Heidi (1880)

Classic orphan-meets-grouchy-adult-and-creates-a-touching-transformation tale. A must read for a taste of Swiss mountain living, the smell of sweet hay and cheese-cravings. ( )

Solidified my love of mountains and Swiss cheese. ( )

The familiar children's' story. I was surprise to see Heidi described as having dark hair and eyes. I always thought of her as blond (Shirley Temple's fault).
The amount of religious references to prayer and God surprised me. ( )

Along this steep mountain path, a stout, healthy girl was climbing, one clear, sunny morning in June, leading by the hand a child, whose cheeks were so glowing red that she looked as if an inward flame were shining through her sunburned skin. And little wonder, for the child was as much wrapped up on this sunny June morning as if to protect her from bitter frost. The little girl could be scarcely more than five years old; but her natural size could not be guessed at, for she had on two, if not three, over the other, and over all, wound round and round, was a great red woolen shawl; so the little shapeless figure, with its heavy hobnailed mountain shoes, trailed hot and weary up the steep hillside.

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