A Short Walk Through a Wide World

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.

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 lifetime of travelling sometimes appeals to me, wondering from place to place. Meeting new people, exploring new cuisines.

But for Aubrey Tourvel it’s a curse. She can’t stay in one place for more than two or three days, she can’t return to anywhere she’s already been.

Resilient and resourceful, a very skilled linguist. Adept at hunting, communicating and getting herself out of trouble. We meet her as an adult and as she travels she tells her story - or parts of it to the people she meets along the way.

I’m not sure I ended up with a satisfactory as to what the disorder was - illness or curse? - but in the end I didn’t need it as Aubrey found peace and a place for herself.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy to review.

Wow, what a stunning and unusual book this was! Aubry and her travels around and through the world will stay with me for quite some time. I loved the concept of this book, and it definitely lived up to its description. Westerbeke cleverly weaves Aubry's story together, jumping through time so you can't keep track of how old she is, or where in the overall story each part comes. I loved the fantastic detail he uses to describe each place Aubry ends up, the way he brings Aubry and her various companions to life. And I particularly loved the ending of the book, which brought so many strands of the story to their perfect conclusion (but I won't spoil it for anyone here). If anything else Westerbeke writes is as good as this, I can't wait to read it!

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.

Exquisite prose and a dreamscape of magical realism and adventure, A Short Walk Through a Wide World is a beautiful book that I'll think of often.

I've just finished A long walk through a wide world and I feel like I need to sit and contemplate what I have just read. The book is incredible, it starts with a girl who can't stay in the same place for more than a few days or she gets very sick and then the story moves with her as she explores the world but also she explores herself and who she is.
I loved this book and highly recommend it. It gives vibes of the midnight library and similar books. I can see it will be one of those books that people will talk about for a long time after reading.

Amazing concept novel.
Dramatic opening scene which really grabs attention, and then a beautiful, lyrical meander through the past and present of the brilliant heroine, intertwined with her travels around the world.
I loved the vignettes of each character she met and how they changed her perspective, seeing her age through the different phases of her travels. I loved how strong she was as a lead character, but also open and vulnerable - a nicely balanced persona.
Like others, I was hungrily devouring this waiting for an explanation of the "condition" driving the narrative, and have to admit I found myself disappointed - I felt I either missed something or there was some ambiguity that left me less than satisfied.
However I feel when I look back I will appreciate the overall story rather than this final detail. Overall, a gorgeous, intriguing and highly readable novel - recommended. Thanks to Netgalley & the publishers for the opportunity to read.

Wow, I think even starting this with some kind of expectation, it will blow that apart. It's history, it's love, it's travel, it's memoir... And a bit of mystical thrown in. I think it covers so many genres woven together beautifully that it will tick a lot of boxes for a lot of readers, just head in with your mind open to surprises along the way. A beautiful piece of writing, thanks to netgalley, the author and publisher for my arc.

A Short Walk Through A Wide World is truly a mesmerizing and adventure-filled novel with themes of courage, survival, hope, tenacity. I found it thought provoking and found myself thinking about what I would do and how I would handle the circumstances if I was in Aubry's predicament. The storyline is very intriguing and I liked how well the author described the places Aubry traveled to.

I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy magical realism!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Vintage for the e-arc i exchange for an honest opinion.

This is an incredible achievement for a first novel. It is extraordinarily unique in its scope. The story is told in the present tense which adds to the sense of immediacy and a shared bewilderment of unfolding events. Our heroine is afflicted with an illness which literally sends her around the world, and it’s a world which is recognisable to few of the rest of us. She seems to navigate mountains and deserts by finding doors to other realms containing endless libraries, and meeting threats and challenges on the way. We share her sadness and her pain at having to leave everything behind as her illness impels her forward. What an incredible read this was. It verged on magic realism, and has no easy answers to why and what is happening in a book full of interesting and likeable characters. I really enjoyed the journey.

Wow! What a book!
It’s like no other.
It’s a different world.
What an inventive, imaginative, descriptive, action packed book.
Kudos to Douglas Westerbeke.

Aubry Tourvel, Is a wonder - 9 years old and so spirited.
I loved travelling her unique world with her and the companions she found along the way..
The writing is wonderful and pulls you in - an amazing debut novel and I look forward to reading more from Douglas Westerbeke.

What an unusual story; I genuinely found it hard to put down. Douglas has managed to weave a series of enthralling mini stories throughout what is an intriguing main thread.
This book kept me entertained till the last page and I can’t wait for his next novel

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.

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

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.