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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
Wasn't the right time. Will pick it up again later
What an inspirational woman Eliza was! She has such an important story to tell and I am glad Boyd chose to tell it. I'm sure there were some changes and embellishments along the way, but I feel the author caught the hearts of this woman and the time in which she lived. May we all find a bit of the ambitious spirit of Eliza in our own lives, choose to keep fighting, and to not listen to those who tell us to give up .
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Infertility, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Terminal illness, Grief, Pregnancy, Colonisation
I really wanted to like this book more than I did. It was interesting and I loved learning the story of Eliza Lucas and indigo in South Carolina. But I was bored at times. The writing told the story but did not have enough to keep me interested.
I would love to read more about Eliza Lucas Pinckney, but didn't care for the writing style of this book.
Great read, especially if you like historical fiction with strong, smart women who are way ahead of their time. Eliza Lucas was an astonishing young woman. Some of the writing was a little ham-fisted and over the top at times. The story is told in the first person, so it has the tone of how a 16-21 year old woman would speak and write in the mid 1700s. The audiobook was was really enjoyable.
Read this for a book club (and finished ahead of schedule. YAY!). As with most books set in the 1700s or earlier, it made me REALLY REALLY HAPPY that I was born in the late 20th Century when I could be just about anything I wanted, and have never been viewed as a piece of property.
I'm looking forward to the book club discussions, which I believe will be focused on indigo dyeing which was the end product of the book.
I'm looking forward to the book club discussions, which I believe will be focused on indigo dyeing which was the end product of the book.
Thought the writing was a little awkward, but greatly enjoyed the story.
This book was phenomenal. I felt it had a great pace and was emotionally engaging. The ending came around all at once though. I would have preferred a little more cushion to the ending as opposed to the abrupt “let’s just neatly tie off these lose ends” feeling. All and all a small complaint following a really incredible true story.
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.