Nov 27 2008
Swiss girl Heidi
Another of my treasures without ISBN - Heidi, by Johanna Spyri. My book says it was copyrighted in 1954 (the first German edition was published in 1880), but I’m quite certain my actual copy is from later than 1954.
When I pulled this book off the shelf just now and flipped through it, I found myself almost in tears. And that was a sign of just how long it’s been since I read it.
All I had remembered was that the book was about a young Swiss girl who went to live in a cabin in the Alps, with her grandfather. So that was probably why, in later years, I would put off reading the book again, because I’d think, “I’m not really in the mood for a story about a young girl running with the goats in the mountains.” (I did at least remember the goats.)
But there is so much more than that, in this book. There’s the emotional redemption of Heidi’s grandfather - the real beauty of the Alps and her life there - the fear and homesickness when she’s taken away from her home and made to live with relatives in a city - and the joyous reunion with her home and grandfather, and the healing of her friend.
I honestly had forgotten just how much depth there was in this book. No wonder I loved it so much as a kid!
If anyone ever tries to tell you that young kids can’t handle stories with deep emotion, including great sadness, they are mistaken.
The book was, of course, originally written in German. But it was simply and clearly translated by a woman named Louise Brooks, with sweet, delightful illustrations by Roberta Macdonald. As I saw them while flipping the pages, I thought, “Oh! Heidi and her darling black curls!” My favourite illustration is of Heidi lying on her stomach on a layer of straw, looking out a round hole in the wall at the beautiful scenery around her home.
Needless to say, now that I’ve rediscovered what a wonderful book this is, I’ll be rereading it soon.
