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A Short Walk Through a Wide World
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue meets Life of Pi in this dazzlingly epic debut that charts the incredible, adventurous life of one woman as she journeys the globe trying to outrun a mysterious curse that will destroy her if she stops moving.
Paris, 1885: Aubry Tourvel, a spoiled and stubborn nine-year-old girl, comes across a wooden puzzle ball on her walk home from school. She tosses it over the fence, only to find it in her backpack that evening. Days later, at the family dinner table, she starts to bleed to death.
When medical treatment only makes her worse, she flees to the outskirts of the city, where she realizes that it is this very act of movement that keeps her alive. So begins her lifelong journey on the run from her condition, which won’t allow her to stay anywhere for longer than a few days nor return to a place where she’s already been.
From the scorched dunes of the Calashino Sand Sea to the snow-packed peaks of the Himalayas; from a bottomless well in a Parisian courtyard, to the shelves of an infinite underground library, we follow Aubry as she learns what it takes to survive and ultimately, to truly live. But the longer Aubry wanders and the more desperate she is to share her life with others, the clearer it becomes that the world she travels through may not be quite the same as everyone else’s...
Fiercely independent and hopeful, yet full of longing, Aubry Tourvel is an unforgettable character fighting her way through a world of wonders to find a place she can call home. 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.
Paris, 1885: Aubry Tourvel, a spoiled and stubborn nine-year-old girl, comes across a wooden puzzle ball on her walk home from school. She tosses it over the fence, only to find it in her backpack that evening. Days later, at the family dinner table, she starts to bleed to death.
When medical treatment only makes her worse, she flees to the outskirts of the city, where she realizes that it is this very act of movement that keeps her alive. So begins her lifelong journey on the run from her condition, which won’t allow her to stay anywhere for longer than a few days nor return to a place where she’s already been.
From the scorched dunes of the Calashino Sand Sea to the snow-packed peaks of the Himalayas; from a bottomless well in a Parisian courtyard, to the shelves of an infinite underground library, we follow Aubry as she learns what it takes to survive and ultimately, to truly live. But the longer Aubry wanders and the more desperate she is to share her life with others, the clearer it becomes that the world she travels through may not be quite the same as everyone else’s...
Fiercely independent and hopeful, yet full of longing, Aubry Tourvel is an unforgettable character fighting her way through a world of wonders to find a place she can call home. 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.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published April 2, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,107 reviews
March 11, 2024
I understand why the publishing team have billed this as The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue meets Life of Pi because reading this 💯gave me deja vu.
Aubrey Tourvel, our protagonist, is on the run from a mysterious ailment that forces her to keep moving, preventing her from staying in one place for more than a few days or revisiting a place she’s already been--unless she wants to die a bloody gruesome death.
Understandably, she does not want to die a horrifying death. Therefore, lasting relationships, as you can imagine, are a predicament.
While this book may feel very V.E. Schwab-inspired in theme and genre (magical realism-fantasy), as well as Aubrey being French like Addie, (luckily, she doesn't have seven freckles on her face that resemble a constellation of stars), I feel ASWTAWW carves its own path, via a unique plot, and completely distinct globetrotting escapades. As a travel lover, I satisfied my wanderlust through Aubrey Tourvel’s eyes and it was a lush, sensory, vivid experience. This guy sure can write lovely prose. Not too ornamental for my tastes either, which I appreciated.
I always find it interesting when a male author writes an FMC and whether they can make the character authentic. IMO, Westerbeke did a decent job, and I appreciate the agency and empowerment he instilled in her. He effectively portrayed her as a strong-willed, resourceful, resilient and determined female character and she even has a sense of humour! Additionally, the romantic scenes were tasteful and skilfully written. Consider me pleasantly surprised.
For animal lovers, there are some trigger warnings to be mindful of. Aubrey must hunt to survive, so bear that in mind, mostly minor and non-explicit. The one scene I found gratuitous was around 45% through, location 2060, so you may want to avoid that one.
If I had one area I wanted to see more of, it was the backstory of Aubrey’s sickness. It was kinda vague, I would’ve preferred more detail and to learn more about the why.
Spoiler hidden below, click at your own risk.
Overall, I thought this sweeping adventure was heart-wrenching, poignant, thought-provoking and joyful, highlighting the importance of human connection and the tenacity of the human spirit. If you’re an Addie LaRue fan and have an insatiable hunger for travel, you'll probably really enjoy this, just like I did.
My heartfelt thanks to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this work in exchange for an honest review.
—Ĕ�
Cool, kinda trippy. RTC.
—Ĕ�
This is described as something like The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue meets Life of Pi, which is like catnip to a cat for me. Thanks to NetGalley & Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster.
Aubrey Tourvel, our protagonist, is on the run from a mysterious ailment that forces her to keep moving, preventing her from staying in one place for more than a few days or revisiting a place she’s already been--unless she wants to die a bloody gruesome death.
Understandably, she does not want to die a horrifying death. Therefore, lasting relationships, as you can imagine, are a predicament.
While this book may feel very V.E. Schwab-inspired in theme and genre (magical realism-fantasy), as well as Aubrey being French like Addie, (luckily, she doesn't have seven freckles on her face that resemble a constellation of stars), I feel ASWTAWW carves its own path, via a unique plot, and completely distinct globetrotting escapades. As a travel lover, I satisfied my wanderlust through Aubrey Tourvel’s eyes and it was a lush, sensory, vivid experience. This guy sure can write lovely prose. Not too ornamental for my tastes either, which I appreciated.
I always find it interesting when a male author writes an FMC and whether they can make the character authentic. IMO, Westerbeke did a decent job, and I appreciate the agency and empowerment he instilled in her. He effectively portrayed her as a strong-willed, resourceful, resilient and determined female character and she even has a sense of humour! Additionally, the romantic scenes were tasteful and skilfully written. Consider me pleasantly surprised.
For animal lovers, there are some trigger warnings to be mindful of. Aubrey must hunt to survive, so bear that in mind, mostly minor and non-explicit. The one scene I found gratuitous was around 45% through, location 2060, so you may want to avoid that one.
If I had one area I wanted to see more of, it was the backstory of Aubrey’s sickness. It was kinda vague, I would’ve preferred more detail and to learn more about the why.
Spoiler hidden below, click at your own risk.
Overall, I thought this sweeping adventure was heart-wrenching, poignant, thought-provoking and joyful, highlighting the importance of human connection and the tenacity of the human spirit. If you’re an Addie LaRue fan and have an insatiable hunger for travel, you'll probably really enjoy this, just like I did.
My heartfelt thanks to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this work in exchange for an honest review.
—Ĕ�
Cool, kinda trippy. RTC.
—Ĕ�
This is described as something like The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue meets Life of Pi, which is like catnip to a cat for me. Thanks to NetGalley & Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster.
March 16, 2024
1.5/5 Stars
TL;DR - A super interesting premise, and not much else. Long, meandering, and ultimately leading to nowhere. No plot, no vibes, no explanations.
Big thanks to Avid Reader Press, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for providing the ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review!
***Trigger Warnings for: illness, a lot of blood, vomiting, seizures, animal abuse, medical gaslighting, sex between a minor and an adult, dubious consent, violence, mentions of suicidal ideation, mentions of infanticide, and mentions of suicide.***
‘A Short Walk Through a Wide World� by Douglas Westerbeke is a historical magical realism novel following the far-reaching wanderings of Aubrey Tourvel, who at nine years old, contracts a mysterious illness that makes it impossible for her to stay anywhere for more than a few days. We follow her across the world many times over, and into places that aren’t quite earthly at all.
Not a whole lot to say about this one, other than the premise is really interesting, but the book itself is a boring, overdrawn slog.
The prose is average, if a little young, but there is an issue with head-hopping I found annoying. At first, I thought the book was written in 3rd person omniscient, but the instances of hearing other people’s thoughts aren’t consistent across the whole book, so it’s definitely head-hopping. It is an ARC, so maybe this has been cleaned up since I downloaded the file, but it really took away from my enjoyment as-is.
The pacing is slow, the timeline jumps all over the place in a way that adds nothing to the narrative, and there’s very little action or tension. The bits in the library are interesting, the puzzle ball is interesting, her relationship with her illness is interesting, but those parts are so few and far between that they hardly make up for 400+ pages of basically nothing. I can’t even handwave and say this book is more about the message than the plot, because there’s no message. There’s a few little bits and pieces of pseudo-philosophy, and some trite lines that are supposed to be deep, but it’s all so shallow and bland that it might as well not exist.
And then all of the magical realism/fantastical elements are just…never explained. Not even elaborated on, even a little. By the end (which is very underwhelming, by the way), I understood nothing, and I’m left wondering what the point of this book was, because, again, there’s no strong message to be found anywhere. I was promised a ‘spellbinding and inspiring story about discovering meaning in a life that seems otherwise impossible�, but what I got was an overlong travel blog that ate hours of my life I’ll never get back.
