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Heidi is Johanna Spyri’s classic story of a young girl and her life in the Alps. Summary of the Book Heidi is a young girl who’s raised by her aunt Dete after her parents pass away. When Heidi turns 5, Dete brings her to her grandfather, a reclusive old man living on the alm. She leaves Heidi there to his care. The grumpy old man is called Alm-Uncle by the villagers, and he avoids any contact with them. He first resents Heidi’s presence in his secluded home, but she soon wins him over with her innocence and intelligence. Heidi begins to meet several people in and out of the village, including the young goatherd Peter and his mother and blind grandmother. Soon, Heidi becomes a vital part of the entire village, and she soon manages to bring her grandfather down from the alm and into the village. Three years later, her aunt Dete returns to take Heidi away. She’s brought to the house of a wealthy girl named Klara Sesemann, who is considered to be an invalid. Heidi misses the alm and the quiet village and resents the etiquette of the Sesemann household. However, she soon grows close to Clara and becomes a vital part of her rehabilitation. She continues to yearn for her life in the alm, but in order to return, she must leave her newfound life of comfort and her new friend. The choice, ultimately, may not even be hers. About Johanna Spyri Johanna Spyri was a Swiss writer best known for her children’s books. The above title is one of the most widely known works of Swiss literature. The above title was adapted into a hit anime series entitled Heidi, Girl of the Alps by Isao Takahata. It was also adapted into a live action film in 2005 directed by Paul Marcus.