Mixed feelings about this one, which sits probably around the 2.5 mark for me.

It was too long, definitely. I felt like I must be somewhere near the end & then checked my percentage read on my Kindle and I was only about half way through...that wasn't great. I know, she was travelling the world, and on foot for the most part, and she only gets to meet people for around 3 days max (usually) so all of that is going to make it long. But still, there were times it dragged for me.

There was something intriguing about it, though, and I really wanted to know how things would work out for Aubry. She grew on me, as a character, and I worried about this lifelong torture she'd been forced into, and how it would resolve. In the end, it went somewhere I wasn't expecting. I guess that's probably a good thing?
With thanks to Net Galley for my copy.

This was beautifully written I and loved that the chapters were short and punchy. I’m sure there was a deep and meaningful message to this story but I’m not 100% sure I’ve got it yet.
The settings were wonderfully descriptive and it felt like you were travelling along with Aubrey.
Aubrey was such an interesting character and she met some amazing characters along the way, I really enjoyed this one and will be recommending.

An amazingly peculiar, yet strangely beautiful story.
The blurb for this book drew me in and it certainly did not disappoint.
It is 1885 and Aubry Tourvel, a nine year old French girl, suddenly begins to bleed to death. Medical interventions only make it worse. She finds herself fleeing from this terror, and realises that the act of moving away improves her condition, but not for long… Aubry has to keep travelling every few days in order to keep alive. We join Aubry on her lifelong journey as she travels the world.
This book was so unique and thought provoking, I just couldn’t stop reading. Definitely an inspiring read.

The book is very fast paced which I really liked and has a complex plot which is vivid in it’s portrayal of the main character who despite her condition is resilient, independent, and adventurous. It’s an engaging story which explores themes of purpose, belonging, and the search for meaning in life when circumstances beyond our control are thrown at us.

I really enjoyed the wealth of characters, their relationship with the main character and the way they fit perfectly into the story. The world building is nothing short of amazing and very inspiring, I particularly enjoyed the descriptiveness of the countries and their cultures I felt like I was there.

To sum up it’s an uplifting book that gives a unique blend of adventure and fantasy compounding our need for human companionship and the longing for a home which I appreciated but didn’t entirely love. Despite this I really enjoyed reading it and was very surprised it was over so quickly.

An interesting concept for a journey based Story young girl finding a magic ball, which unfortunately causes her to develop a medical problem, which forces her to move constantly to prevent her becoming unwell and dying. She is forced from childhood to move house constantly every few days and spend her life crossing the world because of this.

The novel has an Arabian nights feel to it, an exotic fairytale which mixes magic and reality effortlessly for the most part.
There were some elements that I found less successful in particular the sections where she discovers secret hidden libraries seemed almost to come from another novel altogether I couldn’t really see what they added to the story. These sections were incredibly visual and described very well and felt that they would be something that would become across very nicely on a film or television series. However, I did wonder what the need for these libraries was really and I wanted to rush past these parts back into her exciting life as she travelled.
I did find some of the time changes between chapters, a little bit confusing
This is a primarily journey based novel. the characters themselves are less well developed than I usually prefer.
The author has a clear easily read writing style. The book was an enjoyable read.
I read an early copy of the novel on NetGalley UK the book is published in the UK on the 4th of July 2024 by random house UK, vintage
This will appear on NetGalley, Goodreads and my book blog bionicSarahsbookswordpress.com after publication it will also appear on Amazon UK

I found A Short Walk Through a Wide World to be an enjoyable read. Aubry Tourval has a mysterious disease which afflicts her with excruciating pain and bleeding from every orifice if she stays in a place for longer than a few days. And so, she travels endlessly around the world, unable to return to the locations she's visited.

The novel highlights how things can be viewed differently by the person experiencing them and those looking in from the outside. Aubry views her disease as a curse and she tires of her constant journeying, but many people she encounters see her lifestyle as adventurous and almost aspirational.

Westerbeke does a good job of exploring Aubry's inner world alongside vividly painting vibrant pictures of the external world she inhabits.

The ending was, as other reviewers have noted, confusing. However, I didn't feel it detracted from the novel as unanswered questions seem to be a theme throughout, and I saw them as open to individual interpretation.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK for the digital ARC in return for an honest review.

Honestly, the fact that Adie Lerue was used as a comparison should have been a clue for me here that this wasn’t for me. It was fine but I’m honestly not sure why it’s so unusual. Heart warming etc. I like books where the journey is the point and I’m fine with quiet novels that are inwardly focused. I honestly don’t know what was going on here but it just didn’t grab me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

I enjoyed reading this book and it has lingered with me but I am not sure why. It's an unusual book: It is non linear which is a bit confusing although it doesn't detract from the atmosphere of the book. There doesn't really seem to be any destination as such or resolution and I do not understand what happens at the end with the man, the children and especially the puzzle box. Possibly there are deep things going on that I just didn't pick up on. Or maybe the ending is just a simple fulfilling of the wish granted by the mysterious woman at the court of the Prince.

There is something almost hypnotic about Aubry and her travels and I found the book to have a dreamlike atmosphere which I liked. It wasn't a very quick read for me though and I can't say that I found it thought provoking.

