‼️ Heidi by Johanna Spyri ‼️

 72/∞

🔑 Key Words: #Switzerland 🇨🇭

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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 out of 5)  (not great, not terrible)

📚 Length: 295 pages

🔊Audiobook: 6 hrs and 51 mins

Why should you read this book?

💡 Remind yourself of the contrast between the big cities and nature in the countryside

💡 To get to know the most iconic Swiss 🇨🇭 book of all time

💡 To read something light and easy

While in Montreux, in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Somebody asked me what a good book is to read about Switzerland. I gave it some thought and I did not know what to recommend. Then the Chat GPT suggested Heidi. I knew I had to own this book. I went to a 'librarie in Montreux' (a bookstore) and asked for 'Heidi en anglais.' To my surprise, they had it, but it cost 20 CHF. I decided to forgo the opportunity and order a bunch of books written by Swiss authors online for half the price. I opted for a nice, even illustrated hardback Puffin edition, which seemed like a compromise between the design of a book for children and for adults.

Now, to the story… Heidi is an orphan, and she is in the care of her auntie Diete. Diete cares for Heidi for about 4 years, until she is a bit fed up. Diete wants to live her own life. Diete works as a maid in one of the hotels in a small town in Switzerland. Annually, there is a fairly wealthy family from Frankfurt am Main which comes to spend some time in Switzerland. The first time, Diete turns down their offer to join them in Frankfurt, explaining she has a little Heidi to care for. The second time (a year later), she decided not to turn the offer down and join the family in Frankfurt. Her plan is to take Heidi to Heidi’s grandfather, Uncle Alp and leave her there until she is able to secure a place for Heidi in Frankfurt.

Continue to read at:

In today’s language, Uncle Alp is a character, a werdo, whatever you want to call it. He lives secluded in the Swiss Alps, near Dörfli (Dorf is German for a village).  A long time ago, Uncle Alp had gambled the farm he inherited as a firstborn son. He then later on joined the army and fought somewhere in Northern Italy. One day, he returns to Dörfli with a son. He thought that people in Dörfli had already forgotten him and all his misfortunes. He is wrong. The locals still whisper bad things about him. His son gets married, but he dies under a beam when he is helping some neighbours build a charlet. His wife was weak and died of sadness when Heidi was only 1 year old. People in Dörfli start to say that Uncle Alp has sinned in the past, and this is God’s response. Uncle Alp grows tired of these tell-tales and moves in a little chalet outside of Dörfli. He does not attend a church on Sundays, nor has much contact with the rest of the village.

Antie Diete finally brings Heidi to Uncle Alp. The grandfather is surprised and not very happy at first that he will have his granddaughter living with him from now on. But over time, he and Heidi will be inseparable.

Every day, Peter, a goatherder boy, comes to their chalet to pick up two goats belonging to Uncle Apl (Dusky and Dusty) and to take them to the grazing grounds higher up in the mountain. Heidi is sent every day with Peter, and she falls in love with the Swiss mountains and the surrounding nature. She is very happy.

Soon comes the letter that Uncle Alp should send Heidi to school. Heidi is 7 by then, but Uncle Alp does not want to do that. In Switzerland, children are sent to school during the winter when there is no work elsewhere. Heidi struggles in school at first because Peter tells her it is impossible to learn to read and write.

Heidi also makes a new friend, an old granny, who is very old and nearly blind. Heidi brings light to her dark, monotonous and sad life.

Soon after that, a letter arrives. It is from Antie Diete, and it says that she arranged a place for Heidi in Frankfurt. Heidi will be a little companion to a little older Clara, who has weak legs and is tied to a wheelchair.

The day comes, and Heidi is to leave Switzerland for Frankfurt. When she arrives, she is scarred. There are barely any trees; all she can see are chimneys, walls and church towers. In Switzerland, she did get used to waking up and leaving the charle for the outside, for the fresh smell of flowers and the sunshine. In Frankfurt, she is not even allowed to leave the house without permission.

The house in Frankfurt is managed by a strict governess, Mrs. Rottenmeier. The governess does not like Heidi. She thinks she is a bit slow in mind and too free-spirited. But Heidi and Clara get along well together. It is the care of Clara’s grandmother who finally gives her confidence and motivation to learn to read and write. Heidi hence overcomes the belief inflicted on her by Peter, that it is impossible to learn to read and write and soon starts to read books and write letters on her own.

But Heidi grows pale and skinny in Frankfurt. She is not happy. There are too many rulers and Mrs. Rottenmeier’s strictness is killing her. She does not even want to call Heidi Heidi, but with her christening name, Adelheid.

Heidi dreams about going back to the mountains. But she is afraid to ask the family for permission to leave. Heidi is worried it would be seen as ungrateful.

One day, Heidi is examined by a doctor who is worried about her health. He points out that when Heidi had arrived, she was a plump and happy child, and now she is just a scarred, skinny girl who is afraid of everything. Heidi tells the family she wants to go home and her wish is granted. Moreover, the family agress that Clara will come to visit Heidi in Switzerland later on.

When Heidi comes back to her grandfather, she will become happy again. After several postponements, Clara and her grandmother come to visit. This is when Peter, the goatherder, grows a bit jealous, because Heidi does not go with him to graze goats higher up in the mountains. Out of spite, he pushes Clara’s wheelchair off the crags. The wheelchair is then smasched to millions of pieces.

People in Dörfli find the wheelchair and start to say it must have cost loads of money. Peter is afraid that the police will come from Frankfurt and he will be put in prison. Since then, he has a bad conscience.

He is questioned by Uncle Alp about the wheelchair, but Peter denies everything. In meanwhile, Uncle Apl was encouraging Clara to stand up and to attempt to do a few steps on her own. When the wheelchair is destroyed, Calara must try harder, and it pays off.

Heidi then thinks about the old granny, who had a bad pillow and a bad blanket to cover int he cold nights. She tells this to Seseman’s family members, who will give Granny a new bed and new bedding, including a pillow and duvets.

The story has an unprecedented happy ending. Peter is not punished for his stupid idea of pushing Clara’s wheelchair off the crag; instead, he is shown kindness and granted a penny a day for life from Mrs. Seseman (Clara’s grandmother). Sesemans family is happy to help

Kaiser’s Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 out of 5)  (not great, not terrible)

Johanna Spyri was a Swiss teacher. Her husband was a lawyer who belonged to the closest circle of friends of Richard Wagner in Zürich. It is therefore important to see her in this light. Her book is primarily written for children. This means that the storyline is simple and hides the educational purpose between the lines. It is indeed a very Swiss work. Themes like the mountains, freedom, countryside and nature. On the other hand, Heidi could be seen as a bit näive child. Her friend Peter, contrary to being a hopeless, stupid goatherd boy. I do assume that some of the themes must have come from Spyri’s life experience as a teacher. A good teacher realises that life is not only about performance in school, but also about what is going on in a child’s life outside of school. The two are intertwined.

It is not a bad book, but perhaps I am too old to be the right audience. The ideas I like the most in this book are the Swiss homesickness and the description of beautiful nature. I did not like the idea of Peter being described as a hopeless, stupid boy.

Feel free to like, share and comment or recommend books/courses you find inspirational yourself. I’m keen to hear about them.

Peace 🧘‍♂️✌️🌱

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