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A review by mermaidadjacent
Heidi by Johanna Spyri
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This is such a sweet and lovely and nostalgic story. The writing is vivid and makes me ache for fresh mountain air. The characters come alive off the page and make you want to really know them.
I think that anyone who reads this should be aware that it contains ableist tropes,including the miracle cure trope, as well as very outdated language (mostly "invalid"). This didn't destroy my love for this book, although it did detract from it. I think this book is an excellent example of how it's important, even when we love things, to acknowledge their flaws so that we don't emulate them.
I think that anyone who reads this should be aware that it contains ableist tropes,
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism
Heidi's friend, Clara, is disabled and uses a wheelchair. Throughout the book, she is referred to as "an invalid"; to my understanding, this was the common language of the time and was not intended to be insulting, but it is certainly outdated by now.
In the second part of the book, Clara goes to stay with Heidi in the mountains to see if it improves her condition. This is quite successful; after another character destroys her wheelchair out of anger, she is encouraged to attempt to walk. These attempts, in combination with the good mountain food and air, "cure" her of her disability and give her the ability to walk. This improvement is very much framed as a "cure"/"recovery" and not as a temporary improvement.