Heidi

Swiss author Johanna Spyri originally published the middle-grade fiction novel Heidi in German in two volumes in 1880. The novel quickly became a beloved classic children’s book that has since been adapted into 25 film and television versions, including a 1968 made-for-TV movie and a very popular anime series in 1974. It has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide.

Spyri was born in Hirzel, a Zurich village that shares a border with the German Rhineland. Spyri’s depiction of the idyllic, simple past of Alpine life is believed to be partially autobiographical, as she spent her summers in a village called Maienfeld. However, before Spyri’s death, she burned all her private letters and journals, leaving much of her life a mystery. In addition to Heidi, Spyri published 32 other children’s books before she died in 1901.

The source material for this guide comes from the 1956 translation from Penguin Random House UK, reissued in 2015 as a Puffin Classic edition, therefore names and wordings may vary.

Plot Summary

Dete’s sister Adelheid dies, leaving her and her mother to care for her daughter, Heidi. Dete’s mother dies as well, leaving Dete as Heidi’s sole caregiver, but she wants to take a new job in the city and can no longer care for her niece.