Johanna Spyri (1827 - 1901)

Johanna Spyri (German pronunciation: [joˈhana ˈʃpiːri]) (12 June 1827 – 7 July 1901) was a Swiss author of children's stories, and is best known for her book Heidi. Born Johanna Louise Heusser in the rural area of Hirzel, Switzerland, as a child she spent several summers in the area around Chur in Graubünden, the setting she later would use in her novels.