Lastly, this book definitely has a vibe of exoticism that I found uncomfortable. I can’t really put my finger on it, but I can say that overall, this book smacks of “a white man wrote this� in terms of depictions of BIPOC characters. It’s not egregious, but it’s definitely there, and it personally gave me the ick.
Final Thoughts:
Boring. Worse than mediocre but better than garbage, and utterly pointless. Will not be buying a physical copy.
TL;DR - A super interesting premise, and not much else. Long, meandering, and ultimately leading to nowhere. No plot, no vibes, no explanations.
Big thanks to Avid Reader Press, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for providing the ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review!
***Trigger Warnings for: illness, a lot of blood, vomiting, seizures, animal abuse, medical gaslighting, sex between a minor and an adult, dubious consent, violence, mentions of suicidal ideation, mentions of infanticide, and mentions of suicide.***
‘A Short Walk Through a Wide World� by Douglas Westerbeke is a historical magical realism novel following the far-reaching wanderings of Aubrey Tourvel, who at nine years old, contracts a mysterious illness that makes it impossible for her to stay anywhere for more than a few days. We follow her across the world many times over, and into places that aren’t quite earthly at all.
Not a whole lot to say about this one, other than the premise is really interesting, but the book itself is a boring, overdrawn slog.
The prose is average, if a little young, but there is an issue with head-hopping I found annoying. At first, I thought the book was written in 3rd person omniscient, but the instances of hearing other people’s thoughts aren’t consistent across the whole book, so it’s definitely head-hopping. It is an ARC, so maybe this has been cleaned up since I downloaded the file, but it really took away from my enjoyment as-is.
The pacing is slow, the timeline jumps all over the place in a way that adds nothing to the narrative, and there’s very little action or tension. The bits in the library are interesting, the puzzle ball is interesting, her relationship with her illness is interesting, but those parts are so few and far between that they hardly make up for 400+ pages of basically nothing. I can’t even handwave and say this book is more about the message than the plot, because there’s no message. There’s a few little bits and pieces of pseudo-philosophy, and some trite lines that are supposed to be deep, but it’s all so shallow and bland that it might as well not exist.
And then all of the magical realism/fantastical elements are just…never explained. Not even elaborated on, even a little. By the end (which is very underwhelming, by the way), I understood nothing, and I’m left wondering what the point of this book was, because, again, there’s no strong message to be found anywhere. I was promised a ‘spellbinding and inspiring story about discovering meaning in a life that seems otherwise impossible�, but what I got was an overlong travel blog that ate hours of my life I’ll never get back.
Lastly, this book definitely has a vibe of exoticism that I found uncomfortable. I can’t really put my finger on it, but I can say that overall, this book smacks of “a white man wrote this� in terms of depictions of BIPOC characters. It’s not egregious, but it’s definitely there, and it personally gave me the ick.
Final Thoughts:
Boring. Worse than mediocre but better than garbage, and utterly pointless. Will not be buying a physical copy.
April 9, 2024
3.5⭐️
“Now she knew, without a doubt, that she did not command the world, but was at the mercy of it.�
In 1885, Paris, nine-year-old Aubrey Tourvel finds a wooden puzzle ball on the side of a road - an incident that changes her life forever. Her discovery and inability to dispose of this “magical� puzzle ball will lead her down a fantastical dream-like journey that will last decades -- a journey that Aubrey is compelled to embark upon on account of the life-threatening affliction that strikes after she stays in the same place more than just a few days.
I found the premise of A Short Walk Through a Wide World by Douglas Westerbeke fascinating and was drawn to it because of its comparisons with The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and Life of Pi , both of which I’ve enjoyed.
I enjoyed Audrey’s journey as she explored the world in its wonder and beauty, facing precarious situations while learning valuable life lessons from her experiences along the way. I admired her resourcefulness and resilience in the face of adversity, loneliness and the constant fear of succumbing to the strange disease that plagues her. Aubrey’s encounters gain her recognition and though she meets a fair share of people in the course of her travels, not all of her experiences are pleasant. While she does meet some who betray her trust , she also finds people whose generosity and kindness overwhelm her. The author keeps us interested in Aubrey’s life with a flow of interesting characters and enthralling adventures along the way. I was curious to know how her life would eventually turn out. Unable to return to the same place twice, we can't help but wonder what will become of her once she has nowhere else to go to outrun her affliction. The magical realism aspect was well executed in the story and I found the concept of the magical library and Aubrey’s connection with it quite intriguing.
The narrative does suffer from pacing issues and slows down considerably in parts with a lot of telling rather than showing which is to be expected on account of the narrative following Aubrey over seven decades. We don’t get to explore Aubrey’s connection with the other characters simply because of the limited amount of time she spends with them. Reading about these brief encounters, a few that are more impactful than the others, soon became a tad tedious. The non-linear narrative detracted from my overall satisfaction in that though I was curious and could sympathize with Aubrey’s plight, the slightly disjointed nature of the narrative and the emphasis on other aspects of the story kept me from connecting with the character on an emotional level. Perhaps a deeper exploration into Audrey, the person, would have enriched my reading experience. I did enjoy the ending despite the ambiguity.
Overall, this was a skillfully crafted, wondrous story that touched upon themes of survival, belongingness and human connection that I liked but did not love.
I should mention that there are episodes of animal hunting/cruelty featured in the narrative (one particularly graphic description of the same that I found particularly disturbing!).
Many thanks to Avid Reader Press for the digital review copy via Edelweiss+. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel was published on April 2, 2024.
Connect with me! � � �
“Now she knew, without a doubt, that she did not command the world, but was at the mercy of it.�
In 1885, Paris, nine-year-old Aubrey Tourvel finds a wooden puzzle ball on the side of a road - an incident that changes her life forever. Her discovery and inability to dispose of this “magical� puzzle ball will lead her down a fantastical dream-like journey that will last decades -- a journey that Aubrey is compelled to embark upon on account of the life-threatening affliction that strikes after she stays in the same place more than just a few days.
I found the premise of A Short Walk Through a Wide World by Douglas Westerbeke fascinating and was drawn to it because of its comparisons with The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and Life of Pi , both of which I’ve enjoyed.
I enjoyed Audrey’s journey as she explored the world in its wonder and beauty, facing precarious situations while learning valuable life lessons from her experiences along the way. I admired her resourcefulness and resilience in the face of adversity, loneliness and the constant fear of succumbing to the strange disease that plagues her. Aubrey’s encounters gain her recognition and though she meets a fair share of people in the course of her travels, not all of her experiences are pleasant. While she does meet some who betray her trust , she also finds people whose generosity and kindness overwhelm her. The author keeps us interested in Aubrey’s life with a flow of interesting characters and enthralling adventures along the way. I was curious to know how her life would eventually turn out. Unable to return to the same place twice, we can't help but wonder what will become of her once she has nowhere else to go to outrun her affliction. The magical realism aspect was well executed in the story and I found the concept of the magical library and Aubrey’s connection with it quite intriguing.
The narrative does suffer from pacing issues and slows down considerably in parts with a lot of telling rather than showing which is to be expected on account of the narrative following Aubrey over seven decades. We don’t get to explore Aubrey’s connection with the other characters simply because of the limited amount of time she spends with them. Reading about these brief encounters, a few that are more impactful than the others, soon became a tad tedious. The non-linear narrative detracted from my overall satisfaction in that though I was curious and could sympathize with Aubrey’s plight, the slightly disjointed nature of the narrative and the emphasis on other aspects of the story kept me from connecting with the character on an emotional level. Perhaps a deeper exploration into Audrey, the person, would have enriched my reading experience. I did enjoy the ending despite the ambiguity.
Overall, this was a skillfully crafted, wondrous story that touched upon themes of survival, belongingness and human connection that I liked but did not love.
I should mention that there are episodes of animal hunting/cruelty featured in the narrative (one particularly graphic description of the same that I found particularly disturbing!).
Many thanks to Avid Reader Press for the digital review copy via Edelweiss+. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel was published on April 2, 2024.
Connect with me! � � �
January 31, 2025
In a Nutshell: A historical fantasy that feels like an endless walk through a wayward world. Poor character sketching, random timelines, ad-hoc plot development, needless exoticism, unsatisfactory ending. This will be among my biggest disappointments of the year. However, to those who believe that reading is more about the journey than about the destination, this ride could be *trippy*.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
With such a great title, cover, and premise, it goes without saying that I had expected a lot from this book. It is a creative and ambitious debut work, no doubt. But that alone isn’t enough to deliver a memorable experience.
The blurb calls this “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue meets Life of Pi.� I have not had the pleasure of reading either of these books, so I cannot say if this claim is true.
Bookish Yays:
🌎 The imaginativeness of the premise � fabulous. I wonder what I would have done were I in Aubry’s place. (Well, I definitely wouldn’t have done most of what she ended up doing.)
🌎 The title and the cover � appealing.
