The year is 1739. Eliza Lucas is sixteen years old when her father leaves her in charge of their family’s three plantations in rural South Carolina and then proceeds to bleed the estates dry in pursuit of his military ambitions. Tensions with the British, and with the Spanish in Florida, just a short way down the coast, are rising, and slaves are starting to become restless. Her mother wants … nothing more than for their South Carolina endeavor to fail so they can go back to England. Soon her family is in danger of losing everything.
Upon hearing how much the French pay for indigo dye, Eliza believes it’s the key to their salvation. But everyone tells her it’s impossible, and no one will share the secret to making it. Thwarted at nearly every turn, even by her own family, Eliza finds that her only allies are an aging horticulturalist, an older and married gentleman lawyer, and a slave with whom she strikes a dangerous deal: teach her the intricate thousand-year-old secret process of making indigo dye and in return—against the laws of the day—she will teach the slaves to read.
So begins an incredible story of love, dangerous and hidden friendships, ambition, betrayal, and sacrifice.
Based on historical documents, including Eliza’s letters, this is a historical fiction account of how a teenage girl produced indigo dye, which became one of the largest exports out of South Carolina, an export that laid the foundation for the incredible wealth of several Southern families who still live on today. Although largely overlooked by historians, the accomplishments of Eliza Lucas influenced the course of US history. When she passed away in 1793, President George Washington served as a pallbearer at her funeral.
This book is set between 1739 and 1744, with romance, intrigue, forbidden friendships, and political and financial threats weaving together to form the story of a remarkable young woman whose actions were before their time: the story of the indigo girl.
more
Wonderful book and I learned a lot about Indigo history. Likes her writing and want to read more. Very sad how women were treated in past centuries
An interesting blend of history and fiction, this story led me to research the development of the indigo industry in the Carolinas and Eliza Lucas’ major role he n it’s inception. Truly a remarkable woman struggling against a male dominated world!
This was one of those books I didn’t want to end. Loved it!
The Indigo Girl by Natasha Boyd is historical fiction based on the life of Eliza Lucas Pinckney. The story begins when she is sixteen and ends in her twenties during the time she is managing her family properties. It is an inspiring story of a young woman who succeeds despite unbelievable obstacles. I enjoyed the respect Eliza showed others and how she lived her beliefs. Eliza Lucas Pinckney was admired by many during her lifetime and still is today. I hope to read more books about Eliza that the author recommends and more books by this author.
Well written; well read. Loved this book
This story is about how Eliza came to create South Carolina’s indigo industry against all odds. At sixteen years old, Eliza’s father left her to manage his tree plantations as he went off to pursue his military endeavors. Upon hearing how much the French paid for indigo dye, Eliza believed it was the key to their salvation. Nobody believed in her nor were they willing to help her make indigo dye. So, Eliza made a deal with a plantation slave…he will teach her how to make indigo dye and she will teach the slaves to read, which was against the law at that time.
The author did such a fantastic job of building the relationships among the characters, she had me vested from the first chapter. I love strong female characters and I often find myself rooting for the underdog and in this case, I was cheering Eliza et al, all the way until the end! It’s very inspirational to read/listen to a story based on facts about strong women in our history and I am so glad that Eliza’s story has been told.
Narrator, Saskia Maarleveld , was the perfect narrator for this book. She has the most beautiful voice and it was very fitting for the main characters and she was able to really bring them to life. Sakia is one of my favorite narrators and I always enjoy the book more when she is reading it to me.
I highly recommend this book to any historical fiction fan or for anyone interested in strong women in US history. If you want more information about Elisa Pinckney, as I did, you can google her and see some pictures and more details of her and learn more about this important figure in our history.
Little known southern history brought to life.
A topic I knew nothing about. Excellent book
I found the process of indigo growing and then the risky business of extracting the dye exact and exhausting.
The Indigo Girl has become my favorite book! I definitely recommend this great book!
Fabulous! I love “painless history” and that is just what this delightful read is. I had no idea the depth and breadth of this enchanting girl/woman, and enjoyed watching how her life unfolded. The writing style was both entertaining, and exacting. Excellent work.
great history made easy. very enjoyable
True to her life. She never gave up. After reading I looked up Eliza Lucas on Wikipedia and the description matched the book content. She kept a copy letter book of all her correspondence eith details of her life.
Loved the story. I learned some history about an amazing woman from the 1700’s who preserved against all odds. It’s a story that needs to be heard for all.
Fascinating to learn the history of indigo and to learn about a girl named Eliza who was instrumental in developing it . It is a story of courage and overcoming obstacles against all odds. It is a story that shows human compassion. Extraordinary book. Excellently written.
This was the true story of a very determined and resilient young girl whose amazing work ethic and love for her fellow “man,” whether enslaved or not helped her to achieve her goals when most would have given up. It was an interesting and inspirational book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading!
As historically accurate as a novel can be. Covered a very interesting segment of history in a way that draws you in and makes you want to help. I couldn’t put it down until I’d finished. Excellent!
I loved this book. The characters were realistic, the story about determination, deep friendships, dysfunctional family, romance and a HEA then sadness. After I finished it I read that it’s a true story. I saved this in my library as a future reread.
Mildly interesting. The Heroine was whiney.
This is one of the best books I’ve read lately. If you like historical settings with characters that pop off the page and stay with you for a long time, then you should read this book. Set in Carolina’s (USA) in the late 1700s, a 16-year-old girl is given the responsibility of running three plantations while her father fulfills his political ambitions in the Caribean. A story of love, loss, and hope that made me want to hurry to finish but didn’t want the story to end. A must-read!