I found myself googling "indigo" as I read this fascinating tale based on history. It is impossible not to admire bright and ambitious Eliza as she takes on roles that were not available to a woman in her time and to suffer with her as she has loss after loss despite her vision and hard work and to want to learn a lot more about her legacy, indigo. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to feel enpowered despite not being born with any real power, or to anyone who has a vision that is their's alone, or to anyone that hasn't found love in the usual paths. Great read full of learning and inspiration!

The description of this book did not do it justice. I was not that excited about reading it, but it was a wonderful surprise. I was totally mesmerized by the story and the wonderful unforgettable characters. Raw and fascinating account of that part of the US. Marvelous read

This novel is a fictionalised account of the life of Eliza Lucas (1722-1793), who was left at the age of sixteen to look after the family's plantations in South Carolina on her father's return to Antigua.

Eliza Lucas appears to have been spirited and ambitious in an age and society that decried such traits in young women: in order to improve her family's financial security, she attempted various agricultural experiments including the growing of tropical indigo plants for lucrative indigo dye. Her seasons-long battle to succeed is described in detail, including the real-life sabotage of the dyeing process that took place. We learn of Eliza's life and hopes, and this novel also attempts to show the involvement of slaves in indigo-production - it was slaves who had expertise and knowledge of indigo, and Eliza relied upon their skill. The book also chronicles Eliza's decision to teach slaves to read. We learn a great deal about Eliza Lucas from this novel, which quotes excerpts of her letters and prayers, and I am now keen to find out more by reading her published letterbook.

I received this book free from NetGalley and the publisher.

It is often said as a compliment that a novel reads like factual real-life. I would like to reverse this and say this tale, based on historical documents, including the heroine’s letters, reads like fiction. Nowhere does the author flout her research or include facts just because she can. The story seamlessly mixes the private with the public in showing the difficult choices available in colonial South Carolina, especially to a young woman with no personal power at all.
We know from history that Eliza will ultimately succeed in her quest to grow the elusive indigo commercially, but it’s how she does it, the people who help – or obstruct her – and the pitfalls she faces along the way that keep us gripped.
I loved it.

First off, I should confess I only read about a third or less of this book.
I don't think it is the book's fault that I didn't get into it. The plot is quite good, as is the writing. I think Eliza has a very interesting voice, as it is a balance between a proper girl for her time and age as well as someone who just really wants to be free and have their way in life.
I just feel like maybe the build up of the story is a little slow, and maybe that is why I couldn't manage to get past it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book...it was long, but it ended too soon. I hate to give spoilers away, but I could go on and on about this one. The complex characters, the feisty heroine, and the seemingly-docile setting all combine for a story well-written and read.

Indigo is the most beautiful color I can think of. It is blue’s blue. I’m not sure many people realize that in the early colonial days of our country we were a top producer of some of the finest indigo dye in the world to date. That’s why I was excited to be given a chance to read The Indigo Girl for NetGalley.
When Eliza Lucas was just sixteen years old her father left her in charge of the family’s holdings, three South Carolina plantations, while he travelled back to Antigua to manage his businesses there. Eliza was a bit of an amateur botanist and she knew that to keep the economically troubled plantations afloat she had to diversify, to find a crop that was not only needed, but valued in the market. She remembered the indigo that was produced in Antigua and she discovered a couple of her family’s slaves knew a little of the production of the dye so she attempted to grow the crop.
It wasn’t as easy as it sounds, indigo is a fussy plant, the timing of the harvest can be measured in minutes, and the transformation of plant to dye is a painstakingly exact alchemical miracle.
Being a girl of sixteen and expecting respect was another matter, but you didn’t fuss with Eliza. She knew her head and with the help of family friends she managed to command the respect she needed. All in the face of failing crops and slaves who refused to share their knowledge, even sabotaging her attempts.
And, it turns out, Eliza Lucas is real. She was the real influence and initial planter of indigo in this country, defying all odds and naysayers and the dye came to be the top export of South Carolina, and as production grew, providing immense wealth for the founding families of the state.
The historical novel references Eliza’s letters and reestablishes her in the annals of the history of our country. This young girl became a founding “mother” and it was noted in the author’s notes that upon her death, George Washington was one of her pallbearers.
If the story itself was just a story it would have been good enough but in the end, finding that Eliza was who she was makes it even more important that we remember story.

