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One of the best-selling books ever written, ¿Heidi¿ is an 1881 children's novel written by Johanna Spyri. The story centres around the life of a 5 year old girl who lives with her grandfather in the Swiss Alps. A charming tale of innocence and youth ¿for children and those who love children", ¿Heidi¿ is not to be missed by fans and collectors of classic children's literature. Johanna Louise Spyri (1827¿1901) was a Swiss author best remembered for her best-selling children's stories. Other notable works by this author include: ¿Toni, the Little Woodcarver¿ (1890), ¿Erick and Sally¿ (1891), and ¿Mäzli¿ (1891). Read & Co. Children's is proudly republishing this classic novel now in a new edition complete with a specially-commissioned biography of the author.
About the author
Johanna Louise Spyri, née Heusser (1827 - 1901) was a Swiss-born author of novels, notably children's stories and is best known for her book Heidi. Born in Hirzel, a rural area in the canton of Zurich, Switzerland, as a child she spent several summers near Chur in Graubünden, the setting she later would use in her novels. In 1852, Johanna Heusser married Bernhard Spyri. Bernhard was a lawyer. Whilst living in the city of Zürich she began to write about life in the country. Her first story, A Note on Vrony's Grave, which deals with a woman's life of domestic violence, was published in 1880; the following year further stories for both adults and children appeared, among them the novel Heidi, which she wrote in four weeks. Heidi is the story of an orphan girl who lives with her grandfather in the Swiss Alps and is famous for its vivid portrayal of the landscape.
