I thought a perfect book did not exist. Then I read The Indigo Girl. What a work of art! Beautifully written, dutifully researched, and thoughtfully filled-in where historical documents left gaps, this book offers so much and does so extremely well. I’m thrilled that this was my first book of the year, though I’m afraid everything else I will read will fall short of the bar this one has set! ( )

Interesting fictionalization of a real young woman's struggle to maintain the family's properties in the absence of her father. Writing style is a bit flat and two-dimensional, but a unique story. ( )

This book is based upon real events and real persons. For me that is the best kind of historical fiction. The author used historical documents, including the protagonist's own letters, to research this book. As unlikely as it seems, this tale of a sixteen year old girl handling three plantation is South Carolina in 1739 is based on truth.

Eliza Lucas was left in charge of three plantations in South Carolina while her father went to Antigua to take part in the war between Spain and England over trading rights and become Lieutenant Governor of the island. To finance this career he mortgaged some of the plantations which left Eliza trying to earn enough income to pay the mortgages and support her family and slaves. She came up with the idea of growing indigo which was the source of blue dye at that time. She had always been interested in botany and she was friends with a neighbour gentleman who was also a botanist. Using seeds sent to her from Antigua by her father she planted the first test crop. That first crop is killed by a late frost.. She enlists the help of a slave, Sarah, from one of the other plantations who is said to know about indigo cultivation. She also asks her father to send someone from Antigua who is knowledgeable in indigo production. That second crop was devastated by an insect that was partial to indigo.While Eliza is trying to support the family and estates her mother is determined she should be married. Eliza is opposed to marrying anyone but especially the older man her mother chooses. When the expert from Antigua arrived he brought with him her childhood friend, Ben, who proved to be much more help than the "expert". Ben was still a slave but Eliza hoped to gain his freedom. She also decided to teach her own slaves to read so she was an exception in terms of slave-ownership. With Ben's help her third crop succeeded and she proved that indigo could be successfully grown in South Carolina. She distributed seeds to other plantation owners which helped establish indigo as a cash crop second only to rice there. Despite her mother's misgivings about being able to attract a husband when she was involved in business and finance, Eliza did marry. The Pinckneys of Charles Town had been good friends and when Mrs. Pinckney died, Charles Pinckney (after a decent period of mourning) proposed to Eliza. Charles has always supported Eliza's ambitions so she was sure that, as his wife, he would continue to support her.

This book highlights how dependent women at the time were on their fathers and husbands. Eliza's circumstances were somewhat unique but she would always run the risk of losing her independence if she had the wrong marriage partner. No wonder she resisted marriage for so long. ( )

16-year-old Eliza is left in charge of her family's South Carolina plantation when her father leaves to oversee his other financial interests in Antigua. Capable, business-minded and eager to learn, Eliza throws herself into increasing productivity and improving living conditions for their enslaved workforce, and then raises eyebrows seeking to diversify their cash crops by planting indigo — a plant never successfully grown before in South Carolina.

One thing I appreciated about this story is that the setting is about 100 years earlier than most antebellum novels, which was different and refreshing. Discovering halfway through that this is based on a true historical figure improved the book for me, though I do think the author struggled a bit in making the period feel authentic to the reader. A number of words, including 'scaremonger' and 'hanky,' were not in use prior to the late 1880s, and Eliza herself as a 18th-century protagonist with 21st-century mores and sensibilities just doesn't quite ring true. I felt some discomfort with the portrayal of seeming contentment, even joy/kumbaya vibes, among the enslaved population. Reservations aside, I enjoyed the writing, as well as learning something new about a historical figure and a time period I was unfamiliar with previously. ( )

Historical fiction based on the life of Eliza Lucas, a real person of history and a key contributor to the development of indigo crops in the American south in the mid-1700’s. At the age of sixteen, her father put her in charge of the family’s plantations while he returned Antigua. The family owned slaves and Eliza is portrayed as a kind person with strong opinions against slavery. The author has done research about the life of Eliza Lucas, using excerpts from her actual letters during this period. In the Afterword, Boyd clarifies what parts were fabricated.

I enjoyed learning about this lesser known person of history. Eliza Lucas is portrayed as a strong woman, able to handle significant responsibilities in an age when women were not believed to be capable of logical reasoning. The main drawbacks have to do with the portions that are fabricated. We are privy to Eliza’s inner thoughts, which sound more modern than the 1700s. The slavery issue seems to be glossed over in the attempt to highlight Eliza’s achievements. ( )