The Indigo Girl: A Novel Paperback – Unabridged, August 28, 2018

This book is a novel, but most of the characters and events in it are real. Its heroine is Eliza Lucas, who, at age 16, takes over the management of her family’s plantations in South Carolina for several years while her father is away. She finds that a much more congenial task than looking for a suitable husband, as her mother thinks she ought to be doing. Seeking a way to make the barely-solvent plantations more profitable, she remembers indigo, a dark blue dye made from plants, which she saw in the West Indies, where she grew up. Ben, her childhood friend, knew all about the more-art-than-science process of making indigo… but Ben is black, and she has no idea where he is now—or who might own him.Ahead of her time, Eliza strongly dislikes the idea of slavery and sees the plantation slaves she is closest to as friends and coworkers rather than property. The book portrays her struggles, not only to find ways to raise and process indigo, but to work around the prevailing attitudes toward women and blacks that hamper her and endanger her friends. In all this she has one staunch ally: Charles Pinckney, a friend of her parents. Since any lookup of Eliza’s story will reveal that her last name eventually became Pinckney, it’s easy to see where that relationship is headed, but watching it get there is very enjoyable.Boyd’s writing is excellent. She made me really like Eliza and strongly identify with her, and her attempts to launch her indigo crop—which later became vital to her whole colony—were quite suspenseful. This book would work well as a young adult novel, with a main character who is likely to be an inspiration to teenage girls, but I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys unusual sidelights on history and stories about strong women who overcome obstacles.

Read for a bookclub. At first I thought, oh no, another boring book about a female in the 1700’s who thinks marriage would be awful and it is so unfair that her younger brother is more important to the family and society simply because he is male. I felt like the author was throwing in some flowery prose between the same old, same old tiring thoughts or words of main character, Eliza, bemoaning her station in life. (Do authors repeat the same thing over and over because they think their readers are too stupid to remember they have already read it before, more than once?)But I’m happy that the story picked up and Eliza’s disdain was shown in action as well as her intelligence, her kindness, her industry, etc. The real, historical, Eliza, fortunately left letters and other writings so the author was able to craft her character with some depth. She defied some conventions but it was fun to see that she also enjoyed pretty dresses, fancy balls, letter writing, prayers, and friendships with other women.Natasha Boyd was able to write an interesting tale of history I had never heard of before; and without foul language or sex scenes. (Eliza does have an awakening physical attraction to men and musings about sexual relations.) However, a caution - this takes place in South Carolina in the 1700s and so includes slavery. There is implied violence and rape though not explicit descriptions.

The Indigo Girl is one of the best Historical Fiction books I have read. It is extremely well researched and equally as well written. Eliza Lucas was an amazing woman, and her legacy and impact on South Carolina and our young country is profound. I highly recommend this book!

It is the mid 1700’s, closer to the American Revolution than the American Civil War. Sixteen-year-old Eliza Lucas has been set a daunting task. While seeking to advance his military commission in Antigua, her father wants her to take charge of the business dealings of their three plantations in South Carolina. This will involve supervising planting, harvesting, selling, bartering with buyers, managing multiple accounts, sparring with violent overseers, and dealing with slaves and their internal dynamics and hierarchy. Her mother, on the other hand, has only one goal for Eliza–find a husband.Colonel Lucas has every reason to feel confident in his daughter, but no one can predict the amount of obstacles Eliza will encounter, some of which her father creates. An unmarried teenage girl who cannot vote or own land holds little sway in the business world. Only the most intelligent, respectful, progressive individuals will see past her age, gender and marital status. They are few and far between.With rice being the main cash crop of the region, Eliza sets a new goal. Indigo. It is a revolutionary idea, one that requires ideal conditions and knowledge of the plants and how to transform them into marketable dye cakes. Success eludes her again and again. But never tell a smart, determined woman that something cannot be accomplished. That will only kindle the fire within her.This is a true story, which makes it even more remarkable, and perfect for March–Women’s History Month. The real Eliza left behind writings which were, aptly, passed from mother to daughter for generations. Details lost to time are woven in elegantly by the author. The story is inspiring and the writing is marvelous. Very highly recommended and a terrific read for book clubs.