What a brilliant book.
I raved about this to everyone after reading it.
So well written and thought provoking. It wasn't sad though, not dark. The author had the ability to lift the reader, so they were sailing along with the characters and not dragging themselves through the mud.
This didn't make me feel any less connected to the characters though. They were well-rounded enough to be able to float above them.
I'll be talking about this book for a long time.

I was spellbound with Weterbeke's beautiful descriptions of the world that Aubry travels through in her efforts to keep one step ahead of her disease that doesn't let her spend more than a few days in one place. (spoiler alert - it's not a short walk!)
Set in the late 1800s where travel wouldn't be commonplace for most but the world was changing rapidly and excitingly with the industrial revolution. The characters met along the way are full and rich in Westerbeke's description and you really feel that you are on the journey too. I would love to be lost in Aubry's library for a few days to recuperate from life.

I think I went into this with my hopes a bit too high as it was compared to Addie LaRue - I did love the concept of this book but I found it to be slightly repetitive at times and the pacing felt a bit off. I did like the magical realism aspects to this book though and it was a good adventure to get into! Ultimately, this is a book about the choices we make, about how we choose to live, who we love, and finding a place to call home - I will still be recommending this to people around me that I think would like it.

What a strange, yet wonderful story! The premise enticed me and I really wasn’t disappointed at all! It really is so unique but unputdownable! I will definitely be looking out for more work from this author!

I honestly don't think I have ever read such a strangely curious book in my life, and oh my god, did I love it! I was completely and utterly enthralled from the very first page, right up until the last word.

"It's like a story someone began that keeps on writing itself, long after the authors are dead."

Audrey Tourvel, a curious, belligerent nine year old girl living with her family in Paris, comes upon a wooden puzzle ball. A ball that seems to move on its own and later in life, guide the way. When days later, whilst eating dinner with her family, Audrey is struck with sickness, bleeding from her nose, ears, and eyes. Medical treatment has no positive effect, so Audrey flees to the outskirts of Paris where her illness miraculously disappears for 3 days.

This is where the story starts, with Audrey constantly moving, circling the world for many years alone. Audrey becomes a walking storybook, telling her tales to strangers she randomly meets, whether they believe her or not, they are engrossed in her story and what she has seen.

The imagination that has gone into each and every location was truly magical. The characterisation was so perfect, I fell in love with Audrey and felt so protective of her at times.

The feelings this book provokes are unimaginable. You go through every emotional humanly possible and still carry on with simple curiosity.

It is a story that is wholly unpredictable, completely obsessive, and extremely easy to recommend.

"We all die anonymously - if not at the moments of our death, then later,"

A massive thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Vintage for the ARC,.

A Short Walk Through a Wide World by Douglas Westerbeke is a gorgeous journey through self-discovery and discovery of the world and peoples around us.

Aubry Tourvel finds a wooden ball on the way home from school. She is spoiled and headstrong and places no value on the ball and throws it away. However, later that day, it mysteriously appears in her satchel. During dinner that same evening, Aubry becomes ill, resulting in a trip to the doctor who, due to the rapid deterioration of the child, advises her to travel, to get away from Paris. (The story begins in 1885 and even for the affluent, travel was still very challenging. The illness keeps pushing Aubry on, across the world from the polar caps to the scorching deserts, meeting a litany of different cultures during her passage

This was a wholesome, heartwarming read, where the reader travels along with Aubry as she grows into herself during this highly illustrated and compelling voyage of discovery

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK, Vintage | Jonathan Cape and the author for this incredible ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

Thank you Publisher and Netgalley for this advanced copy

Love it!!! The magic realism aspect is so good and amazing

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This book is very much about vibes rather than plot, but as long as that's your jam and you know it going in, it definitely comes through. Due to the nature of Aubry's illness, the novel is necessarily made of a series of vignettes, touching the lives of other travellers but never staying long. The locations visited all seem to be well-drawn (though I haven't visited a lot of them so can't be sure) and the books travels widely rather than just staying in Europe. If you liked The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue, you'll probably like this.

A book unlike any other I have read before. Aubrey a 9 year old French girl, one day is struck by a depilating illness, so severe it almost kills her. One thing she realises is is that the further away from home she moves, the symptoms completely clear. But the problem is is that she can’t stay in one place for long. Her only option? To keep moving. So that is what she does. From that age she walks the earth. Living, surviving, always moving forward, never going back.
This book fills you with hope, makes you feel grief and loneliness. But above all, the message of not giving up, not letting your spirit be broken is what is most important.
As they say, it’s not about the destination, but the journey

I found the premise very interesting, but there was a lot going on story-wise, which made it difficult for me to finish this book. Aubrey's character wasn't well developed and there were a lot of things I didn't understand. How did she even get cursed to begin with?

