American Historical Society
Ella Wister Haines Made Her Mark As Mid-20th Century Iowa Mother And Writer
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“Paul’s eyes rested upon Sweetheart’s hungrily, longingly. She wasn’t his sister! She was no blood relation, or connection at all—yet!” Those lines from Ella Wister Haines’ novel Mysterious Sweetheart captured the attention of readers who favored the works of this Iowa writer in the 1920s. Haines’ idea for this story came from a family member who described a blood-dripping dagger appearing to her in a dream. “The vividness of the isolated incident started me thinking in terms of plot,” Haines explained.