Spyri, Johanna

Related Category: Miscellaneous European Literature: Biographies

(yōhän´ä shpē´rē), 1827–1901, Swiss author. Her many stories of child life in Switzerland include Heidi (1880; tr. 1884), a classic among children's books. Heidi, the story of an orphan girl who lives with her grandfather in the Swiss Alps, is notable for its scenic description and its understanding of children's views and emotions.