18 - Chapter 18 – Winter in Dorfli. Heidi by Johanna Spyri.

18 - Chapter 18 – Winter in Dorfli. Heidi by Johanna Spyri.

From Heidi by Johanna Spyri. by Popular Culture and Religion.

February 7, 2026 · 24 min

About this episode

The episode explores Heidi's journey between the Swiss mountains and Frankfurt, highlighting her experiences and growth.

18 - Chapter 18 – Winter in Dorfli. Heidi by Johanna Spyri. Hear Heidi if you've ever longed to see the Swiss mountain slopes. This story transports the listener from the fine air and freedom of the mountaintop to the confines of Frankfurt, back to the peaks again, bounding in flowered fields with goats at your heels and sky utterly surrounding you. We meet Heidi when she is 5, led up the mountain by her aunt who has raised the orphan but must leave now for a position in Frankfurt. In a mountain cottage overlooking the valley is Heidi's grandfather, and there with him the girl's sweet, free nature expands with the vista. The author's voice is straightforward, and so is our reader's, with the child's wonder, devotion, and sometimes humorous good intentions. When Heidi is taken from the mountains and nearly doesn't make it back again, the most humorous as well as most heart-wringing scenes occur. All she learns during her absence from the mountain she brings back as seeds that will grow to benefit everyone around her.

Topics covered

  • childhood
  • nature
  • family
  • adventure
  • imagination
  • loss
  • growth

Keywords

  • Heidi
  • Johanna Spyri
  • Swiss mountains
  • Dorfli
  • Frankfurt
  • childhood
  • adventure
  • nature
  • family

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Frankfurt, Swiss mountain slopes, Dorfli, mountain cottage

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