Bookish Mixed Bags:
🏝� Aubry � interesting, determined, and resourceful, but also adamant and self-serving. Many questions about her personality aren’t answered. Also, her character doesn’t seem to grow much (maturity-wise) over the course of the story.
🏝� The places through which Aubry travels � Mostly well-written and quite vivid. But it is basically a list of all “exotic� locales in the world, India included. Not once in all her decades does Aubry’s wanderlust end up in a boring white city.
Bookish Nays:
💸 The lack of detailing on Aubry’s “curse� and the resultant illness. I might have been happier with the book if the end had offered at least some basic explanation for the events. But we learn only the whats and hardly any whys.
💸 The minimal elaboration on the other two key fantastical elements of the story � the puzzle ball and the magical but elusive libraries. They pop up fairly regularly but we don’t learn anything significant about them.
💸 All the coloured characters in every location falling over backwards to satisfy the needs of the white ‘memsahib� � ugh! Even the appearance of India didn’t satisfy me as it was mostly (stereo)typical.
💸 The conversations � very stilted and artificial in tone.
💸 The deus ex machina at the end � I always hate such “jump the shark� kind of endings.
💸 The regular headjumping across characters, even though the narration was in Aubry’s third-person perspective � annoying.
💸 The timeline, which is as random in its meandering as Aubry herself. I get that she lost track of time over the years, but the lack of detail makes things that much difficult for us readers. I am not talking of just months but of years and decades without time indicators. The narrative also goes back and forth in time, with only the chapter titles helping a bit.
💸 The character development for the other characters is barely there. We only know what they do for Aubry without going into their motives.
💸 The blurb calls it an “inspiring� story. What is it meant to inspire: endless travel? Enjoying the journey with the focus on material and physical needs? Learning how to deal with problems by running away from them? I am not a deep person anyway, so if this book aimed at something metaphysical or philosophical, it bounced right off my thick skull.
💸 Graphic violence against animals. There are many other triggers, but this was the only gratuitous one that wasn’t necessary for the plot and could easily have been toned down.
All in all, this book is for those who believe that reading is more for the journey than for the destination. To me � a lover of journey AND destination, this seemingly never-ending sojourn went nowhere. Imagine reading 400 pages to end up with a dozen question marks � what a disappointment!
The first half was still an okayish expedition, but I wandered through the second half of the voyage more out of duty than interest. Perhaps the book should have taken the title seriously and limited the plot to a short trek of maybe half the length.
Then again, many readers have enjoyed the globetrotting experience this book offers, so do read other opinions before you decide whether to embark upon this odyssey.
1.5 stars. (rounding up because this is a debut work and the author is a librarian � viva la library!)
My thanks to Avid Reader Press for providing the DRC of “A Short Walk Through a Wide World� via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. Sorry this didn’t work out better.
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Connect with me through:
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
When nine-year-old Aubry Tourvel, a pampered and stubborn girl, finds a wooden puzzle ball, she is surprised that no matter how much she tried to throw it away, it keeps coming back to her. A few days later, she begins to bleed uncontrollably from every orifice of her body. When medical treatment doesn’t help, she runs away, only to find the mysterious ailment disappear. Soon she realises that this act of being on the move keeps the affliction away. Whenever she stops at a place for more than a few days, it returns. Thus begins a lifelong journey spanning years and continents and a mysterious library and some unexpected paths. But being forced to leave behind anyone that she interacts with as the disease demands newer locations to venture into, Aubry has to learn how to navigate her “short walk through the wide world� by herself.
The story comes to us in Aubry’s third-person perspective.
With such a great title, cover, and premise, it goes without saying that I had expected a lot from this book. It is a creative and ambitious debut work, no doubt. But that alone isn’t enough to deliver a memorable experience.
The blurb calls this “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue meets Life of Pi.� I have not had the pleasure of reading either of these books, so I cannot say if this claim is true.
Bookish Yays:
🌎 The imaginativeness of the premise � fabulous. I wonder what I would have done were I in Aubry’s place. (Well, I definitely wouldn’t have done most of what she ended up doing.)
🌎 The title and the cover � appealing.
Bookish Mixed Bags:
🏝� Aubry � interesting, determined, and resourceful, but also adamant and self-serving. Many questions about her personality aren’t answered. Also, her character doesn’t seem to grow much (maturity-wise) over the course of the story.
🏝� The places through which Aubry travels � Mostly well-written and quite vivid. But it is basically a list of all “exotic� locales in the world, India included. Not once in all her decades does Aubry’s wanderlust end up in a boring white city.
Bookish Nays:
💸 The lack of detailing on Aubry’s “curse� and the resultant illness. I might have been happier with the book if the end had offered at least some basic explanation for the events. But we learn only the whats and hardly any whys.
💸 The minimal elaboration on the other two key fantastical elements of the story � the puzzle ball and the magical but elusive libraries. They pop up fairly regularly but we don’t learn anything significant about them.
💸 All the coloured characters in every location falling over backwards to satisfy the needs of the white ‘memsahib� � ugh! Even the appearance of India didn’t satisfy me as it was mostly (stereo)typical.
💸 The conversations � very stilted and artificial in tone.
💸 The deus ex machina at the end � I always hate such “jump the shark� kind of endings.
💸 The regular headjumping across characters, even though the narration was in Aubry’s third-person perspective � annoying.
💸 The timeline, which is as random in its meandering as Aubry herself. I get that she lost track of time over the years, but the lack of detail makes things that much difficult for us readers. I am not talking of just months but of years and decades without time indicators. The narrative also goes back and forth in time, with only the chapter titles helping a bit.
💸 The character development for the other characters is barely there. We only know what they do for Aubry without going into their motives.
💸 The blurb calls it an “inspiring� story. What is it meant to inspire: endless travel? Enjoying the journey with the focus on material and physical needs? Learning how to deal with problems by running away from them? I am not a deep person anyway, so if this book aimed at something metaphysical or philosophical, it bounced right off my thick skull.
💸 Graphic violence against animals. There are many other triggers, but this was the only gratuitous one that wasn’t necessary for the plot and could easily have been toned down.
All in all, this book is for those who believe that reading is more for the journey than for the destination. To me � a lover of journey AND destination, this seemingly never-ending sojourn went nowhere. Imagine reading 400 pages to end up with a dozen question marks � what a disappointment!
The first half was still an okayish expedition, but I wandered through the second half of the voyage more out of duty than interest. Perhaps the book should have taken the title seriously and limited the plot to a short trek of maybe half the length.
Then again, many readers have enjoyed the globetrotting experience this book offers, so do read other opinions before you decide whether to embark upon this odyssey.
1.5 stars. (rounding up because this is a debut work and the author is a librarian � viva la library!)
My thanks to Avid Reader Press for providing the DRC of “A Short Walk Through a Wide World� via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. Sorry this didn’t work out better.
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Connect with me through:
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March 30, 2024
On April 2 this debut novel can be available for all readers to read. I just happened to be one of the early ones to be provided a complimentary copy by Avid Reader Press for our Little Free Library Shed. I am providing an honest review.
“Here! We’ll help you.� And that seems to be what follows Aubry Tourvel throughout her endless travels.
There are so many who are willing to help her. Because her fate has been to keep moving since she was 9 years old in 1885 when a puzzle ball found its way to her.
The problem is, now she is sick with a “disease.� And, the only way to get ahead of the “disease� is to keep moving. And because she keeps moving, she belongs to no one. And supposedly the constant movement to various unknown places is what keeps her alive.
And as readers we are baffled by this, just as those who are within her “world� struggle and strive to help or “cure� her or worse, so that perhaps she can stop moving and stay for once.
And as Aubry tells her story to the many who are willing to sit captivated and listen, as readers we wait patiently (and sometimes impatiently) to understand what this story truly is.
Is the disease a curse or is there a simpler answer? Is it curable? Can she stop moving? And possibly live in one place? And, is there some special significance to the puzzle ball?
Wandering these pages, I can’t help but feel her loneliness. As well as her deep yearning for knowledge…especially as she finds herself attracted to libraries throughout the world.
But I also have to be honest. This was one of the most unusual reading experiences I have had in recent history. Still, I kept on reading, because I had a strong desire for understanding of what I was reading.
So, as I write this review, I come back to find myself asking, will we as readers ever find the answer to Aubry Tourvel?
Or will it always be about the puzzle…ball?
Or maybe the answer isn’t about reaching a destination…it is about the journey.
Thank you, Avid Reader Press for the opportunity to read this compelling debut novel!
“Here! We’ll help you.� And that seems to be what follows Aubry Tourvel throughout her endless travels.
There are so many who are willing to help her. Because her fate has been to keep moving since she was 9 years old in 1885 when a puzzle ball found its way to her.
The problem is, now she is sick with a “disease.� And, the only way to get ahead of the “disease� is to keep moving. And because she keeps moving, she belongs to no one. And supposedly the constant movement to various unknown places is what keeps her alive.
And as readers we are baffled by this, just as those who are within her “world� struggle and strive to help or “cure� her or worse, so that perhaps she can stop moving and stay for once.
