Classic Starts: Heidi

The purchase of Heidi was partly a whim and also a return to childhood for a group of women "of a certain age." We have a book discussion group that meets weekly to talk about small portions of a selected book. Someone suggested that we re-read a book from our childhood, and the decision fell on "Heidi." It was an interesting experience to re-encounter a book we hadn't read in at least 35 years. There were parts that we remembered as if we had read them yesterday, and other parts where we were able to examine the author's writing technique, the descriptions that were typical of the time when the book was written, and the life lessons that were presented in a very pleasant way. Because we were reading from a variety of editions, we noted that cover pictures varied from the dark haired child that most of us remembered to a presentation of a blond child. Those individuals who had illustrations included in their books, some of which had been owned for 50+ years, happily shared them with the group, producing many more comments about clothing, the Alpine scenery, and the characters as we had imagined them. Discussing a book from our childhood is not a regular practice of the group, but for this one time, it elicited many personal comments about our memories and our admiration for the author and her technique.