On a steamy plantation in South Carolina in 1739, a young girl of seventeen is left in charge of the family enterprise so her father can seek a position in the military. Unlike most young women of the time, she is well suited for the challenge for she loves botany and has been schooled in the business of running a plantation. Because of her father’s expenses, she tries many different ventures to increase profits but she knows if she can master the difficult task of growing, harvesting and producing Indigo from the indigo plant, their future will be set. Her name is Eliza Lucas and this is her story.

The author tells this story in the first person and it brings Eliza to life. You feel her frustration as she struggles to fulfill her obligation when her mother impedes her every step by admonishing her and expecting her to prepare herself for marriage. Her actions and morals fly in the face of convention as she works along with her slaves and treats them as equals causing ill will and conflict. Because of the author’s finesse at storytelling, Eliza’s exasperation with the difficult indigo process is palpable as she tries and fails and then tries again. This left me rooting for Eliza and turning pages to discover the outcome.

I enjoyed this story immensely. It is informative and gives you insight into the life of a young girl who lives her life as she saw fit, not as society dictated. It can be read by pre-teen to adult and each will take something different away from the telling. I especially recommend it for young teen girls. It is a wonderful example of what a young woman can do if she follows her convictions.

I firmly believe I could gush about this book until the world stopped spinning...
But who knows how long that could be?

So in the meantime, I will do my best to honor The Indigo Girl by writing as good a review as I possibly can.

My love for Eliza is endless. I am SO in love with her--everything about her. Her strong character, her fiery spirit, her unwavering dedication to the ones she loved, her endless ambition.

She was plucky, compassionate, and not afraid to put a man (or two, or three) in his place--no small feat for a woman in the 1700s!!! Basically what I'm getting at is she is everything I could hope to be as a human being.

She's an idol. There's simply no denying that.

In the past, when I heard someone ask the question, "If you could go back in time and meet one person, famous or non-famous, who would it be?" I cringed. Literally. I never had a proper answer to the query, and I would always wrack my brain for a good answer...
But after reading The Indigo Girl, I know within my heart of hearts that if I had the chance, I would go back in time to meet Eliza Lucas. Hands down.
I feel that to simply be in her presence would be one of the highest honors I could ever imagine. She's so inspiring, it's mindboggling!!!

At merely 16 years old, Eliza faced more challenges than most men twice her age probably ever did. Yet she pulled through each time necessity called for it. Just when I thought she was going to break down at the news of yet another setback and fall to the floor, wailing and carrying on like the young women of her time were expected to, Eliza persevered. She kept on trudging. She assessed the situation from a rational standpoint, always wanting to remain fair to those around her, and she made it work. More than that, she made it better.

To think that a woman like her actually existed takes my breath away and makes me so, so, so proud to be a woman. And quite frankly, when I read in the afterword that Eliza had (FINALLY) been inducted into the South Carolina Women in Business Hall of Fame, I bawled like a baby. Eliza, though long dead by now, finally received the recognition she so justly deserves.

Boyd did a superb job capturing Eliza's very essence. There was not a single portion of the book where I doubted the authenticity of Eliza's story. And while I realize that an author can only do so much for a story when it's historical fiction, I truly hope (albeit unrealistically) that every bit of it was true. For any part of it not to be true would be an incredible shame!
I found myself rooting for Eliza nonstop, and I feel that her choices would have been my choices had I been faced with the same challenges. She is an altogether unforgettable character.

Beyond her tenacity and the determination she possessed to make her indigo crop a success and pull South Carolina out of its reliance on indigo trade with France, her treatment of and interaction with many characters in the book (Ben, Quash, Indian Pete, Sarah, Eliza's mother, and Mr. and Mrs. Pinckney) spoke volumes about the type of person she was. Her refusal to punish the slaves for their wrongdoings, her illegally teaching them to read, and her eventual manumission of Quash was remarkable, to say the least.

It was an absolute honor to read The Indigo Girl, and I know that I will be thinking about and reflecting on this book for years to come......
And I can say with certainty that Eliza Lucas, though I never met her, is a woman who is very near and dear to my heart.