And as Aubry tells her story to the many who are willing to sit captivated and listen, as readers we wait patiently (and sometimes impatiently) to understand what this story truly is.
Is the disease a curse or is there a simpler answer? Is it curable? Can she stop moving? And possibly live in one place? And, is there some special significance to the puzzle ball?
Wandering these pages, I can’t help but feel her loneliness. As well as her deep yearning for knowledge…especially as she finds herself attracted to libraries throughout the world.
But I also have to be honest. This was one of the most unusual reading experiences I have had in recent history. Still, I kept on reading, because I had a strong desire for understanding of what I was reading.
So, as I write this review, I come back to find myself asking, will we as readers ever find the answer to Aubry Tourvel?
Or will it always be about the puzzle…ball?
Or maybe the answer isn’t about reaching a destination…it is about the journey.
Thank you, Avid Reader Press for the opportunity to read this compelling debut novel!
August 4, 2024
I dunno about this one. I thought it was gonna be a magical journey around the world, but it was a literal horror story.
Note: some people have stated this review contains spoilers. Personally, I feel like everything was laid out pretty early on so there isn't really a way to spoil what was revealed in the first few chapters, but read on at your own discretion.
A woman was tortured for 50 years at the hands of a crazed omnipresent psychopath. She gets to see and do amazing things, but is prevented from having companionship, maintaining her familal relations, and bleeds out of every orifice when she tries to determine her own fate. There weren't enough answers given by the end of the book, and the main characters' take on the whole thing feels like PTSD.
Note: some people have stated this review contains spoilers. Personally, I feel like everything was laid out pretty early on so there isn't really a way to spoil what was revealed in the first few chapters, but read on at your own discretion.
A woman was tortured for 50 years at the hands of a crazed omnipresent psychopath. She gets to see and do amazing things, but is prevented from having companionship, maintaining her familal relations, and bleeds out of every orifice when she tries to determine her own fate. There weren't enough answers given by the end of the book, and the main characters' take on the whole thing feels like PTSD.
February 26, 2025
An interesting story about an illness that causes constant relocation. 😌 The journey is worldwide and with stories to span lifetimes. ⛰️
December 14, 2024
This one was unfortunately hard for me to get through…�
I picked this up, put it down, picked it back up, walked away and finally came back to finish it. Parts of the story were interesting but the pacing was slow, and not a good way.
I found the premise intriguing and loved the idea of solving a puzzle that was essentially life or death. I unfortunately found myself bored with the narrative and it felt like I was walking through mud at times just to get through sections.
I enjoy a good mystery, but this felt more like a slow telling of the MC’s life over the years and the things she’s experienced along the way. I felt that most things provided no value to the story which is why my rating is only a three star.
If you like a soft story that gives some introspection but isn’t too deep, this would be something on your consideration list. If you like more meat on the bone and a faster paced storyline, this isn’t for you�
I picked this up, put it down, picked it back up, walked away and finally came back to finish it. Parts of the story were interesting but the pacing was slow, and not a good way.
I found the premise intriguing and loved the idea of solving a puzzle that was essentially life or death. I unfortunately found myself bored with the narrative and it felt like I was walking through mud at times just to get through sections.
I enjoy a good mystery, but this felt more like a slow telling of the MC’s life over the years and the things she’s experienced along the way. I felt that most things provided no value to the story which is why my rating is only a three star.
If you like a soft story that gives some introspection but isn’t too deep, this would be something on your consideration list. If you like more meat on the bone and a faster paced storyline, this isn’t for you�
April 30, 2024
A short walk through a wide world? More like a long boring read through a pointless plot.
April 24, 2024
I’m not sure I’m the best person to be reviewing this one because 1) magical realism isn’t a genre I often enjoy and 2) it’s compared to The Invisible Life of Addie Larue (which I rated 3 stars) and Life of Pi (which is my most hated book of all time). But I was given an arc so it’s only fair to review it.
The first chapter grabbed my attention right away. The premise of a girl cursed (?) to wander the earth for the rest of her life is unique and interesting and for the first 100 pages, I was really engaged. But then the story started to feel really repetitive. Aubrey goes somewhere, falls in love or makes a friend, starts bleeding after 1-4 days and has to leave. Over and over, ad nauseum. It just wasn’t a particularly enjoyable experience for me. Most of the side characters felt like the same person, without a lot other than their nationality to distinguish one from another. I also don’t feel like Aubrey’s character was developed much beyond her longing for connection and her grit. I don’t even understand the magic. Was it ever really explained? Why are the hidden libraries there? Why was she actually cursed to begin with? Was she cursed or are we supposed to think she was blessed to be able to see the whole world? What was up with the puzzle ball? And why did the ending work out the way it did? I don’t get it.
I did love Westerbeke’s writing and would try more of his books but this particular one felt unsatisfying and confusing and just a bit boring.
Pub date: April 2024
The first chapter grabbed my attention right away. The premise of a girl cursed (?) to wander the earth for the rest of her life is unique and interesting and for the first 100 pages, I was really engaged. But then the story started to feel really repetitive. Aubrey goes somewhere, falls in love or makes a friend, starts bleeding after 1-4 days and has to leave. Over and over, ad nauseum. It just wasn’t a particularly enjoyable experience for me. Most of the side characters felt like the same person, without a lot other than their nationality to distinguish one from another. I also don’t feel like Aubrey’s character was developed much beyond her longing for connection and her grit. I don’t even understand the magic. Was it ever really explained? Why are the hidden libraries there? Why was she actually cursed to begin with? Was she cursed or are we supposed to think she was blessed to be able to see the whole world? What was up with the puzzle ball? And why did the ending work out the way it did? I don’t get it.
I did love Westerbeke’s writing and would try more of his books but this particular one felt unsatisfying and confusing and just a bit boring.
Pub date: April 2024
February 14, 2024
A Short Walk Through A Wide World begins in Paris in 1885 and is centered around 9-year-old Aubrey Tourvel. On her way home from school, Aubrey comes across a wooden puzzle ball, tosses it over a fence, and goes along her day. Later that day, Aubrey is surprised to find the ball in her backpack, and days later she starts to bleed uncontrollably.
Medical treatment seems to only worsen Aubrey’s condition so she flees to the outskirts of Paris only to learn that continuous movement is the only thing that helps. Being still for any period of time brings back the condition. So begins Aubrey’s lifelong journey across the world.
From all corners of the globe, we follow Aubrey as she learns what it takes to survive and what it means to truly live. The longer Aubrey travels, the more desperate she becomes for companionship but the world she travels through may not be quite the same as everyone else’s�
I love a good adventure story so I was really excited to start this one! The book begins with a bit of a slow start but once it picked up, I found it very compelling. I really enjoyed the magical realism aspects, especially the parts where Aubrey discovered the underground library. From melancholic to joyous, I truly enjoyed watching Aubrey’s character evolve. This is Douglas Westerbeke’s debut novel and I see a bright future for him!
If you enjoyed Life of Pi, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, and/or The Midnight Library, I would recommend A Short Walk Through A Wide World.
A Short Walk Through A Wide World by Douglas Westerbeke will be available on April 9. Many thanks to Avid Reader Press for the gifted copy!!
Medical treatment seems to only worsen Aubrey’s condition so she flees to the outskirts of Paris only to learn that continuous movement is the only thing that helps. Being still for any period of time brings back the condition. So begins Aubrey’s lifelong journey across the world.
From all corners of the globe, we follow Aubrey as she learns what it takes to survive and what it means to truly live. The longer Aubrey travels, the more desperate she becomes for companionship but the world she travels through may not be quite the same as everyone else’s�
I love a good adventure story so I was really excited to start this one! The book begins with a bit of a slow start but once it picked up, I found it very compelling. I really enjoyed the magical realism aspects, especially the parts where Aubrey discovered the underground library. From melancholic to joyous, I truly enjoyed watching Aubrey’s character evolve. This is Douglas Westerbeke’s debut novel and I see a bright future for him!
If you enjoyed Life of Pi, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, and/or The Midnight Library, I would recommend A Short Walk Through A Wide World.
A Short Walk Through A Wide World by Douglas Westerbeke will be available on April 9. Many thanks to Avid Reader Press for the gifted copy!!
May 17, 2024
This story had the potential to be charming, especially if it had been kept under 200 pages. It featured incredible plot elements, but unfortunately, the execution fell short. The narrative often felt aimless, and many relationships and experiences came across as dull and meaningless. While I understood the message the author was trying to convey, it didn't resonate with me.
I had high hopes for a journey filled with diverse encounters and valuable life lessons. Each adventure should have been thoughtfully connected to create a cohesive story, but that wasn't the case. I struggled to care about any of the characters or their interactions. Despite the beautiful themes, the direction of the story was lacking, leaving it unsuccessful in delivering its intended impact.
