Book description
'I would rather be with my grandfather on the Alp than anywhere on earth!'
When Heidi is sent to live in the Swiss mountains with her
bad-tempered old Grandfather, everyone in the village feels sorry for
her. What will a little girl do in such an isolated home, and with
such a grumpy companion? But Heidi soon discovers a secret:
Grandfather isn't nearly as cross as he looks - plus she can play all
day in the fields among the bright flowers. But then Heidi is whisked
away again to be a companion to a injured girl in the city. She longs
for her beautiful mountain home - how will she ever get back again?
BACKSTORY: Find out which character you most resemble and try out
some Heidi-inspired activities!
Johanna Spyri was born in a country village in Switzerland in 1827.
Her father was a doctor and she had five brothers and sisters. Later she
moved to the capital Zurich to go to school and she eventually settled
there with her husband Bernhard,who was a lawyer. Johanna began writing
in 1871 and wrote many stories which quickly became very popular. Her
husband and son both died tragically in 1884, but Johanna consoled
herself with charity work and writing, as well as looking after her
orphaned niece. She died in her Swiss village home in 1903.
Heidi
is Johanna Spyri's best known and most popular novel - it has been
translated from German into over fifty languages and over fifty million
copies have been sold worldwide.