*Note: A copy of this book was very kindly provided by NetGalley, the publisher, and the author in exchange for an honest review.*

Historical fiction is most interesting when the subject is known the least. This book brings a story of a remarkable young woman who became a footnote in history. And the author brilliantly revives her appearance in history. This story is so profound; it will linger with you long after you are done reading.

Set in South Carolina in the first half of the 18th century, when Charleston is known as Charles Town, Eliza Lucas conveys her extraordinary story. At the age of 16, her father leaves her in charge of their plantations, while he travels to Antigua to further his political ambition. While inspecting plantations before her father leaves, she learns about indigo, used as a die of dark blue. Indigo is known as hard to cultivate and the dye-making process might be even harder. Her love for botany makes her eager to experiment in horticulture. And her determination to succeed makes her commit to trying and retrying to harvest this plant.

This page-turner, which is very hard to put down, captures Eliza’s spirit and fire.

This book reminds me of Help by Kathryn Stockett, which went straight to stardom and the big screen. I’ll be very surprised if this book doesn’t make it to the big screen.

I grew up in South Carolina, and I was pretty sure I knew everything there was to know about South Carolina history. Yet, somehow, I had never heard the story of Eliza Lucas! I am so grateful that was given the opportunity to read this book and learn more about heroine who brought indigo to our state. I really can't say enough good things about this book. It reads much better than many historical fiction novels out there. The details of Eliza's life are so fascinating that you forget you are learning about actual events. A must read!

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

In 1739 Ms. Eliza Lucas is tasked with the job of handling her family's property and farming production-- for the time this proposition, requested by her father, was unheard of. But from the vantage point of Eliza it was the perfect position for a young woman that romanticized the idea of freedom from marriage and the overseeing of a man. She set her eyes onto the prized production of Indigo, which, at the time, was only being produced by the French... and was bringing them quite a fortune. That fortune was something that Eliza deemed necessary for her family and possibly her freedom from the roles set before her and many others that surrounded her.

This was part historical fiction and non-fiction. There was love, a love triangle...and a strong heroine. I loved Eliza's character and am glad that she was a real person with real ambitions. I hope that she really was as strong a person as Boyd has painted her.

She fought valiantly and Boyd has represented her well in this book.

I really enjoyed this book! Please check out my full review at https://bigbaldbooks.wordpress.com/2017/06/12/book-review-the-indigo-girl/

The Indigo Girl tells the fascinating true story of Eliza Lucas, the girl who made indigo profitable in the Carolinas. Eliza is truly a girl born before her time - intelligent and driven, the only thing her mother wants to do is marry her off. Eliza doesn't want that though - she only wants her plantation to turn a profit and for her slaves to be safe.

This book captivated me from the very beginning. We are thrust into 16 year old Eliza's world, which is vividly described by Boyd. I was truly moved by Eliza's life- I felt so much sympathy for Eliza in times of trouble and cheered when things went well. This remarkable woman lived a remarkable life and Boyd does that life justice in this story.

Natasha Boyd did an amazing job with this story. It is very well researched and very well written. With real life letters from Eliza included seamlessly in the book, it feels like the reader is really re-living Eliza's life.

Eliza's father leaves her to run the family's South Carolina plantations. If the plantations fail, Eliza, her mother and younger sister will be forced to move back to Antigua. If the plantations succeed, Eliza may be freed from the prospect of marriage. When Eliza risks the success on Indigo, she encounters many challenges and betrayals.

I really enjoyed this book. I did not realize until the epilogue that it was based on historical figures. Eliza is certainly a heroine, a feminist years before the movement. I thought that Eliza's interaction with societal norms was fascinating. Particular her thoughts on slavery, and how that set her apart from her peers. Overall, a book well worth reading!

This book, The Indigo Girl is beautifully written, the language of that era and the detail made me feel as if I was truly living in the 1740's with Eliza on her plantation. The imagery used and the story telling brought me into her world and I almost felt as if I was living the experience with her. I absolutely loved reading this book, the beauty of her character, the wonderful way she navigates through a brutal, slave owning world as a compassionate, caring and very independent minded woman, a world that is also dominated by men who expect women to be seen and not heard. Eliza is her own person and the author Natasha Boyd does a remarkable way of telling this story and showing Eliza's strengths, but also her weaknesses. I highly recommend this book!