Additionally, there were numerous plot holes that remained unresolved or poorly explained. The significance of the puzzle ball, the origins of the illness/curse, and the talking illness were all confusing. The inclusion of portals and libraries from other worlds felt irrelevant and underdeveloped. These elements seemed promising but ultimately didn't contribute meaningfully to the story.
Aubry, the main character, didn't undergo any significant development throughout the storyline, which made it difficult to connect with her journey. Overall, while I wanted to like this book, it left me feeling disappointed.
I had high hopes for a journey filled with diverse encounters and valuable life lessons. Each adventure should have been thoughtfully connected to create a cohesive story, but that wasn't the case. I struggled to care about any of the characters or their interactions. Despite the beautiful themes, the direction of the story was lacking, leaving it unsuccessful in delivering its intended impact.
Additionally, there were numerous plot holes that remained unresolved or poorly explained. The significance of the puzzle ball, the origins of the illness/curse, and the talking illness were all confusing. The inclusion of portals and libraries from other worlds felt irrelevant and underdeveloped. These elements seemed promising but ultimately didn't contribute meaningfully to the story.
Aubry, the main character, didn't undergo any significant development throughout the storyline, which made it difficult to connect with her journey. Overall, while I wanted to like this book, it left me feeling disappointed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2023
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
September 23, 2024
It started out promising. It ended up flat. Characters were poorly developed. Libraries were nothing more than an ineffective plot device. The relationship with the illness should’ve been explored more deeply. Wasted time.
April 5, 2024
If a librarian wrote an adventure novel...
Hey! Guess what? That title is not hypothetical. A Librarian *DID* write an adventure novel! And it's pretty good, too. His name is and the novel (his first) is called . is everything I know about
is the story of Aubry Tourvel, who, in 1885, at the age of nine, contracts a disease that causes her to convulse and bleed uncontrollably if she spends more than 2-4 days (it's variable) at any one place. It's retroactive -- if she spends time at any place she's been before, she gets sick. Thus she has no choice but to travel constantly. She travels around the world over and over. She travels by boat and train and even, in later years, airplane, but by far the majority of the time she travels by foot. She walks through deserts and forests and jungles, hunting and working for her food. She carries a spear and a gun. She finds many friends along the way, and even a few lovers. She loses track of time. Eventually she becomes an old woman with white hair. She (and therefore we) loses track of the year, but by the end of the book commercial air travel is a thing, so we can assume she makes it to the second half of the twentieth century..
In fact, as I read, I played the Five For Fighting song . Considering that Aubry's is objectively what almost anyone would consider a LONG walk, I think that 's title is intended to imply that any walk encompassed in a single lifetime and a single planet is short. All of us take short walks through the world. As The Sandman tells us, "You get what anybody gets - you get a lifetime".
But wait! Are there libraries? Yes, there are libraries. Or, maybe there is a library. Or maybe it's The Library. Judge that for yourself. is fantasy, and its Library (just like a real library) is a magical place that can transport you to distant places. And there is a magical wooden puzzle ball, whose nature I still don't quite know how to think about.
is a magical adventure novel that manages to be simultaneously contemplative and fast-moving. Aubry is an easy person to admire and love.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for an advance reader copy of . This review expresses my honest opinions.
.
Hey! Guess what? That title is not hypothetical. A Librarian *DID* write an adventure novel! And it's pretty good, too. His name is and the novel (his first) is called . is everything I know about
Douglas Westerbeke is a librarian who lives in Ohio and works at one of the largest libraries in the US. He has spent the last decade on the local panel of the International Dublin Literary Award, which inspired him to write his own book.There's also a photo, in which he looks like a totally ordinary guy called Douglas.
is the story of Aubry Tourvel, who, in 1885, at the age of nine, contracts a disease that causes her to convulse and bleed uncontrollably if she spends more than 2-4 days (it's variable) at any one place. It's retroactive -- if she spends time at any place she's been before, she gets sick. Thus she has no choice but to travel constantly. She travels around the world over and over. She travels by boat and train and even, in later years, airplane, but by far the majority of the time she travels by foot. She walks through deserts and forests and jungles, hunting and working for her food. She carries a spear and a gun. She finds many friends along the way, and even a few lovers. She loses track of time. Eventually she becomes an old woman with white hair. She (and therefore we) loses track of the year, but by the end of the book commercial air travel is a thing, so we can assume she makes it to the second half of the twentieth century..
In fact, as I read, I played the Five For Fighting song . Considering that Aubry's is objectively what almost anyone would consider a LONG walk, I think that 's title is intended to imply that any walk encompassed in a single lifetime and a single planet is short. All of us take short walks through the world. As The Sandman tells us, "You get what anybody gets - you get a lifetime".
But wait! Are there libraries? Yes, there are libraries. Or, maybe there is a library. Or maybe it's The Library. Judge that for yourself. is fantasy, and its Library (just like a real library) is a magical place that can transport you to distant places. And there is a magical wooden puzzle ball, whose nature I still don't quite know how to think about.
is a magical adventure novel that manages to be simultaneously contemplative and fast-moving. Aubry is an easy person to admire and love.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for an advance reader copy of . This review expresses my honest opinions.
.
April 10, 2024
A Short Walk Through A Wide World is a mesmerizing story that will carry you to far flung places all across our vast planet! You will be amazed at all the places you go! Nine year old Aubry Tourvel is a precocious girl who finds a strange puzzle ball she can’t seem to throw away. Soon after her body is wracked with pain and uncontrollable bleeding at her family dinner table. The family finds that Aubry can’t stay in any one place longer than a few days before this terrible illness strikes again. There is no cure for Aubry except to keep moving and so she heads out alone into the world.
Douglas Westerbeke describes Aubry’s adventures as she travels from place to place and I was caught up into the many exotic places she found herself: Paris, Siam, Russia, South America, North Africa, the Calanshio Sand Sea, Western China, Alaska and more! Each place was wonderfully described and yet Westerbeke went beyond even these geographical locations to describe a vast mystical library which was like a world unto itself.
Although Aubry heads out alone and can never stay long in any place she goes she meets some wonderful people along the way. Sometimes she is able to travel with them and spend more time together but her illness eventually drives her away. We see her develop from a young girl to a strong capable woman who is self reliant with tremendous fortitude. Aubry’s disease is both a blessing and a curse in many ways. Aubry feels most alive when she is moving but also longs for permanence and a place to call home.
Although I loved the writing and the adventure I felt that the last third or so of the novel lost its way a bit. It began to feel like Aubry would never reach a final destination and crack the puzzle ball. There were some scenes and characters introduced that felt off track to me and questions that begged answers. The ending brought closure but left me wanting those answers. I am really giving 3.5 stars for that reason. I
have rounded up to 4.
I definitely think anyone who loves a grand adventure story that includes exotic places, a strong female main character and a some magical realism too will thoroughly enjoy A Short Walk Through A Wide World. I will be watching for more titles from this author!
Thank you Avid Reader Press and NetGalley for the chance to read this book! This is my honest review.
May 7, 2024
Review is of an ARC provided by the publisher.
First DNF of 2024 😒 ..and here I was thinking I was going to try to make it with zero this year. Thing was, I was REALLY excited about this book. Only making it through ~60% (pushing myself to get even that far) just leaves me disappointed. But life's too short and the TRL is too long and all that jazz.
So why? Why didn't this book work for me, but could it still work for you? Westerbeke's debut novel promises to be meets , which a pretty tall order. Where Addie LaRue was destined to live forever but no one can remember her, Aubrey Tourvel is destined to die a most painful death if she stays in one place too long. She is thus forced to wander the world, unable to forge any meaningful or lasting relationships. Trying to escape death, Aubrey meets an array of interesting people and has many tales of adventures to share with the next group of travelers she encounters. Cool premise. But they always all are, otherwise I wouldn't be reading them to begin with, right?!
Ok,
What I Liked
- written by a librarian (librarians supporting librarians, or at least wanting to)
- the premise
- female MC
- adventure!
What I Didn't Like
- the set-up (the beginning of the story didn't feel planned out and I didn't buy into it)
- the dialogue (stilted and slightly juvenile, though not a juvenile book.. I think... )
- like the MC, this story meandered and not in any sort of appreciable way. I just got bored.
- the characters lacked depth. I get that she (and thus the reader) only has a short time to spend with each person, but I just couldn't connect to anyone, not even Aubrey.
Overall, I think this book needed more time in the oven. Granted, I did read an ARC, but the type of changes that I think this book needs before publication are not minor details. My coworker read this copy before I did and absolutely loved it, but she and I don't always agree on books so there ya go..
If you're looking for a tale of adventure but fine with glossing over lack of explanations, setups and overall finer detailing.. maybe give this a try.
� 2/5 : DNF's are usually 1 star'ers, but I do think this book may be popular with some readers and also I just don't have it in me to give a fellow librarian only 1 star 😕
Look for it at your library or local bookseller April 9, 2024
First DNF of 2024 😒 ..and here I was thinking I was going to try to make it with zero this year. Thing was, I was REALLY excited about this book. Only making it through ~60% (pushing myself to get even that far) just leaves me disappointed. But life's too short and the TRL is too long and all that jazz.
