Book Review: Heidi by Johanna Spyri

Heidi by Johanna Spyri is a short classic tale of a little orphan girl named Heidi. Novel starts with the scene of Aunt Dete taking her niece Heidi, to her grandfather who lives in the mountains of Swiss Alps. 

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Dete, who has taken care of Heidi for long, but now she is not able to do the same because she has got a new job in Frankfurt. However, villagers warn Dete not to leave Heidi with the old man as they think that he is a harsh hermit who has rejected religion and lives far from civilization. 

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Surprisingly, grandfather turns out to be very welcoming and caring. Heidi makes a new friend, a little boy named Peter, a goatherd who lives with her grandmother. Soon Heidi started loving the mountain life. 

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One day Aunt Dete reappears and takes her away from the peaceful life of mountains to Frankfurt as a little companion to a wheelchair-bound girl, Clara Sesemann. Heidi unwillingly goes with her aunt. 

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Story progresses and Heidi starts living her life at Sesemann house. While living there she experiences a new world altogether, gets a new friend Clara, meets Clara’s grandmother who teaches her about God, encounters a servant, who always makes her unhappy. In all this chaos she also misses the lovely mountains, grandfather and Peter. 

Will she be able to go back to her Grandfather and Peter? 

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This book and its setting, very much reminded me of Anne of Green Gables. Heidi’s character is portrayed beautifully. She is the cutest. A kind hearted fun loving little soul who spreads happiness wherever she goes. Loved the writing style especially, the descriptions of the Swiss Alps that were perfect. 

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This story teaches us that kindness, caring, and sincerity can make a big impact on the people around us. It also gives a message to belief in God. God has given us the best gift which is our lives and we must be grateful for that. Frankly, we are no one to judge a classic; they are called classics for a reason. 

This was a pleasant, heart-warming and a feel-good read. 

Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Q: Have you read this classic?