to travel the world. Years and years pass and Aubry determines to corner the illness before it corners her, she wants to go out on her terms. She just wants her life to end in a soft place, without having to run from the constant companion that has plagued her since 1885.

I honestly have no idea if I liked this title or not. Because of my indecision, I am refraining from placing a rating on it. It is full of beautiful descriptions of the world Aubry travels, it provides action-packed scenes as Aubry encounters various people and situations that are threatening her safety, and it tells the story of a person who finds contentment in living on the run. I read it quickly and found myself engaged in it but I also read it with a slight...dissatisfaction. I accept that some things don't have answers, and some things are unknowable but this mysterious illness that Aubry contracts, seemingly because of a puzzle ball, is a little too far-fetched. Even a hint of a potential reason why would have been better than just a great big, fat question mark about the cause of Aubry's illness and why she was chosen to bear it. I also feel dissatisfied because I'm unclear about the motivation or purpose of Westerbeke's story, I didn't glean from it any "lesson" or profound idea to carry on with after reading the last word. I would love to read an author interview with him and hear his thoughts as he created this tale. So, did I like this title? I still don't know. Just like the mysterious illness Aubry has, my like of this book will remain mysterious as well.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc. However, I got through 50% of the book and stopped reading. At first, I was very interested in Aubry's story such as her cureless condition. Throughout the book, there's a back and forth telling of her adventures around the world. Some of them were entertaining as well, but most of the time it felt as if it was dragging and had no plot. I definitely would've liked to know where she ends up and if she ever gets cured except I couldn't get myself to read more. I'm sure this is and will be a great and lovable read for many readers. It just wasn't for me.

As someone who loves to travel I enjoyed this book or should I say adventure a lot. This book is sweet and will make you think about the relationships we build and the definition of home.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for an advanced reading copy of this book.

I was very excited by the idea of this book and its comparisons to Addie LaRue. While I can understand some of the similarities, ideally, gorgeous, descriptive prose, that’s where it ends.

This book started very strong, as we meet young Aubry, and she soon falls ill with a mysterious sickness. I enjoyed travelling alongside Aubry during her worldly adventures, with a memorable cast of characters, but it soon became very redundant, and there was no advance of the plot. I’m fine with a nonlinear narrative, but this one didn’t seem to serve a purpose.

There is some truly beautiful writing within the book, but there are too many unanswered questions that remain. The lack of resolution regarding Aubry's illness, the interconnected fountains, the enigmatic libraries, and the mysterious puzzle ball really left me dissatisfied.

But I digress. I appreciated the whimsy and imagination in this book, but overall, I wasn’t blown away by it.

I recived a copy of A Short Walk Through a Wide World by Douglas Westerbeke from Avid Reader Press. In the box was a copy of the book, a blank journal , a velvet bag containing a wooden puzzle ball. This intreged me to pick it up and to read the back of it. We had recently read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab for book club and the synopsis sounded like but with a different plot twist. The book involves a little french girl Aubrey, a wishing well with a face, and a wooden puzzle ball. What Aubrey doesn't know in the beginning is that inorder for her to stay alive she must travel the world and can't stay more than 3 days in one area. Aubrey finds secret doors that are libraries which contain books and scrolls that deplict different events that happened in the world. When she enters these libraries at one location she exits in an entirely different location. She must move forward and can't revisit past locations. All Aubry wants is for the curse to leave her and live out her reamining days to stay in peace. This was a fascinating read and I truely loved the concept of it. It also reminded me of Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves a good adventure book or fantasy book.

Aubry Torvel stands before a wishing well in Paris with her sisters but refuses to sacrifice her recently acquired and very mysterious puzzleball. As she runs home with her prize still clutched to her she changes the course of her life forever. This is the beginning of Aubry’s travels. Soon she is bleeding and pain courses through her body. She only finds relief when she leaves the city. Aubry’s symptoms return if she stays too long in one place, so she must constantly move throughout the world, often alone, and always wondering why this fate came to her.

This novel eloquently questions our own existence and life’s true meaning as we follow Aubry through this strange and difficult journey. Aubry sees small moments in time, ordinary people and their struggles, as she follows her own path. It is a beautiful look at the world and our place in it and a wonderful adventure.

This is an interesting fantasy that leaves you with so many unanswered questions, and not in a good way.

Nine year old Aubry is cursed to never stay in one place more than 3 or 4 days at a time, lest she start to bleed to death. Fascinating premise, that takes you on a journey around the world, not only seeing many interesting sights, lands and people, but keeps you wondering, along with Aubry, how the curse will eventually be broken

The novel is a delight to those those who enjoy descriptive prose, violent deaths and bloody murders, and an ending that doesn't answer any questions. Why is she cursed? What is the purpose of the magic puzzle ball she carries everywhere, then tosses away? And many, many more.

Wonderful writing, poor story resolution.

2.5 Stars rounding up to 3
I was so excited for this one but it fell flat for me. I found it so repetitive that it took a long time to further the plot. Thank you to #netgalley and Avid Reader Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Not really my cup of tea. Very far-fetched, IMO. Too many unanswered questions by end. And jumbled narrative

I wasn’t sure what this was going to be but it was a journey and I think that it was one that I would like to take again. I just don’t know what else to say as all I can think is SPOILERS.