So why? Why didn't this book work for me, but could it still work for you? Westerbeke's debut novel promises to be meets , which a pretty tall order. Where Addie LaRue was destined to live forever but no one can remember her, Aubrey Tourvel is destined to die a most painful death if she stays in one place too long. She is thus forced to wander the world, unable to forge any meaningful or lasting relationships. Trying to escape death, Aubrey meets an array of interesting people and has many tales of adventures to share with the next group of travelers she encounters. Cool premise. But they always all are, otherwise I wouldn't be reading them to begin with, right?!
Ok,
What I Liked
- written by a librarian (librarians supporting librarians, or at least wanting to)
- the premise
- female MC
- adventure!
What I Didn't Like
- the set-up (the beginning of the story didn't feel planned out and I didn't buy into it)
- the dialogue (stilted and slightly juvenile, though not a juvenile book.. I think... )
- like the MC, this story meandered and not in any sort of appreciable way. I just got bored.
- the characters lacked depth. I get that she (and thus the reader) only has a short time to spend with each person, but I just couldn't connect to anyone, not even Aubrey.
Overall, I think this book needed more time in the oven. Granted, I did read an ARC, but the type of changes that I think this book needs before publication are not minor details. My coworker read this copy before I did and absolutely loved it, but she and I don't always agree on books so there ya go..
If you're looking for a tale of adventure but fine with glossing over lack of explanations, setups and overall finer detailing.. maybe give this a try.
� 2/5 : DNF's are usually 1 star'ers, but I do think this book may be popular with some readers and also I just don't have it in me to give a fellow librarian only 1 star 😕
Look for it at your library or local bookseller April 9, 2024
July 8, 2024
Aubry can’t stay in one place for too long. Literally. After three or so days in any location, she starts to bleed to death. And so begins her life on the road. At just nine years old, she must learn to hunt and barter. She must also be sure to avoid visiting any place more than once. A tricky feat! Westerbeke’s writing was stellar, but I have so many questions. What the hell was the puzzle ball? How and why did Aubry develop this condition? Does no one else in the entire world have access to her magical libraries? The timeline jumped around a lot, which made it hard for this reader to follow the story at times� not the mention the lack of explanations re: the magical elements. I hate when I finish a book and I don’t know what I just read. ☹️ Lacking in overall “Couldn’t Put It Down�-ness, but Westerbeke’s talent shone through.
April 16, 2024
This is easily my most favorite book I’ve read this year.
Aubry is a stubborn young girl living in 1885 Paris, France with her parents and her two older sisters. When she finds a mysterious puzzle ball, she shortly thereafter falls ill to mysterious illness while sitting down at the dinner table. Horrified at the sight of the blood seemingly coming from nowhere, her parents take her to the doctor, only to see that she is perfectly healthy. This is the paradox of her disease, which doesn’t allow her to stay in any one place longer than a few days without facing the excruciating consequences. This illness is unlike any other, she wasn’t infected, nor can she pass it on, so she must live with it. And so starts our journey through the life of Aubry Tourvel, a walking storybook. We follow Aubry from her young adolescent years through adulthood, and ultimately old age, as she meets new companions and grapples with a long life lived in exile.
I absolutely loved the sense of family in this story, the love and energy that Aubry let go into the world was so strong. Her stubbornness allowed her to survive. I really enjoyed how much of the story was pieced together, not always in order, but still interwoven between so many times and places. I can’t get over it.
There are so many beautiful proverbs sprinkled throughout and is filled with so much wisdom. I cried a few times reading this book, even though I felt a sense of spirituality and peace while reading, it still felt very melancholy.
While the blurb says that this book reminded them of the invisible life of Addie LaRue and the life of pi, it was also very different� Aubry leaves a lasting impression on almost every person she meets, she gains a certain notoriety as time goes on and as word of her travels spread. While she does converse with her illness in her head, it’s not the devil she is conversing with, but some other being entirely. I feel like they would definitely exist in the same universe though. This book reminded me of an amalgamation of:
- Three thousand years of longing (the movie- for the colors/vibe)
- the curious case of Benjamin Button (the movie- for the vibes and in general)
- the starless sea by Erin Morgenstern (doors)
- dark matter by Blake Crouch (also doors)
I can definitely see this being adapted into a show or movie and I’m seriously hoping it does, if you want to know my fancast for the characters once the book releases lmk 😙
I love love LOVED it. I really hope you’ll get a chance to read it
10/5stars
Aubry is a stubborn young girl living in 1885 Paris, France with her parents and her two older sisters. When she finds a mysterious puzzle ball, she shortly thereafter falls ill to mysterious illness while sitting down at the dinner table. Horrified at the sight of the blood seemingly coming from nowhere, her parents take her to the doctor, only to see that she is perfectly healthy. This is the paradox of her disease, which doesn’t allow her to stay in any one place longer than a few days without facing the excruciating consequences. This illness is unlike any other, she wasn’t infected, nor can she pass it on, so she must live with it. And so starts our journey through the life of Aubry Tourvel, a walking storybook. We follow Aubry from her young adolescent years through adulthood, and ultimately old age, as she meets new companions and grapples with a long life lived in exile.
I absolutely loved the sense of family in this story, the love and energy that Aubry let go into the world was so strong. Her stubbornness allowed her to survive. I really enjoyed how much of the story was pieced together, not always in order, but still interwoven between so many times and places. I can’t get over it.
There are so many beautiful proverbs sprinkled throughout and is filled with so much wisdom. I cried a few times reading this book, even though I felt a sense of spirituality and peace while reading, it still felt very melancholy.
While the blurb says that this book reminded them of the invisible life of Addie LaRue and the life of pi, it was also very different� Aubry leaves a lasting impression on almost every person she meets, she gains a certain notoriety as time goes on and as word of her travels spread. While she does converse with her illness in her head, it’s not the devil she is conversing with, but some other being entirely. I feel like they would definitely exist in the same universe though. This book reminded me of an amalgamation of:
- Three thousand years of longing (the movie- for the colors/vibe)
- the curious case of Benjamin Button (the movie- for the vibes and in general)
- the starless sea by Erin Morgenstern (doors)
- dark matter by Blake Crouch (also doors)
I can definitely see this being adapted into a show or movie and I’m seriously hoping it does, if you want to know my fancast for the characters once the book releases lmk 😙
I love love LOVED it. I really hope you’ll get a chance to read it
10/5stars
September 12, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
June 26, 2024
Thank you to the author Douglas Westerbeke, publishers St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of A SHORT WALK THROUGH A WIDE WORLD. All views are mine.
She tells ... all she has learned about the kindness of others: that she survived on charity for a long time, that she received the most generosity from the poorest homes, the best trash from the richest.... Loc.653
Like the publishers claims is this book's predecessors, Addie LaRue and Life of Pi, this book ends on a nonsensical note that doesn't appear to keep with the narrative. A few other technical issues aside, I find most of this book to be an enchanting read. From infancy, Aubry suffers from the unspeakable condition of never being able to remain in one place without becoming ill unto death. Her parents move her around to kep her alive, when she is a child, but at too young an age, she becomes responsible for her own fate.
All during my reading, I asked myself what I would do if I never again were able to experience the familiarity and stability of home? As much as I am a homebody, I would surely perish. Each time Aubry scrambled around, her body dying, crying out for a boat that could take her somewhere new-- my heart broke. I kept wondering-- surely, she will run out of places to run? Surely this world is wide enough that it would be impossible? I really enjoyed the journey of this story!
[D]iscovery lies where no one is looking. Loc.1541
Three (or more) things I loved:
1. The idea of someone who starts dying whenever she stops moving for too long is very compelling for a story! Hope he makes the most of it! (edit: He really does!)
2. The world through this character's perspective is truly fascinating. I love how the author builds the world and the main character simultaneously, which seems natural, given the character's condition. Loc.653
3. I love the lessons about depending on charity versus self-reliance. Loc.680
Three (or less) things I didn't love:
This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.
1. This story really emphasizes the role of grief in developing who we are and how we make decisions. She dreamed of her sisters, terrible dreams, of Pauline and Sylvie, playing games at home while she watched them through a window. She dreamed of her mother cooking an elaborate Christmas dinner she would never eat, of sitting on her father’s lap while he talked to others, unaware she was there. Only later, in memory, did she appreciate what she had. She wished she’d been a better daughter, a better sister. She wished she had them back. She’d have given anything, but had nothing to give. Loc.755
2. At one point, the story kind of disintegrates for me. It feels as though Westerbeke just didn't know what to do with his story any longer. Felt painted into a corner. Magical realism can do that� how does the writer procede without violating their own world's rules? So they introduce a story element that conveniently doesn't, and also propels the story forward. These are deus ex machina and some readers can't hang with them. I couldn't hang with this one, and the second half of the book was disappointing for me. More Addie LaRue than Life of Pi.
