Did you love Heidi when you were young?
I both read the book and watched the movie, and I longed for all it evoked: the fresh, clear, alpine air, the bleats of goats, a friend like Peter, and the strong arms of a grandfather, like Heidi’s, who loved me.
Echoes of Heidi
Today’s book recommendation brings echoes of Heidi. Astrid the Unstoppable, by Maria Parr.
Translated from the Norwegian by Guy Puzey, the book takes Heidi and makes a sort of parallel alternate Universe, in which the Heidi character has read Heidi, has many similarities, but never got to return “home” to the mountains and her beloved grandfather.
Slow start
The book takes a turn, I would say about a third of the way through, when its focus, while still seen through the eyes of young Astrid, involves the grown-ups and their pasts in ways that shake Astrid’s little world. That’s when the book gets really good. The emotional stakes climb, and the echoes of Heidi resonate deeply for any who loved that story.
It’s a fine art to take a classic tale you loved as a child, and to give it fresh meaning through a story of your own. That’s what Maria Parr has done so masterfully.
The fine art of translation
I’m also intrigued to read a tale that started in another language. The translator is really good—I never had any of that sense of awkwardness in syntax that can so easily come through translation. I only wish I could read Norwegian and enjoy the pleasures of going back and forth to appreciate the translation work.
I learned in college, while studying Latin American poetry and literature, that the art of translation is not just to convert the word to another language, it’s to convert the meaning—which can be another thing entirely!
Learning to forgive
Astrid is a bold, confident, capable and courageous little girl. Her journey is not so much to grow into herself, as it is to forgive the frailties she discovers in her beloved godfather.
This makes for a moving read-aloud story—providing you can push through past the slow start. But it’s worth doing—the pay-off is big!
Your library awaits you, with its copy of Astrid the Unstoppable, by Maria Parr!