A Heart Once Broken

Cousins Sandra and Lydia have a long-standing competition for the attention of Ezra Wagler, their neighbor, but it’s brought to a sudden halt when their family’s troubles become more serious than they ever thought possible in their Amish community in St. Lawrence County, N.Y. When Clyde Byler moves to the community, Sandra immediately resents him and begs Lydia for a chance at capturing Ezra’s attentions. The cousins’ close friend Rosemary Beiler, however, decides to go after Ezra as well. And Lydia, with no man left to pursue, falls back into old habits with the sudden appearance of her English former boyfriend. Eicher (Miriam’s Secret) weaves a web of predicaments that build to a tense crescendo, making up for a slow beginning. Although the plot details sometimes get in the way of characterization and emotional depth, the three young women’s romances are life-affirming. (Mar.)