Rating: 🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹 /5 terrible symptoms
Recommend? Yes!
Finished: May 8 '24
Format: Digital arc, Kindle, NetGalley
Read this book if you like:
🪄 magical realism
👨👩👧� family stories, family drama
🚢 travel stories
💇♀� teenage girl's coming of age
😵 curses
She tells ... all she has learned about the kindness of others: that she survived on charity for a long time, that she received the most generosity from the poorest homes, the best trash from the richest.... Loc.653
Like the publishers claims is this book's predecessors, Addie LaRue and Life of Pi, this book ends on a nonsensical note that doesn't appear to keep with the narrative. A few other technical issues aside, I find most of this book to be an enchanting read. From infancy, Aubry suffers from the unspeakable condition of never being able to remain in one place without becoming ill unto death. Her parents move her around to kep her alive, when she is a child, but at too young an age, she becomes responsible for her own fate.
All during my reading, I asked myself what I would do if I never again were able to experience the familiarity and stability of home? As much as I am a homebody, I would surely perish. Each time Aubry scrambled around, her body dying, crying out for a boat that could take her somewhere new-- my heart broke. I kept wondering-- surely, she will run out of places to run? Surely this world is wide enough that it would be impossible? I really enjoyed the journey of this story!
[D]iscovery lies where no one is looking. Loc.1541
Three (or more) things I loved:
1. The idea of someone who starts dying whenever she stops moving for too long is very compelling for a story! Hope he makes the most of it! (edit: He really does!)
2. The world through this character's perspective is truly fascinating. I love how the author builds the world and the main character simultaneously, which seems natural, given the character's condition. Loc.653
3. I love the lessons about depending on charity versus self-reliance. Loc.680
Three (or less) things I didn't love:
This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.
1. This story really emphasizes the role of grief in developing who we are and how we make decisions. She dreamed of her sisters, terrible dreams, of Pauline and Sylvie, playing games at home while she watched them through a window. She dreamed of her mother cooking an elaborate Christmas dinner she would never eat, of sitting on her father’s lap while he talked to others, unaware she was there. Only later, in memory, did she appreciate what she had. She wished she’d been a better daughter, a better sister. She wished she had them back. She’d have given anything, but had nothing to give. Loc.755
2. At one point, the story kind of disintegrates for me. It feels as though Westerbeke just didn't know what to do with his story any longer. Felt painted into a corner. Magical realism can do that� how does the writer procede without violating their own world's rules? So they introduce a story element that conveniently doesn't, and also propels the story forward. These are deus ex machina and some readers can't hang with them. I couldn't hang with this one, and the second half of the book was disappointing for me. More Addie LaRue than Life of Pi.
Rating: 🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹 /5 terrible symptoms
Recommend? Yes!
Finished: May 8 '24
Format: Digital arc, Kindle, NetGalley
Read this book if you like:
🪄 magical realism
👨👩👧� family stories, family drama
🚢 travel stories
💇♀� teenage girl's coming of age
😵 curses
May 30, 2024
I wish I could take a short walk back in time and never read this book
April 9, 2024
3.5 rounded up to 4 for GR. liked it, didn’t love it. was missing a bit in the execution for me that i can’t quite put my finger on.
this magical realism book was getting a lot of buzz and being compared to THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE, so naturally i was interested. while i can see some Addie LaRue references, it doesn’t even scratch the surface of that magical book. but if you liked Addie LaRue and you also like traveling and learning about the world, this book might be worth checking out!
i listened to the audiobook and highly recommend that version! it’s narrated by one of my favorites (the same narrator who does Kate Quinn’s books) and she really brought the story to life well.
this premise is so interesting and i applaud the author for his creativity. insane that this is a debut! i’d deff check out his future work.
there were so many strong themes here - humanity, discovery, strength, survival. what would you do if you couldn’t stay in the same place for more than 2-3 days? would it be hell or cool? it really makes you wonder. the author wrote a FMC well, especially a little girl. she was also very funny at times!
i think my main issue was that the travel started too quickly. i wanted a little bit more about the magic puzzle ball and the sickness and how it all got started before we immediately dive into 9 year-old Aubry’s travels and life with loneliness.
because the majority of the book is around Aubry and her travels around the world by herself due to her condition, the pacing and the lack of other POVs from other characters were other bummers for me. some of my fave chapters were when she was with other characters (the Prince, the girl studying her, the guy on the train). i also am still not sure how i feel about the ending even though i’ve been finished with it for a few days! i don’t know how i saw it ending, so i’m not sure how to feel. 👉🏼 i would love to talk to other readers who have finished this to discuss!!
TLDR; a good magical realism, very interesting premise and plot, a good book club / discussion book, but overall missing a bit to make it great in my book.
this magical realism book was getting a lot of buzz and being compared to THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE, so naturally i was interested. while i can see some Addie LaRue references, it doesn’t even scratch the surface of that magical book. but if you liked Addie LaRue and you also like traveling and learning about the world, this book might be worth checking out!
i listened to the audiobook and highly recommend that version! it’s narrated by one of my favorites (the same narrator who does Kate Quinn’s books) and she really brought the story to life well.
this premise is so interesting and i applaud the author for his creativity. insane that this is a debut! i’d deff check out his future work.
there were so many strong themes here - humanity, discovery, strength, survival. what would you do if you couldn’t stay in the same place for more than 2-3 days? would it be hell or cool? it really makes you wonder. the author wrote a FMC well, especially a little girl. she was also very funny at times!
i think my main issue was that the travel started too quickly. i wanted a little bit more about the magic puzzle ball and the sickness and how it all got started before we immediately dive into 9 year-old Aubry’s travels and life with loneliness.
because the majority of the book is around Aubry and her travels around the world by herself due to her condition, the pacing and the lack of other POVs from other characters were other bummers for me. some of my fave chapters were when she was with other characters (the Prince, the girl studying her, the guy on the train). i also am still not sure how i feel about the ending even though i’ve been finished with it for a few days! i don’t know how i saw it ending, so i’m not sure how to feel. 👉🏼 i would love to talk to other readers who have finished this to discuss!!
TLDR; a good magical realism, very interesting premise and plot, a good book club / discussion book, but overall missing a bit to make it great in my book.
March 2, 2025
Aubrey Tourvel can never stay in one place for too long, due to a mysterious, gruesome, sickness, which began when she was a child, that compels her to keep moving, and never return to places she’s been before, least she risk death. Due to this, she journeys all other the world, with all sorts of different people, and we follow along with her throughout this unconventional life.
I had quite high hopes for this book, and unfortunately none were met. In fact, I finished the book with a deeply sour note on my palate, and I find myself frustrated that I stuck with it only to be left with no answers. Magical realism is all well and good, and sometimes things are better left with a question mark, but I do not think that cuts it for a book that puts the main character through so much pain and suffering. The vague answers we are given does not justify it.
There were times, particularly early on, where I found myself quite moved by this book. Aubrey falls ill at such a young age, and that sudden rupture of her world was quite relatable to me, as someone who fell ill with a life long chronic illness as a child. There isn’t a reason for it, it’s not fair, and the sudden unbalancing of everything for you, and your family, comes as a shock. I felt this was done well in the book, and I found it quite emotional.
However - Aubrey’s illness is gruesome, and frequent. If she doesn’t move within 2-3 days, she finds herself in excruciating pain, and bleeding profusely. It is not pleasant. It is something that we, the reader, have to envisage practically every other chapter, throughout a large chunk of the book. At first I appreciated that it didn’t shy away from this, but after the fifth time, I had to question what the point of it all was.
I’d hoped to be able to leave this book saying ‘well, it was because of this, so it ultimately made sense� but I wasn’t able to do that. A women is tortured in all ways she could be tortured - emotionally, and physically, by a distant ambiguous illness and voice, unable to settle down and make roots anywhere, and there is no real rhyme nor reason for it. Sometimes there are magical libraries with stories inside them, that spit her out in new locations. For what reason? We’ll never know.
Moving on to the flow of the book - its narrative strays backwards and forwards as Aubrey meets people on her journey around the world, most with good intentions, others less so. Her condition was widely reported by the papers, so most people know who she is. However, it became confusing - she would meet someone, and then use that as an opportunity to tell a story of a time when she met someone else, cutting back and forth between the two. After a while the narrative flows a little easier, but it was quite a struggle between pages 80-200.
Ultimately, despite hoping to love this book, I found it pointlessly bleak and horrific, and not in the slightest what I was hoping for when I picked it up. I really don’t have any high notes to highlight, other than its brief handling of childhood sickness, but even that is washed away by its later chapters. In reality, there are rarely answers as to why someone should suffer, but I hoped for better from a fantasy book. I would struggle to recommend this book to anyone, unfortunately.
Thank you to the publishers, and Netgalley, for the copy to review.
