An enchanting tale starting in Paris in 1885. This book meanders through time and remote exotic (and dangerous) locations with Aubry Tourvel who has to keep moving if she wants to stay alive and she cannot go to the same location. The chapters move through diverse geographical locations where Aubry meets different characters. An inspiring story that shows how one person can live many lives. An emotive charming story. A modern day Siddhartha.

How beautiful. The book A short walk through a wide world takes you on a mesmerising magical journey that will stay with you long after you finish reading.

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 with 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.

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 satchel that evening. Days later, at the family dinner table, she starts to succumb to a mysterious illness.
When a visit to a doctor only makes her worse, she flees to the outskirts of the city, where she realises that it is this very act of movement that keeps her alive. So begins her incredible lifelong journey around the world.

This just didn’t work for me. I finished it but it was a struggle. I found Aubrey a strange and unloveable character. The timeline skipped around and totally destroyed the pace of the novel. It just wasn’t for me.

What a great story excellently told. A joy to read with passion and care. Lead character is one to remember

A hypnotically, addictive story about Aubrey, a girl who must constantly travel to stay alive due to a mysterious illness. A really worthwhile read.

Wow, what a stunning and unique book this was! Aubry and her travels around and through the world will stay with me for quite some time. I loved the concept, and it definitely lived up to its description. Westerbeke cleverly weaves Aubry's story together, jumping through time in a way that keeps you guessing her age and the sequence of events. The fantastic detail he uses to describe each place Aubry ends up, and the way he brings her and her various companions to life, is truly impressive.

What an amazing book, I am still having to process what I have been reading. This is a beautifully crafted story set in 1885, it tells of Aubrey Tourvel a young girl who starts getting ill and finds that the only way to stop her illness from progressing is for her to move on from place to place. Each time she stops the illness starts to take over again so she must keep moving. The story is fascinating and the character progression is really good. It definitely left me with questions unanswered but I loved it.

This was an easy 5 star for me. I’m not good with blood at all, so it was almost a DNF from the first page as I started to get a bit woozy. However, I skipped my eyes/brain over this bit, and all subsequent bits, and I’m so pleased I did. I just adored this story, it’s an absolute journey in more than one way - emotional, sad, happy, hopeful. It just grabbed me and wouldn’t let me go. I was really sad when it was clear she was getting old and the book was nearing the end

This is a book that’s always going to stay with me. It’s made a big impression on my heart.

My thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Vintage for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this one. Aubrey is a great main character and I found her story a really interesting premise. The travel side of it was intriguing and as she moved around the globe, her story really developed. There are some flaws; it felt a little lacklustre in places and. like other reviewers, I felt that there were too many unanswered questions at the end.

Thanks to the publisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The reason I picked this up is it sounded so much like one of my favs “the invisible life of Addie larue”.

This follows Aubrey who falls sick as a child and the only cure for her illness is to keep moving. So she travels the world.

It definitely gave the same vibe as Addie larue, following Aubrey on her adventures and the people she meets, what she learns about herself. It was very magical and whimsical.

Definitely a fun and enjoyable quick read.

I don't know what to say about this book. At first I didn't think I was going to enjoy it as it didn't seem to be going anywhere. Then it became strangely hypnotic and addictive. From the age of nine when she became mortally sick Aubry found she needs to keep moving to stay alive. So that is what she does. She just moves from place to place, usually on foot, every few days or she gets extremely ill. She meets people, interacts with them and moves on never going to the same place twice. She relates her adventures to those she meets then leaves when the illness strikes. Throughout the book I was waiting for something big to happen but it never did and strangely it didn't matter. For anyone who wants to read something a little different I would certainly suggest they give "A Short Walk Through a Wide World" a go and see what they think.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own

Aubry falls ill as a child and realises that the only cure is to keep moving. Unable to stay in one place longer than a few days she travels the world.
Its a great adventure story, the places she goes, the people she meets. There is a very well done sense of sadness as well, for those ahe has left behind.
I loved this book so much. It really drew me in. I like a bit of magical realism anyway but even if you don't give this a try as it's quite a light touch.
Looking forward to reading the authors next book

I didn't get this book at first but the more I read the more I engrossed and intrigued.
The journey of discovery because Audrey couldn't stay was in itself fascinating but her travels over the world, the locations, people and her experiences are outstanding.
I don't want to spoil it but the ending is amazing.

Wow!

A short walk through a wide world is such a unique and captivating novel. It is beautifully written, with fantastic characters. It sweeps you up from the very start and carries you on Aubry's journey around the world as she tries to outrun a mysterious illness.

This was cute, but I’m unsure what to make of it. It felt a little tentative and unknowing? I did enjoy it tho

A Short Walk Through a Wide World by Douglas Westerbeke was a captivating read.; I was immediately drawn in to Aubrey’s world and swept up in her story. Beginning in France, but spanning the whole world, Aubry Tourvel is afflicted by a curious disease which keeps her on the move every few days, unable to retrace her steps or visit anywhere more than once. She flees her family, her home and her country as a young child and sets off on an adventure. At times heartbreaking, others uplifting, there isn’t much plot to this book but the sense of wonder, magic and mystery kept me wanting more. Definitely one I’ll recommend!
With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If I'd had to rate this book after reading the first 100-150 pages, I would have rated it higher, but the end of the book seemed very disjointed.

The book itself had an interesting premise: Aubry, a 9 year old girl in France, is stricken with a condition where she must move every 3 days or so, or she will bleed to death. We follow her journey across the world - she rides on a Greek fishing boat and a Russian train; she travels across the Himalayas and through the jungles of Africa; eventually she encounters an infinite library accessed through doorways into the underground. It is fantastic and imaginative. But as good as it is, the author seems to founder when trying to come to a conclusion.

It is a good debut novel, but as imaginative and ambitious as it is, I wonder if this would have been better when the author has a few more books under his belt. He tackles big themes as Aubry makes her way through life and finds meaning and purpose. It's not the destination that makes it worthwhile - it's the journey.

Quotes to remember:

The more you move...the more available you are to chance and little wonders.

If you do nothing else in life, learn a skill.

...discovery lies in the places no one is looking.

If you can't make your life meaningful, make it extraordinary.

Everybody has at least one secret that can break your heart.

It comforts her that for every path she's taken during her many revolutions around the world - for every individual footstep, it seems - there's a story.

Well, this was a different story. It reminded me a bit of Cloud Atlas in the style. Amazingly descriptive and such an original idea. There were bits that I didn't understand, like what the illness was and why she had to keep on moving. That didn't matter as it was an engrossing all encompassing story that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I loved this strange and wonderful book. I finished reading it last week and still keep thinking about the tale. So unusual but beautifully written. It makes me want to travel more !