A Short Walk Through a Wide World
by Douglas Westerbeke
Available Now
Avid Reader Press | Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster
General Fiction (Adult) | New Adult | Sci Fi & Fantasy
DESCRIPTION/SYNOPSIS:
“Imagine The Life of Pi, The Alchemist, and The Midnight Library rolled into one fantastical fable.”
—The New York Times Book Review
“An epic adventure…rich with all the possibilities the world can hold.”
—People
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A 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.
REVIEW:
A Short Walk Through a Wide World feels like an instant classic. Not bad for a debut novel. Before reading A Short Walk (excuse the abbreviated title), I was intrigued by a description comparing it to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, a book with a similar structure I really enjoyed. Where Addie LaRue is doomed to never be remembered by anyone she meets, Aubry Tourvel is doomed to never stay in one place more than three or four days. If she stays anywhere longer than that limit, she begins to bleed out, stricken by convulsions to the point of helplessness. While there’s more poignancy in Invisible Life, A Short Walk is often just as bittersweet. Aubry is forever discovering new places and meeting new people, regularly depending on the kindness of strangers, despite her hard-earned resourcefulness. But her lifelong journey is one she must travel alone. And where Invisible Life embraces the fantastical elements early, A Short Walk teases them out a little longer, with the exception of the puzzle ball, which launches the story. Aubry’s lifelong travels take her across the globe and through the changing times, but Westerbeke doesn’t give much page-time (as opposed to screen time) to her travels through North America, with the exception of a few mentions. That choice gives A Short Life more of an exotic, fairytale feeling, which seems appropriate given the subject matter. Aubry becomes something of a celebrity, which helps endear her to many of the strangers she is destined to meet (and eventually leave) by the nature of her ‘curse.’ While Aubry is often alone, she is never lonely, as there is always someone to meet just over the next rise. Best of all, despite not answering all the questions a reader might have had along the way, A Short Life Through a Wide World manages a satisfying conclusion, making one glad to have experienced her journey.
Note: I received a free eGalley of A Short Walk Through a Wide World from Net Galley in consideration of an unbiased review.
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