I had quite high hopes for this book, and unfortunately none were met. In fact, I finished the book with a deeply sour note on my palate, and I find myself frustrated that I stuck with it only to be left with no answers. Magical realism is all well and good, and sometimes things are better left with a question mark, but I do not think that cuts it for a book that puts the main character through so much pain and suffering. The vague answers we are given does not justify it.
There were times, particularly early on, where I found myself quite moved by this book. Aubrey falls ill at such a young age, and that sudden rupture of her world was quite relatable to me, as someone who fell ill with a life long chronic illness as a child. There isn’t a reason for it, it’s not fair, and the sudden unbalancing of everything for you, and your family, comes as a shock. I felt this was done well in the book, and I found it quite emotional.
However - Aubrey’s illness is gruesome, and frequent. If she doesn’t move within 2-3 days, she finds herself in excruciating pain, and bleeding profusely. It is not pleasant. It is something that we, the reader, have to envisage practically every other chapter, throughout a large chunk of the book. At first I appreciated that it didn’t shy away from this, but after the fifth time, I had to question what the point of it all was.
I’d hoped to be able to leave this book saying ‘well, it was because of this, so it ultimately made sense� but I wasn’t able to do that. A women is tortured in all ways she could be tortured - emotionally, and physically, by a distant ambiguous illness and voice, unable to settle down and make roots anywhere, and there is no real rhyme nor reason for it. Sometimes there are magical libraries with stories inside them, that spit her out in new locations. For what reason? We’ll never know.
Moving on to the flow of the book - its narrative strays backwards and forwards as Aubrey meets people on her journey around the world, most with good intentions, others less so. Her condition was widely reported by the papers, so most people know who she is. However, it became confusing - she would meet someone, and then use that as an opportunity to tell a story of a time when she met someone else, cutting back and forth between the two. After a while the narrative flows a little easier, but it was quite a struggle between pages 80-200.
Ultimately, despite hoping to love this book, I found it pointlessly bleak and horrific, and not in the slightest what I was hoping for when I picked it up. I really don’t have any high notes to highlight, other than its brief handling of childhood sickness, but even that is washed away by its later chapters. In reality, there are rarely answers as to why someone should suffer, but I hoped for better from a fantasy book. I would struggle to recommend this book to anyone, unfortunately.
Thank you to the publishers, and Netgalley, for the copy to review.
March 23, 2024
The blurb of this story made me eager to read A Short Walk Through A Wide World by Douglass Westerbeke. However, as I was reading it, I quickly became disappointed. The story was an interesting concept, about a young girl who contracts a weird disease that makes her constantly be on the move, but it becomes quite repetitive. The characters are well fleshed out and the world is vast but it just goes on and on without ever feeling like it goes anywhere. I did DNF this about 70% into the story so maybe it all makes sense in the end but unfortunately, I am not interested in what that ending might be. I hope this story works better for you.
Thanks to NetGalley, Avid Reader Press, and Simon & Schuster. The opinions are my own.
Thanks to NetGalley, Avid Reader Press, and Simon & Schuster. The opinions are my own.
June 6, 2024
I found this incredibly ambitious for a debut, and I don’t know if it lived up to the ambition it strive towards. I think there’s so much and nothing going on at the same time. The pacing felt strange and the way that the story was told with its storyline sometimes made sense and moved with the characters and other times for disjointed and took me out of the book. Whenever a woman is written by a man I think there are certain features of being a woman that are left off the page and would be integral to her story. So I found the main character hard to connect with for a story that is so character-driven. I thought this would be a book about humanity with the main character as the catalyst but instead I found a book about a series of men who tried to save a damsel in distress while the women of the story did the real work in the background to keep the main character from completely falling apart. Lots of loose ends, but that’s to be expected from a book that is so steeped in magical realism and no explanation of what that key is to the magic. Regardless though, I wouldn’t not recommend this book. It’s an easy read and probably a great vacation book. Read it on a plane or in an airport or something.
March 4, 2024
Absolutely wonderful. I don't hand out 5 stars lightly. I only give 5 stars when I think I will re-read a book (and I WILL re-read this one!)
Aubry is just a little girl of 9 with two older sisters. With the threat of war heavy on their minds, they go to a nearby well to sacrifice their favorite things in order to show they are willing to sacrifice, too. It's a silly, childish idea and Aubry refuses to part with the funny wooden puzzle box she's recently found.
But that night, Aubry is sick. She is sick in a way that she never has been before. She's engulfed in pain, bleeding and crying she just has the urge to RUN. As her family panics, she tumbles out of their arms and flees. And the farther from home she gets, the more her symptoms go away. Aubry learns she can't stop moving, can't stay anywhere long.
I found this to be a beautifully written story about Aubrey's struggle to never stay anywhere long, to be surrounded by people and curious to a fault, but never get to have friends or anyone who knows her. It's told, initially, as small stories she tells others to explain about her way of living. She must learn languages, customs, and how to survive on the fly. She is exiled and alone and, yet, she goes on.
I loved that the story kept me guessing. I never knew where it was going, never had any idea of how Aubry's story would continue and I loved the twists and small moments of both sadness and happiness - little things that I never realized Aubry would experience (or not) by living the life she did. I felt so many emotions reading it, I was completely sucked in. I laughed, I got teary-eyed and I just hung on every word. I absolutely loved this one. I look forward to reading it again!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
Aubry is just a little girl of 9 with two older sisters. With the threat of war heavy on their minds, they go to a nearby well to sacrifice their favorite things in order to show they are willing to sacrifice, too. It's a silly, childish idea and Aubry refuses to part with the funny wooden puzzle box she's recently found.
But that night, Aubry is sick. She is sick in a way that she never has been before. She's engulfed in pain, bleeding and crying she just has the urge to RUN. As her family panics, she tumbles out of their arms and flees. And the farther from home she gets, the more her symptoms go away. Aubry learns she can't stop moving, can't stay anywhere long.
I found this to be a beautifully written story about Aubrey's struggle to never stay anywhere long, to be surrounded by people and curious to a fault, but never get to have friends or anyone who knows her. It's told, initially, as small stories she tells others to explain about her way of living. She must learn languages, customs, and how to survive on the fly. She is exiled and alone and, yet, she goes on.
I loved that the story kept me guessing. I never knew where it was going, never had any idea of how Aubry's story would continue and I loved the twists and small moments of both sadness and happiness - little things that I never realized Aubry would experience (or not) by living the life she did. I felt so many emotions reading it, I was completely sucked in. I laughed, I got teary-eyed and I just hung on every word. I absolutely loved this one. I look forward to reading it again!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
April 7, 2024
This book was so lovely, interesting, and absolutely captivating. As with most fantasy, I kind of got the sense that I wasn’t quite smart enough to know what was going on. But gosh did I enjoy the ride!
March 29, 2024
Aubry Tourvel traverses the world on foot, propelled only by the desire to keep moving and escape the dreadful curse that follows her. What she finds is extraordinary.
Aubry is a force to be reckoned with, going from an impudent child to one of world-weariness in the span of an evening once her illness first ravages her nine-year-old body as she comes to an understanding that "home'" as she knows it will never be an option for her again. Moving back and forth through time, with a touch of magical realism, Aubry finds herself in cities, jungles, frozen tundras, whaling boats, and even into the depths of a library that she accesses through doors only available to her. This network of book-lined passages through the earth allow her to travel vast spaces turning what would be weeks or month-long travel into a span of days.
Along her journey, Aubry encounters companions and adversaries alike, each encounter enriching her experience and shaping her outlook. In the company of friends, foes, and lovers, she embraces each fleeting connection, cherishing the depth of human experience found within each "short walk."
Douglas Westerbeke's debut novel is a captivating exploration of life's complexities, enriched by vivid imagery that elicits a sense of wonder; brining beauty, joy, and sorrow into each moment lived; especially one who can never go back.
Special thanks to NetGalley, Douglas Westerbeke and Avid Reader Press | Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster for an advanced e-copy of this book. Get your copy early APRIL 2024!
Aubry is a force to be reckoned with, going from an impudent child to one of world-weariness in the span of an evening once her illness first ravages her nine-year-old body as she comes to an understanding that "home'" as she knows it will never be an option for her again. Moving back and forth through time, with a touch of magical realism, Aubry finds herself in cities, jungles, frozen tundras, whaling boats, and even into the depths of a library that she accesses through doors only available to her. This network of book-lined passages through the earth allow her to travel vast spaces turning what would be weeks or month-long travel into a span of days.
Along her journey, Aubry encounters companions and adversaries alike, each encounter enriching her experience and shaping her outlook. In the company of friends, foes, and lovers, she embraces each fleeting connection, cherishing the depth of human experience found within each "short walk."
Douglas Westerbeke's debut novel is a captivating exploration of life's complexities, enriched by vivid imagery that elicits a sense of wonder; brining beauty, joy, and sorrow into each moment lived; especially one who can never go back.
Special thanks to NetGalley, Douglas Westerbeke and Avid Reader Press | Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster for an advanced e-copy of this book. Get your copy early APRIL 2024!
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