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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
Wow - this was so well received and I can't even finish the thing.
It was recommended by a friend of mine - and now I'll take their future recommendations with a grain of salt.
It's just so bad. One other reviewer described it as a “slave-holder girl boss” book, which is bang on.
My objections to the book however do NOT solely rest on the fact that it's about a benevolent white girl slave owner, toiling away against the odds on her plantation in the deep south.
It's just so clichéd!. The protagonist is a headstrong, determined (nothing wrong with that) feminist living in the early 1700s. Did such people exist? I guess so - but she has been embued with strongly 21st century values. Then we have the simpering mother who only lives to have her daughter married. The benevolent father who leaves the plantation operations to his daughter when he leaves for an extended period of time (I think he dies too but I didn't get that far). And the overseer who is a complete menacing lout and is the definition of evil. The slaves form one big happy family, largely due to the protagonist's benevolence. And she has a strong friendship with an African American boy/young man that seems highly unlikely given the times.
I gather that this is based on a real person, and therefore there is a fabulous book to be written about her. This isn't it.
It was recommended by a friend of mine - and now I'll take their future recommendations with a grain of salt.
It's just so bad. One other reviewer described it as a “slave-holder girl boss” book, which is bang on.
My objections to the book however do NOT solely rest on the fact that it's about a benevolent white girl slave owner, toiling away against the odds on her plantation in the deep south.
It's just so clichéd!. The protagonist is a headstrong, determined (nothing wrong with that) feminist living in the early 1700s. Did such people exist? I guess so - but she has been embued with strongly 21st century values. Then we have the simpering mother who only lives to have her daughter married. The benevolent father who leaves the plantation operations to his daughter when he leaves for an extended period of time (I think he dies too but I didn't get that far). And the overseer who is a complete menacing lout and is the definition of evil. The slaves form one big happy family, largely due to the protagonist's benevolence. And she has a strong friendship with an African American boy/young man that seems highly unlikely given the times.
I gather that this is based on a real person, and therefore there is a fabulous book to be written about her. This isn't it.
slow-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I really enjoyed this book, but definitely feel like some things the author tried to incorporate didn’t really work. For example (spoiler alert!), Eliza’s mom was supposed to be in poor health, but yet after the initial section of the book we hear almost nothing about her physical or mental health. Also, Ben is a primary character the story and we hear so much backstory, and yet his and Eliza’s time together is so limited that I feel like I didn’t know him enough to feel really heartbroken when he dies. And for Charles’s wife to have known her husband was in love with Eliza and all along and have never addressed it with her husband? Seems unrealistic, although this *is* set in the 1700s.
Ultimately I really enjoyed the book and I understand that some liberties weren’t taken because it probably deviates from the true story. So while Some elements could probably be improved, I’m still giving it four stars.
Ultimately I really enjoyed the book and I understand that some liberties weren’t taken because it probably deviates from the true story. So while Some elements could probably be improved, I’m still giving it four stars.
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a pretty good read and I definitely learned something new about an era and subject that I don’t typically read about. The main character sometimes annoyed me which drove down my rating. But it was interesting to learn about Eliza’s life and accomplishments
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Probably closer to 3.5 stars, The Indigo Girl tells a remarkable story that is solidly based in non-fiction. I can appreciate that Boyd is bringing to light an important figure in pre-American Revolution history, and moreover, revealing how little is known, and has been recorded, about women in history. It's not the most thrilling novel, but it is interesting, and will hold your attention and provoke some admiration.
Came back and changed this from a 2 Star to a 1 Star review...without doubt THE WORST book I’ve read in ages, and definitely this year. The historical inaccuracies are GLARING (and those things don’t usually bother me too much) but far worse is the way the author writes the black characters, as being entirely wrapped up in Eliza’s world and revolving around her. No thank you on SO many levels for this one.
The one saving grace is that at times I enjoyed it (the first paragraph or so?!) and I did read to the end.
The one saving grace is that at times I enjoyed it (the first paragraph or so?!) and I did read to the end.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No