I absolutely loved this book as a child, I can't put a number on how many times I read it! I was gifted a box of old children's books at Christmas with Heidi, Little Women, The Secret Garden, The Little Princess, Black Beauty and so many more and I DEVOURED them. When the family member (I'd only met a few times) found out I'd really enjoyed them, she bought me the whole series of the Famous Five books because she loved the idea of me reading and really enjoying them, she believed reading and imagination was a gift and she didnt have any children of her own to gift them to.
If you held a gun to my head and demanded to know truthfully the best Christmas gift I ever had, it would be this. Can't remember how old I was but I think 8/9 years old? Maybe younger.
Heidi is a beautiful story. If you've never read it, I'd suggest reading Goodnight Mr Tom if you loved Heidi.
I have read Heidi only once. It was a loan from a school mate. I read it when I was around 11/12. Absolutely loved it. I still remember the way I felt when I read it. Still can’t remember any other book which I read with as much joy as I read Heidi.
It's wonderful. No spoilers but a similar premise (child with a grumpy old man), just with a very different setting and different circumstances. Our British TV made a really excellent tv adaptation of the book too if you enjoyed it, you can find it online. Very highly rated! And it's on Audible too.
In fact, I have a few extra Audible credits if you'd like me to send you the audiobook! Just DM me. I'd love to share my aunts gift of reading that meant so much to me, to you.
That would be the best gift, ever, for me as a child. I would have adored that.
One day, I was snooping around in my Aunt’s bedroom at Grandma’s, and I found a shelf of Young Miss magazines from the late 60’s, possibly early 70’s. I was fascinated about the way they told a young woman to behave back then. She also had Jane Eyre, which was immediately one of my top five books. I asked Grandma, and she said I could take it home. I still have that copy. I have bought nice hard bound copies of that book, and even another reading copy of the paperback, but that first paperback copy is precious to me. I was around ten years old when I found it on that shelf. It was like a treasure. The funny thing is, when you read it at different ages, you go from identifying with young Jane, then young adult Jane, then Jane at the end of the book.
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u/BiscottiTiny4964 14h ago
Heidi