| When Heidi is five years old, her aunt Dete brings Heidi to live with her grandfather in the Swiss Alps. Grandfather has lived by himself, angry at everyone, but he becomes fond of Heidi. Heidi becomes friends with Peter, the goatherd, and goes with him up the mountains everyday as he tends to the goats. She also becomes friends with Peter's blind grandmother. Heidi grows to love living in the mountains.
A few years later, Dete comes back. She wants to take Heidi to Frankfurt to be a companion to Clara, a little girl who's crippled. Grandfather gets angry and tells Dete he never wants to see her again, and storms out. Dete tells Heidi that he meant both of them, and says if she goes to Frankfurt, that will give him time to cool off. When they get to Frankfurt, they meet Fraulein Rottenmeier, Clara's governess. Fraulein Rottenmeier thinks Heidi is too dumb to be a proper companion for Clara, especially when she finds she can't read. But, Clara and Heidi get along right away. Heidi has a hard time adjusting to life in the city. She can't stand not being able to see mountains. She shocks Fraulein Rottenmeier by being friendly with the servants and also by bringing Clara kittens to play with. When Clara's Grandmama comes, she's very friendly to Heidi. She helps Heidi learn how to read. But, Heidi is growing more and more homesick. Afraid that she'll be considered ungrateful, she can't tell anyone. Grandmama tells Heidi if she can't tell people her troubles, than she should pray to God. Although she doesn't get what she wants right away, Grandmama says she has to keep praying. Heidi begins to sleepwalk, and Clara's doctor says if she doesn't get sent back soon, she might die. Heidi is taken back to the mountains. Grandfather is very happy to have her back. He regains his faith in God. Clara and Grandmama make a visit to the mountains. They decide to let Clara stay there for awhile to visit with Heidi and benefit from the mountain air. But, Peter is jealous of the attention Clara gets. Through his jealousy, he allows a miracle to happen. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of book? - very sensitive (sigh) Ethnic/Regional/Religion Family, loving relations Yes Special relationship with - grandpa Is this an adult or child's book? - Age 11-14 Ethnic/regional/gender life Yes Main Character Gender - Female Main Adversary Identity: - Female Age: - 40's-50's How sensitive is this character? Intelligence - Average intelligence Setting How much descriptions of surroundings? - 7 () Europe Yes European country: - Switzerland - Germany Mountains/Cliffs Yes Writing Style Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |
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