A Beloved Alpine Classic
It has been over twenty years since I read Heidi by Johanna Spyri (1881; reprint Dover, 2000) for the first time. Reading aloud this classic tale with our family has greatly deepened my appreciation for this story. What a fantastic treatise on forgiveness and God’s tender care for us!
Young orphaned Heidi is dropped off at her hermit grandfather’s home on a mountain in the Swiss Alps. Formerly errant and more recently misunderstood, Grandfather has chosen isolation and bitterness over the humbling work of restoration. As young Heidi grows strong, so grows Grandfather’s attachment to her. When Heidi is suddenly torn from her beloved Alm, the seasonal mountain pasture where she plays with the goatherd and goats every day, and her kindly grandfather, she must learn the rules of society. Best described by the section titles, the first chapters describe Heidi’s years of learning and travel while the latter half of the book presents how Heidi makes use of what she has learned. Heidi serves and blesses all she comes in contact with. But she is also richly blessed by others, a fact often overlooked in the movies based on this book.
There are many points that make this time-tested work superior to most children’s literature. The underlying theme is one of forgiveness and restoration. Simple living is encouraged and the modern tendency to think that “things” bring happiness is absolutely countermanded. I appreciate the respect and deference shown to the elderly throughout this story. The “hoary head” is reverenced where it is found with righteousness (Leviticus 19:32; Proverbs 16:31). The beloved mountain is a symbol of strength, health, beauty, and trust in God’s Providence in every circumstance. And God’s perfect timing for help and answer to prayers is explained simply in a way that strengthens our faith.
Read this aloud with your children. Take the time to discuss each event and circumstance as you do. There are so many wonderful quotes to copy, memorize, and hide in our hearts. Do not settle for just a screen version based on this timeless story. Even if the storyline remains the same (which it doesn’t in some) it will not retain the same God-glorifying dialogue. There are few books that can be so heartily recommended with no reservations or disclaimers. This is one of those rare books.