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klboehm 's review for:
The Indigo Girl
by Natasha Boyd
Set between 1739 and 1744, this historical fiction account centers around Eliza Lucas, the mature, British-educated, 16-year-old South Carolina daughter of George Lucas. His aspirations for success in the military bring him back to Antigua, where she was raised. In his absence, he puts her in charge of three inherited family plantations with many slaves. The book covers the escalations with the French and Spanish in nearby Florida, and the growing restlessness of the slaves who threaten a revolt.
In her position of authority, she is challenged, not just by the daily operations, but by the overseers and advisors of the plantations, as well as by a few of the slaves. She’s also under pressure from her mother, who wishes her to be married off and the crops to fail so the family could return to England.
Eliza is determined to make the plantations successful and is convinced that growing indigo for blue dye is her path toward that end. The book chronicles her failures and successes in her quest to raise what would turn out to be a very successful indigo growing business which positively affected the long term economy of South Carolina.
The story did drag on in parts, and would have benefited by more historic detail, such as the fact that George Washington was a pallbearer at her funeral. This was mentioned only in the epilogue. All in all, an illuminating story of a widely forgotten heroine of the South.
In her position of authority, she is challenged, not just by the daily operations, but by the overseers and advisors of the plantations, as well as by a few of the slaves. She’s also under pressure from her mother, who wishes her to be married off and the crops to fail so the family could return to England.
Eliza is determined to make the plantations successful and is convinced that growing indigo for blue dye is her path toward that end. The book chronicles her failures and successes in her quest to raise what would turn out to be a very successful indigo growing business which positively affected the long term economy of South Carolina.
The story did drag on in parts, and would have benefited by more historic detail, such as the fact that George Washington was a pallbearer at her funeral. This was mentioned only in the epilogue. All in all, an illuminating story of a widely forgotten heroine of the South.