Cornelli
Johanna Spyri, best known for Heidi, tells here the story of a Swiss girl who grows up motherless but happy, indulged by her father and the kind farmhands on the mountain. When her father leaves on a long trip and two well-meaning city women arrive to correct her manners, Cornelli turns sullen and shy, convinced she is ugly and unloved, hiding behind a frown that her elders call her horns. It takes patience, a wise doctor, and real affection to bring the bright child back. First published in German in 1889, the book carries Spyri’s usual tenderness toward children and her belief that they grow best on love rather than scolding. Free to read as a PDF and EPUB edition.
About the Author
Johanna Spyri (1827-1901) was a Swiss writer whose gentle stories celebrate childhood, nature, and the Alpine world she knew. Heidi, published when she was in her fifties, became a lasting classic, though she wrote many other books before her death in Zurich.
See all books by Johanna Spyri →
