Westerbeke, Douglas. A Short Walk Through a Wide World. Avid Reader. Apr. 2024. 400p. ISBN 9781668026069. $28.99. FANTASY 

DEBUT Aubry Tourvel’s walk through the wide world begins in Paris in 1885 when she starts bleeding to death at dinner. She is nine years old and learns that she must keep moving to stay alive from this incurable, magical curse. Her travels take her from childhood to lonely maturity, during which she sees the entire world in brief, shallow, tantalizing sips and learns to survive at all costs. This is the tale of Aubry’s journey, told in joy and heartbreak, in snippets to people all around the globe who are lucky to catch just a bit of her time along her way. In the loneliness of her constant motion, Aubry leads readers not just through her journey but also through her constant struggle to find meaning, along with hope and joy, no matter where she is or how often she has to leave places and people that she wishes she had a chance to love. VERDICT Readers of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab and Life of Pi by Yann Martel will fall in love with Aubry. Librarian Westerbeke’s debut is highly recommended for anyone who enjoys armchair travel and stories that open wide to embrace every experience, even the sad ones.