Historical fiction like The Indigo Girl that tells the story about a person in history that has actually excisted is my absolute favorite to read. Especially if they are about women who accomplished amazing things, like Eliza Lucas.

Starting the book I knew nothing at all about her but I'm now so glad that Natasha Boyd wrote about this book. It made me want to find out even more about Eliza's life. I'm so fascinated by her right now.

I absolutely loved Eliza. And they way the author wrote her. Eliza was ahead of her time and I just loved her courage and ambition and how in the end she never did give up on making indigo dye, even though people kept telling her she wouldn't be able to and even sabotaged her. She was a bit naive, it's true but that made her spirit even more lively and I was really rooting for her to succeed.

Overall, The Indigo Girl ended up being my favorite book by Natasha Boyd so far and even one of my top favorite historical novels. I loved how well-researched the story was and that it was based on historical documents. The writing was amazing and I really liked reading the excerpts from Eliza's actual letters. They gave it all a little extra and made it even more enjoyable.

An interesting piece of historical fiction that I suspect most Americans are not familiar with. I know I wasn't. This is a fleshed-out story about Eliza Lucas, a 16-year old girl who is left in charge of her father's plantations as he returns to Antigua to pursue a military career. Eliza is faced with moral dilemmas and situations that would rattle an experienced adult. Her courage and often reckless behaviour earns her a reputation amongst the other plantation owners. Although slaves had few rights at the time, the possibility existed for them to buy their freedom. Women, however, had no such recourse. They remained their husband's property.

An interesting and page-turning account of plantation life as well as one women's quest to protect her family's interests and those of her slaves.

*****5 fantastic reading stars*****

*I received this ARC from Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Eliza Lucas is just sixteen years old when her father leaves her in charge of their plantations in rural South Carolina. The year was 1730 when there were both Indian and slave uprisings. Her father returns to Antigua and has great military ambitions also wishing to become the governor of Antigua. He mortgages these plantations, unbeknownst to Eliza, because he is in need of money. Eliza, a strong willed brilliant daughter, resolves to make the plantation she and her family reside on, a success. The way she decides to do so is in the production of indigo. Her mother wishes for her to fail so that the family can return to England so she offers little to no support and actually thwarts Eliza's efforts.

Eliza, a botanist at heart, is helped by a neighbor botanist, a gentlemen lawyer, and her slaves who knew the secret of indigo extraction. They strive to make a go of it. Eliza is the epitome of courage and determination. She will get what she wants and entices the slaves to share their indigo secrets by promising to teach them how to read, something that was against the law. She forms hidden attachments to her slaves, spurns those who are against her, and sacrifices everything to make this dream of hers come true. Along the way Eliza is met with many adversities but through the support of a man who she will eventually marry and her slaves who she treats with fairness and concern, she succeeds. Her indomitable spirit at such a young age makes her a woman of that fosters admiration, strength, and resilience.

This novel is based on letters from Eliza and other historical documents. Through Eliza, her eventual husband, and the slaves, she is able to lay the foundation for the indigo industry that will eventually become one of the largest exports from South Carolina. It was quite an incredible book to read and enjoy as this little known figure in history came alive in this novel. Incredibly interesting is that no one really has heard of her exploits as she played a major role in the route that US history eventually took. Mentioned in the author's notes was that President George Washington was a pall bearer at her funeral.

Eliza was a independent woman hundreds of years before that came into vogue. Her achievements, given that it was 1730's and was a woman need to be both admired and made know so that all women know that no matter what constraints that are placed upon them, having the will and the determination to succeed they will eventually do just that.

Imagine my surprise to complete this book and find it was based on a real person. If I had informed myself better and known this going in, I might have been more appreciative of (or patient with?) what felt like stilted conversations and the repetition of restraints. Now that I've read the afterword, and found out Eliza Lucas actually existed, I understand the necessary to have some degree of accuracy in those social and written customs. Perhaps, knowing Eliza was a real person would have helped me chafe at the restrained presentation the way Eliza chafed at her restrictions.
I do appreciate the author's need to keep Eliza and her contributions alive. I actually would have appreciated knowing a bit more about the indigo itself.