I struggled with this book right from the start. I do not normally read fantasy but the synopsis of this book sounded too good. However, it just wasn't for me. I found it difficult to relate the characters, and the constant flitting from past to present. I appreciate that others, especially those who like programmes such as Dr Who will probably love this genre. In future I think I'll leave it to them to review.

A dazzling epic debut novel that charts the incredible adventurous life of one woman, Aubry Tourvel, as she journeys the globe to outrun a mysterious curse.
Capturing perfectly the wonder of the late 1800s - when the modes of travel and transport were an adventure
Magical and inspiring, it reminds us that it’s not the destination but rather the journey that makes us who we are.
Thanks Douglas Westerbeke, @simonandschuster & @netgalley for the magical read

A Short Walk Through a Wide World follows Aubry Tourvel who suffers from a mysterious curse that compels her to constantly be on the move from one place to another.

This story felt like were too many stories at once and at times could not understand the direction the author was taking. However the writing was beautiful and was intrigued to keep reading.

Set in 1885, this is the story of nine-year-old Aubry, whose life is upended after she discovers a mysterious wooden puzzle ball. What begins as an innocent find turns sinister when she experiences an unexplained, unstoppable bleeding episode. Aubry soon realizes that only constant movement can keep her alive—staying in one place too long causes the bleeding to return, forcing her to leave behind everything she knows.

As she navigates a life of isolation, her story gains unwanted fame. Despite encountering people who wish to help, Aubry remains a tragic figure, forever on the move. Her only solace comes from old, abandoned libraries, where she immerses herself in books during her brief stays.

At its core, this is a tale about the difficult choices we make, the people we love, and the search for a place to call home.

This novel was wonderfully crafted and made me remember what is so important about travel and being alive. Filled with humanity and wide-eyed wonder at how great things can be, it was hugely uplifting.

I was sent an advance proof copy of A Short Walk Through a Wide World by Douglas Westerbeke to read and review by NetGalley. This is an outstanding novel in my opinion. It is beautifully written and gives the most wonderful sense of place and definition to the characters. It is both heartbreaking and inspiring, compelling and so very readable. I love the fact that it is set in the late 1800s and into the new century, when the world is rapidly changing with the industrial revolution but the protagonist walks and walks. I personally think it is best not read to much about this book before reading it, the same as any novel - or film come to that, it would give too much away. This is an enchanting novel that you can totally get immersed in. I would give it more that 5 stars if I could!

I loved this novel. Within the pages, I travelled the world alongside Aubry Tourvel, who has the strange affliction of being unable to stay in any one place for more than a few days. As you can imagine, this has meant she has seen many wonders, met some rather interesting people, and experienced the tribulations of a life constantly on the move. Through this novel the lucky reader gets to experience them all. I'll look forward to future tales from this author.

Five stars.

Many thanks to netgalley, author and publisher for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

Although the story had an interesting premise, I struggled with this magical realism fantasy about a woman who, after developing a mysterious illness as a child, feels compelled to keep travelling to different places in order to survive. There is no real explanation for the compulsion to keep moving and although there is something intriguing and mysterious about the puzzle ball that appears to have triggered the impulse, the story itself feels laboured and monotonous. The story is set in the late 19th and early 20th century and although Aubrey sometimes travels through conventional means, she also seems to travel great distances through mysterious portals which are also vast libraries. The meandering storyline and the transient nature o Amber’s relationships and encounters felt repetitive and did not maintain my interest beyond the first few chapters.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A fascinating idea, this drew me in at once with its action and vivid descriptions. However for some reason it lost me about half way through. Maybe there needed to be something different in the plot, a change of gear or direction, but it felt like more of the same, rather than progression. It was a real shame but l did not finish.

This book caught my eye because it had been compared to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and The Midnight Library; the former is one of my all-time favourite books whilst the latter very much is not. I was fascinated to read this book and see which way this book would lean. Well, I can quite confidently say that this is a book that has a lot more in common with Addie than Haig's book. There is something so incredible about the journey that our main character goes on which draws the reader in and you feel as though you are experiencing her wondrous and, at times painful, journey alongside her.

This book is a very different story to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue but I can definitely see where the comparisons come from and there is a very specific vibe to this book which definitely did remind me of its comp title but this is also a very unique story very unlike anything that I have read both. It is a book that truly needs to be experienced and I recommend everyone does experience it.