Summary
Heidi, the beloved children's novel by Swiss author Johanna Spyri, has captivated readers around the world since its publication in 1881. The heartwarming tale follows the adventures of a young orphan girl who goes to live with her reclusive grandfather in the Swiss Alps. With its vivid portrayal of Alpine life and themes of friendship, family, and faith, Heidi has become one of the bestselling and most influential works of Swiss literature. The story has been adapted numerous times for film and television.
Plot
Heidi, a five-year-old orphan, is sent to live with her reclusive grandfather in the Swiss Alps by her Aunt Dete. Despite her grandfather’s initial reservations, Heidi's cheerful nature quickly wins him over. The little girl befriends Peter, the goatherd, and his family. Heid thrives in the mountain environment, but her grandfather refuses to send her to school, leading to conflict with local authorities.
Three years later, Aunt Dete returns and takes Heidi to Frankfurt, Germany, to be a companion for Klara Sesemann, an invalid girl from a wealthy family. While Klara and Heidi become friends, the family’s strict housekeeper, Fräulein Rottenmeier, makes life difficult for Heidi. As Heidi struggles to adapt to city life and the Sesemann household, she becomes increasingly homesick and withdrawn. Noting the decline in her health, the family doctor recommends that Heidi return to the mountains.
Back in the Alps, Heidi shares her newfound reading skills with Peter's blind grandmother. Her faith influences her grandfather, who begins to pray again and attends church. The following summer, Klara visits Heidi in the mountains. The fresh air and goat's milk strengthen Klara, and she eventually learns to walk with help from Heidi and her grandfather. Filled with gratitude, the Sesemann family promises to care for Heidi in the future if her grandfather is unable to do so.
Themes
Nature's healing power
The contrast between city and rural life
The importance of family and belonging
Faith and spirituality
Personal growth and overcoming adversity
The value of simplicity and contentment
Friendship and compassion
Setting
Set in the late 19th century, Heidi takes place primarily in the Swiss Alps, specifically in the canton of Graubünden. The story opens in the small village of Maienfeld, where five-year-old Heidi is taken by her aunt to live with her reclusive grandfather high up on the mountain Alm. This picturesque alpine setting, with its lush meadows, fragrant wildflowers, and majestic peaks, forms the backdrop for much of the novel.
The setting shifts dramatically when Heidi is sent to the home of the Sesemann family in Frankfurt, Germany. There, she experiences life in a wealthy and rigid household, providing a stark contrast to her simple mountain existence. The bustling city, with its grand houses and formal customs, serves as a foil to the idyllic natural world Heidi left behind.
Specific locations within these settings play crucial roles in the story. These include the grandfather's rustic hut on the Alm, where Heidi learns to love the mountain lifestyle; the alpine pastures where Peter tends his goats; and the Sesemann mansion in Frankfurt, where Heidi befriends the invalid Klara and becomes homesick. Through these varied locales, Spyri paints a vivid picture of both rural and urban life in late 19th-century Central Europe.
Characters
Heidi: The titular protagonist, a cheerful young orphan who goes to live with her grandfather in the Swiss Alps.
Grandfather (Alm-Uncle): Heidi's gruff but caring paternal grandfather who lives as a recluse in the mountains.
Peter: A young goatherd who befriends Heidi on the mountain.
Klara Sesemann: A sickly girl from a wealthy family in Frankfurt, Germany. Heidi is sent to Klara’s home to serve as her companion.
Fräulein Rottenmeier: The strict housekeeper of the Sesemann household who clashes with Heidi.
Herr Sesemann: Klara's kind father who travels often for business.
Aunt Dete: Heidi's selfish aunt who initially leaves her with her grandfather.
Grandmother: Peter's blind grandmother whom Heidi befriends.
Brigitte: Peter's mother who lives in a hut on the mountain.
Frau Sesemann: Klara's grandmother who shows kindness to Heidi in Frankfurt.
Doctor Classen: A friend of Herr Sesemann who recommends that Heidi return to the mountains to restore her failing health.
Quick facts
Heidi is one of the bestselling books ever written and among the best-known works of Swiss literature.
The novel was originally published in two parts—the first in 1880 and the second in 1881.
The titular character is just five years old at the beginning of the story.
Heidi is considered a children's novel, but it was written “for children and those who love children” according to its subtitle.
Heidi has been adapted into more than 25 film and television productions, including popular films starring Shirley Temple (1937) and Emma Bolger (2005), as well as a beloved Japanese anime series (1974).
A 1968 TV movie version famously interrupted an NFL game broadcast, leading to the “Heidi Game” controversy.
In the novel, Heidi is described as having dark, curly hair, though the character is often portrayed as blond in screen adaptations.
The area where the story is set, around Maienfeld, is now a popular tourist destination called “Heidiland."
Originally written in German, Heidi has been translated into more than 50 languages.
While Johanna Spyri did not write any sequels, other authors have created continuations of Heidi's story, including Heidi Grows Up and Heidi's Children by Charles Tritten.
About the Author
Johanna Spyri (1827-1901) was a Swiss author best known for her beloved children's novel Heidi. Growing up in rural Hirzel, Switzerland, Spyri spent several summers near Chur in Graubünden, which later became the setting for her most famous work. Her experiences in the Swiss Alps deeply influenced her writing, infusing her stories with vivid descriptions of the mountainous landscape.
Spyri's literary career began in 1871 with the publication of her first story, “A Leaf on Vrony's Grave,” addressing the serious topic of domestic violence. In 1880, she wrote Heidi in just four weeks. Following the deaths of her husband and only child in 1884, Spyri devoted herself to charitable causes and continued writing. She produced more than 50 stories before her death in 1901, leaving behind a legacy of works that captured the essence of Swiss rural life and the resilience of the human spirit.
Spyri’s contributions to literature have been recognized in Switzerland, with her image appearing on a postage stamp in 1951 and a commemorative coin in 2009. Translated into more than 50 languages, Heidi continues to captivate readers of all ages around the world.