When a librarian writes a book; good things happen. Unique, magical good things. This books takes the reader on a magical realism adventure like no other. Here we follow Aubrey Tourvel as she begins her life long journey to outrun her medical condition which literally forces her to never be in the same place twice. It really is like the Life of Pi met up with The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and had a coffee. When I finished this one I had to sit and reflect on it for a few days because there are so many things to unpack. It's a perfect book club book. I still don't think I've quite figured everything out yet. I have a feeling that's the way the author wanted it. That works for me.

Really great adventure novel. 4.5. Only weak point was backstory, once the novel begins its fantastic. Would recommend while touring the world

Wow, what an adventure!

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

A Short Walk Through a Wide World is about a young girl named Aubry who comes in contact with a mysterious puzzle ball that follows her no matter where she goes, and that’s when her sickness begins. She bleeds out of her mouth, nose, ears, and convulses from head to toe. The only remedy is to escape and leave the place she’s in, but once she leaves, she can never return. Thus begins her life long journey across the world. Alongside Aubry, we travel through hot deserts, rainforests, frosty mountains, and we meet kind strangers, bears and other wild animals, old friends, and maybe even some lovers. We also find an elaborate, mysterious library, one that follows Aubry everywhere she goes. Join Aubry in her walk of life and find out why the journey is just as important (if not more) than the destination.

This book truly felt like an adventure and I wanted to give up more times than Aubry. When she described feeling tired and losing hope, I kept thinking “just stop it, this is such a heartbreaking way to live,” but Aubry kept going. Her courage, determination, stubbornness, and kindness were amazing to read.

For the overall plot, I really enjoyed traveling through the world alongside Aubry. There were mentions of Islam and a stop in India which I found very comforting to read about since I’m muslim and Indian. Every new stop felt like I was being immersed in culture. However, through the ⅔ to ¾ mark I got a bit bored of the book, it all felt a bit daunting and repetitive and I couldn’t see the end coming. The ending itself was a bit disappointing too, because when it happened, it all felt too rushed. I didn’t understand it well enough to appreciate it.

The biggest issue for me was that I didn’t understand the magic behind her curse. Why was she cursed? What did the puzzle ball have to do with it? Was the dead man relevant? Why did the library follow her? Was her curse/disease a person? Where did the other voice come from? Why did she bleed even after she exited the library for the last time? Why did her new home become what it was?

Regardless of the questions I had, this book was pretty well written and very immersive. I can see myself rereading it maybe 2-3 years down the road, and I can’t wait to see more from the author!

A Short Walk Through a Wide World is a grand adventure of one Aubry Tourvel, a woman forced by her mysterious illness to forever be traveling or else bleed to death.

This isn't quite what I expected when I picked it up, but I'm happy to have read it. I've seen it compared to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, Life of Pi, and The Midnight Library. I think it also has similar elements of The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams, although with more adult level content.

This book is filled with colorful descriptions of this world we all live in, as well as the people we share it with. There are very colorful descriptions of fantastical libraries, as well. The question of why Aubry was forced on this journey, who it was that thrust her into it, and why and how the story ends like it does makes it good book discussion material. Even though this isn't your typical book discussion type of book.

A worthy read. I'll be thinking about it for a long, long time.

Such an engaging story with a strong female protagonist cursed, or blessed depending on your perspective, to wander the earth or die if she stays in one place. I can't wait to read more from the author.

In A Short Walk Through a Wide World by Douglas Westerbeke we meet Aubry, a girl who was cursed with a strange illness. Aubry cannot stay in one place for more than a few days, or she becomes very ill, generally starting with a nosebleed and becoming more paralyzing and debilitating from there. We follow Aubry as she grows up and travels the world, always keeping ahead of her curse.

This book was very interesting at the beginning. I think the idea of a curse that makes you continuously move is a great premise. However, I stopped reading this book at about 50% because the plot did not seem to be advancing. We were stuck just listening to Aubry’s stories and I wasn’t clear on what the actual plot was besides that. I would have liked if we investigated more into the puzzle ball, the illness or the mysterious doors. Maybe we do get more into that into the second half of the book, but the meandering path to get there just wasn’t worth it in my opinion.

An original idea with an engaging albeit elusive main character. The world building was good and the pace of the breadcrumbs was just right. The ending left a bit to be desired but how does one finish a book like this? This book could be analyzed by an English 101 class for what the author "really meant" in writing this novel but it would be lost on them because this book is meant for whoever is reading it at that moment in time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for a chance to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars. There is much to love about this whimsical and sad story of a woman's life fleeing a mysterious disease and seeking an answer to the magic behind it. The writing is clear and beautifully describes places and situations. If you like depth of characters, this book is a bit light on that. I particularly struggled with Aubry sounding believable as a child--in both voice and actions. But my biggest problems were with pacing and structure. The story takes a very long time to feel as if there's anything much happening, other than a relating of Aubry's adventures up to her 30th or so year. When at last hints come of something greater, we're close to the 20% mark, and then it leaves you hanging with some disjointed feeling scenes that don't seem to add to the plot (at least at that time).

I think a lot of folks will enjoy this story and the protagonist, Aubry. But, despite the intriguing premise and historical setting, it wasn't a good fit for me.