Treasures of the Heart is part of Berkley’s new line of quilting romances. Basically it’s Americana with a dash of stitchery thrown in for good measure. It has a slow, gentle quality about it that’s appealing – it’s one of those books you want to read in front of the fire place, wearing a flannel nightgown. Overall, however, it is a little too slow, and the characters, particularly the hero, are not all that inspired.

The book is set in Prosper, Indiana, in 1888. Prosper is a small town with an Amish settlement nearby. The heroine, Amanda Glosser, works in a store owned by her father. There is one customer she is always eager to see – the Amish Josiah Miller. She knows he’s a little different. He’s shy and awkward, and he dresses differently. But he’s also very handsome, and she always tries to flirt with him. However, one day Josiah walks in with an armful of quilts to sell, and their relationship becomes more involved. Amanda discovers that Josiah needs money to buy a prosthesis for his brother, who lost a leg in an accident. She also discovers that the oldest quilt looks like a map, and she’s fascinated by it.

When Amanda visits Josiah’s family in his home, she learns more about the Amish culture and the differences between she and Josiah. She befriends Josiah’s sister Mary, and soon she’s making regular visits to the settlement. Amanda sees more and more of Josiah, and she likes what she sees. But there are many barriers to a relationship. Amanda’s father blames her mother’s death on the Amish – she was helping with the birth of a child in the settlement and caught cholera. Her father has already chosen a suitor for Amanda – the odious Leon Violette – who is always making improper advances. Meanwhile, Josiah’s family and community don’t want to see him become involved with an English girl. Can they overcome the prejudices of their families and communities and find true love?

This book worked best when the characters were in the Amish settlement. There was a lot of information about the Amish way of life, and it was presented in an interesting manner. With the exception of the hero, all the best characters were the Amish ones. The scenes in which Josiah’s family interact with Amanda were entertaining and well-written, and the relationship between Amanda and Mary illuminated the cultural differences quite effectively.

Also enjoyable was the quilting aspect. I’m not a quilter, but I really liked the quilting bee scene, and especially liked the idea of the treasure map quilt. Eventually, Josiah and Amanda search for the treasure. This part of the book was also quite good; I wished more scenes had been devoted to looking for the treasure.

Unfortunately, too much time is spent listening to Amanda argue with her father, who is the nineteenth century equivalent of Archie Bunker. One or two arguments would have driven the point home, but there are several, and his prejudiced comments are grating after a while. He also refuses to listen to Amanda when she tells him that Leon is making improper advances. It seemed really odd that he wouldn’t be worried about his daughter’s virtue.

Josiah posed another problem. He was truly the strong, silent type, as beta as they come. He was pretty near perfect, and pretty uninteresting. I wanted to like him, but he was too bland a character. Amanda seemed dense at times, but at least she had a little life to her. Her imperfections made her more real, and she grew as person in a believable way.

The events in this book takes place over a couple of weeks, and at first it is slow going. The action does pick up in the second half, but it’s not exactly a thrill a minute. If you enjoy quilting, Americana romance, or want to learn about the Amish way of life, you might want to pick up a copy of the homey Treasures of the Heart. Otherwise, think twice.