Hearts on the Wind

In this feel-good but amateurish historical, beautiful and intelligent Ingrid yearns for a better life than the one her Swedish family has carved out on the Minnesota plains. Fed up with the farming, Ingrid demands that her family send her to St. Agnes Women's Academy in Minneapolis to become a teacher. There, she forges an attachment with Norwegian Andreas Eriksen, heir to a railroad fortune, despite their differences in upbringing and social status. But when Ingrid and Andreas are caught in a compromising position, her standing at school becomes precarious and she must choose between her education and her love. To make matters worse, Andreas's scheming stepsister, Dagmar, is determined to woo Andreas for herself. Breene captures American railroad history, paying special attention to the workers and their fight for better wages and working conditions, but underdeveloped characters and awkward dialogue detract from the novel's flow, and a number of improbable twists further diminish this spirited but inexpert narrative. (Oct.)