Does Clara walk again in Heidi?

Yes. On the Alm, Clara takes her first steps with Heidi and Peter helping her. By the time her father and grandmother arrive she is walking well enough to meet them.

Why can’t Clara walk at the start of Heidi?

The book calls her an invalid and says she goes about in a wheeled chair. It does not name her illness.

Who is Clara’s family in Heidi?

Her father is Herr Sesemann, who travels often, and her grandmother is Grandmamma Sesemann. Her mother has died.

From Heidi

Clara Sesemann

Heidi’s city friend • Gentle and patient

A gentle girl in Frankfurt who uses a wheelchair and longs for a friend.

Who is Clara Sesemann?

Clara Sesemann is a sweet, gentle girl who lives in a grand house in Frankfurt and uses a wheelchair. She is often lonely until Heidi arrives with stories of goats, eagles and glowing mountain peaks, and the two girls become dear friends. Later Clara visits the Alps, where fresh air, goat milk and Heidi’s cheerful company help her grow stronger every day.

Clara Sesemann is a character in Heidi, the 1881 novel by Johanna Spyri, retold for ages 6–9 by Sean Lee.

What is Clara Sesemann like?

gentle
kind
determined

Clara Sesemann’s story

Clara is the only daughter of Herr Sesemann, a kind and wealthy man who is often away from home. Her mother has died, and because she cannot walk she spends her days in a wheeled chair, lonely, with her tutor and the strict Fräulein Rottenmeier for company. Her father arranges a companion for her, and Clara is delighted with Heidi, who is nothing like what anyone expected.

Clara loves Heidi’s stories of the mountain, hides the kittens with her and stands up for her friend. Her warm friendship makes Frankfurt a happier place for Heidi, and she is sad when Heidi must go home.

The following summer Clara travels to the Alps. Goat’s milk and mountain air make her stronger. After Peter pushes her chair down the slope, she wants so badly to see the flowers that she tries to stand, takes her first steps with Heidi and Peter to help her, and keeps practicing each day. When her father and grandmother arrive, she walks to meet them.

“I can do it, Heidi! look! look! I can make proper steps!”

Clara, taking her first steps on the mountain. From the original 1881 novel by Johanna Spyri.

A moment to remember

When Heidi pulls two tiny striped kittens out of her coat pockets, Clara claps her hands and laughs out loud.

Heidi: best friend and companion
Fräulein Rottenmeier: strict housekeeper
Grandmamma Sesemann: grandmother
Doctor Classen: family doctor
Alm-Uncle: host on the mountain

Talk about it

Clara and Heidi lived very different lives but became best friends. What is something special a friend has taught you?

Questions about Clara Sesemann

Does Clara walk again in Heidi?: Yes. On the Alm, Clara takes her first steps with Heidi and Peter helping her. By the time her father and grandmother arrive she is walking well enough to meet them.
Why can’t Clara walk at the start of Heidi?: The book calls her an invalid and says she goes about in a wheeled chair. It does not name her illness.
Who is Clara’s family in Heidi?: Her father is Herr Sesemann, who travels often, and her grandmother is Grandmamma Sesemann. Her mother has died.