The only similarity I saw with the brilliant Addie La Rue book is that both women are French and I didn't like The Life of Pi which faded from my mind almost as soon as I read it so I can't comment on any similarity with that book.

If you are looking for something a bit different and oddly enjoyable then you might enjoy this. I have gone for 4 stars because I liked it and I think it might be quite a meaningful book in ways that I have not been able to see.

Aubrey Tourval is a young girl living with her middle class family in late 19th Century Paris.
She is suddenly struck down by an illness that means she can't stay in one place for more than three days.

This book is about her travels around the globe and the characters she meets.

This is great book for those of us that wander but may not be lost.

A stunning first novel from Douglas Westerbeke. I would like to thank Netgalley and Vintage Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.

Aubry Tourvel has a mysterious disease which means she has to keep travelling the world without staying in the same place for a couple of days.
she has a lonely life
I found it slightly lacking in oomph and had confusing ending but enjoyable nevertheless.

A unique premise with definite hints of Addie La Rie that kept me intrigued and entertained throughout its mysterious and beautifully written narrative.

Aubry is such a multilayered character - brave, fearless yet with a tender sense of longing and vulnerability. I loved following her journey of poignant adventures.

I loved the premise of this book, it was so original and I was hooked right from the beginning. There were occasional sections of the book that I didn’t quite enjoy as much but the overall I really loved it. The main character was very interesting and you really wanted to know what would happen to her.

A true love letter to travel, adventure and discovery. A Short Walk Through a Wide World guarantees to take you on a journey filled with rich descriptive prose, interesting curiousities, and global culture.

Aubry Tourvel is found by a mysterious puzzle ball that she can't seem to part with. Later on, she develops an equally mysterious illness that will kill her if she doesn't travel to somewhere new. As a result, she is constantly on the move around the world - from the frozen Arctic to the scorching sandseas. We follow her travels and see the world from her perspective.

I loved the journey that I went on as a reader through this book. It has a beautiful charm which makes it impossible to put down. While not without its faults (e.g loose ends, confusing ending), I found that the journey made up for the destination with this.

A fantastic read!

A tale of a girl called Aubry Tourvels, who is suffering from a mystical condition.....which prevents her from staying in the same place for more than a day or two. She has to keep travelling the World, alone and somewhat vulnerable.
Douglas Westerbeke is masterfully descriptive in bringing alive the characters that Aubry meets along the way. He also has the art of making you feel that you too are experiencing the locations that she travels to.
A unique book that invests heavily in the value of human relationships and connections. The impact we have on each other, and the kindness of strangers.

The plot centers around the protagonist Aubry Tourvel who suffers from a mysterious illness which is both painful and disturbing. It is an illness which forces her to travel around the world alone, often hungry and afraid. Because she can not remain anywhere for more than a couple of days she is unable to form meaningful relationships.
Throughout her travels she learns various skills for survival and a multitude of languages. She meets many characters all of which have been fully developed and are as such engaging. Most have heard of this strange woman through the media while others are excited to ask about her adventures before she must once again move on.
I was interested in the novel as some one who thoroughly enjoyed The midnight Library, however this does not compare. I didn't particularly warm to Aubry once she had left home and found her travels repetitive. The mystery for me was what magic the puzzle ball held. Was she cursed because she was stubborn and too selfish to exchange it for the life of the infant child or did it hold the mystery of life.
Overall it was well written, but I think I may have missed the point.

I was so excited about this book as I recently read a book with a similar premise. However, this book felt short for me. The plot was just that she would travel and that's all. I didn't feel it to be very engaging read as her travels weren't that significant.

I was up for any book that was compared to the invisible life of Addie la Rue. This novel is the story of Aubry, who has to wander the world, because the act of movement gets rid of her illness.
I enjoyed the novel for the well drawn character of Aubry and for the hugely descriptive writing.
A good read.

Thank you to Random House UK/Vintage, Netgalley and of course Douglas Westerbeke for the opportunity to read and review ‘A Short Walk Through A Wide World’

As soon as I saw this beautiful book described one for lovers of Addie LaRue and Life Of Pi I was very excited to give it a go. The story begins as it often does introducing us to our narrator and heroine, Aubry, who at the age of nine, and after an encounter with a wishing well that goes wrong, has been left with an incurable and unidentifiable illness. The only way to keep the illness at bay is to outrun it, to travel and to not spend too long in one place. So what starts as an unfortunate tale of a sick little girl ends up as an adventure around the world and all the people she meets and share their lives and stories with her. It’s a tale about the friendships, and connections that we make as humans, and that even the shortest days spent with others can have a huge impact on them and on us too. The story is about giving back and the kindness of strangers and at the heart of it all the long held tradition of telling our stories to others. The libraries add some magic to this story and it’s a book lovers dream the things she learns and discovers. Aubry has been written by Douglas with a strong and compelling voice and the character she meets along the way are unique as she is. This is the kind of book that you close your eyes and you can see the worlds he is weaving and the places he is writing about. You can hear the sounds and smells of the bazaars, the heat of the deserts, the cold of the ice caps. It draws you in right until the last page, and I read it in one sitting. Beautifully written by Douglas Westerbeke and I can’t wait to see what he writes next.