Heidi, with eBook

By: Johanna Spyri

Narrated by: Frances Cassidy

Orphaned Heidi lives with her gruff but caring grandfather on the side of Swiss mountain, where she befriends young Peter the goat-herd. She leads an idyllic life, until she is forced to leave the mountain she has always known to go and live with a sickly girl in the city. Will Heidi ever see her grandfather again? A classic tale of a young girl's coming-of-age, of friendship, and familial love, Heidi has inspired countless dramatic versions, both on TV and in film, including Shirley Temple's famous 1937 version.(P)2006 Tantor Media Inc.

Great book!

We love this book, as a family we have listened to it at least a dozen times. Such a great story! One of the few stories our whole family gets into, even the two year old enjoys it :)

Beloved book that means more each time you read it

Frances Cassidy's heartfelt & expressive narration of the unabridged translation will always be my favourite version of Heidi. The story itself takes on deeper meaning & the messages & wisdom can be more clearly seen if re-enjoyed as a grown-up. I absolutely loved this book as a child it was my favourite but this isn't just a book for children. It is a story of resilience, of belonging, of grief, loneliness, of being misunderstood, of the sometimes superficial folly of people who all too easily care about things they ought not, it's about facing obstacles when you aren't yet equipped to deal with them, about kindness & reaching out to the marginalized & isolated, how tragedy can transform into strength, coping with poverty & limited resources, collaboration, second chances, forgiveness, accepting the inevitable but making the best of it, innovation, endurance, & a way to lift others. The content of the story is so tailored to children as it deals with all these while being wholesome & clean in everything it covers. The lessons are so tenderly written in that they never feel forced or contrived, they flow naturally with the story as you engage with flawed & empathetic characters who feel real & whose humanity & human emotions & struggles you can relate to

This story does not age well.

The narrator did a fine job, but I felt like she wanted it to be over with nearly as much as I did.
I remember being charmed by Heidi when I was a child, but that was probably because it was a way to learn about a different time/place.
Yes, I know we can’t judge other times and cultures through a current lens. The eye rolling parts for me were the heavy handed religious drop ins. If they had been consistent throughout, and done with a lighter touch, fine. I would have bailed earlier.
Still, the perspective of childhood developing emotions and sense of wonder kept me going - hoping that I could get to the point of remembering why I had fond feelings for Heidi.
Those “oh yeah!” were drop ins, too.