orig. Johanna Heusser
born June 12, 1829, Hirzel, Switz.
died July 7, 1901, Zürich
Swiss writer.
Living in Zürich with her lawyer husband, Spyri wrote books, many widely translated, that are imbued with her love of her homeland, feeling for nature, unobtrusive piety, and cheerful wisdom. She is best remembered for her popular novel Heidi (188081), a classic of children's literature about an orphan sent to live with her grandfather in the Swiss mountains.