NEW VENUE: NOW BEING HOSTED AT GRA MERCY BOOKS (2424 East Main Street).
\nOhio Librarian \ ;Douglas Westerbeke&rsquo\;s \;A Short Walk Through A Wide World&n bsp\;charts the incredible\, adventurous life of one woman as she jou rneys the globe trying to outrun a mysterious curse that will destroy her if she stops moving. Douglas will be in conversation with Bexley Public Li brary Director Ben Heckman.
\nThe Invisible Life of Addie LaRue< /em> \;meets \;Life of Pi \;in this dazzlingly epic t hat \;Shelf Awareness \;calls: \;&ldquo\;A wild romping advent ure\, a poignant tale of relationships and interconnectedness\, and a comp elling journey of self-discovery.&rdquo\; \;
\nParis\, 1885: Aub ry Tourvel\, a spoiled and stubborn nine-year-old girl\, comes across a wo oden puzzle ball on her walk home from school. She tosses it over the fenc e\, only to find it in her backpack that evening. Days later\, at the fami ly dinner table\, she starts to bleed to death.
\nWhen medical treat ment 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. S o begins her lifelong journey on the run from her condition\, which won&rs quo\;t allow her to stay anywhere for longer than a few days nor return to a place where she&rsquo\;s already been.
\nFrom 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 surv ive and ultimately\, to truly live. But the longer Aubry wanders and the m ore desperate she is to share her life with others\, the clearer it become s that the world she travels through may not be quite the same as everyone else&rsquo\;s...
\nFiercely independent and hopeful\, yet full of l onging\, Aubry Tourvel is an unforgettable character fighting her way thro ugh a world of wonders to find a place she can call home. A spellbinding a nd inspiring story about discovering meaning in a life that seems otherwis e impossible\, \;A Short Walk Through a Wide World \;reminds us th at it&rsquo\;s not the destination\, but rather the journey&mdash\;no matt er how long it lasts&mdash\;that makes us who we are. \;
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A Short Walk Through A Wide World \;will be available for purchase at the event or at Gramercy Books any time after its April 2nd release.
\nThough a screenwriter by trade\,& nbsp\;Douglas Westerbeke \;has been a librarian at on e of the largest libraries in the United States. Cinema and literature hav e had a strong influence on him\, from the adventures of \;Indiana Jones \;and \;Forrest Gump \;to Borges\, \; Yann Martel&rsquo\;s \;Life of Pi\, and the work of Viktor Fr ankel. Westerbeke has also spent the last decade on the local panel of the International Dublin Literary Award\, which inspired him to write his own book. \;
\nBexley Public Library Director \;Ben Hec kman \;is a proud 2003 graduate of Capital University with a degree in education. After a short time as a teacher and as a manager with Starbucks\, Ben&rsquo\;s passion for learning led him to Bexley Public Li brary\, where he began his career at the circulation desk. Ben earned his Master&rsquo\;s in Library Science Degree in 2014\, and served as BPL&rsqu o\;s public services manager and as assistant library director before beco ming director in 2017. Ben&rsquo\;s appreciation for serving the Bexley co mmunity reminds him daily of Mark Twain&rsquo\;s quote\, &ldquo\;Find a jo b you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.&rdquo\;&nbs p\;
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