The Indigo Girl: A Novel

by Natasha Boyd

Overview

The year is 1739. Eliza Lucas is sixteen years old when her father leaves her in charge of their family’s three plantations in rural South Carolina and then proceeds to bleed the estates dry in pursuit of his military ambitions. Tensions with the British, and with the Spanish in Florida, just a short way down the coast, are rising, and slaves are starting to become restless. Her mother wants nothing more than for their South Carolina endeavor to fail so they can go back to England. Soon her family is in danger of losing everything.

Upon hearing how much the French pay for indigo dye, Eliza believes it’s the key to their salvation. But everyone tells her it’s impossible, and no one will share the secret to making it. Thwarted at nearly every turn, even by her own family, Eliza finds that her only allies are an aging horticulturalist, an older and married gentleman lawyer, and a slave with whom she strikes a dangerous deal: teach her the intricate thousand-year-old secret process of making indigo dye and in return—against the laws of the day—she will teach the slaves to read.

So begins an incredible story of love, dangerous and hidden friendships, ambition, betrayal, and sacrifice.

Based on historical documents, including Eliza’s letters, this is a historical fiction account of how a teenage girl produced indigo dye, which became one of the largest exports out of South Carolina, an export that laid the foundation for the incredible wealth of several Southern families who still live on today. Although largely overlooked by historians, the accomplishments of Eliza Lucas influenced the course of US history. When she passed away in 1793, President George Washington served as a pallbearer at her funeral.

This book is set between 1739 and 1744, with romance, intrigue, forbidden friendships, and political and financial threats weaving together to form the story of a remarkable young woman whose actions were before their time: the story of the indigo girl.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538552926
Publisher:	Blackstone Publishing
Publication date:	08/28/2018
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	20,566
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Natasha Boyd is an internationally bestselling and award-winning author of contemporary romantic Southern fiction and historical fiction. She holds a bachelor of science in psychology and also has a background in marketing and public relations. After hearing one of Eliza’s descendants speaking about Eliza’s accomplishments, the need to tell her story became so overwhelming that it couldn’t be ignored. Hence, The Indigo Girl was born. Boyd also started an Instagram account to document the research she accumulated; visit @eliza.the_indigo_girl for more information.

Editorial Reviews

09/04/2017
Set on South Carolina’s plantations beginning in 1739, this excellent historical novel by Boyd (Eversea) is based on the true story of Eliza Lucas Pinckney (1722–1793). Sixteen-year-old Eliza Lucas is charged with running her father’s three heavily-mortgaged plantations while he pursues a military career in the Caribbean. He has trained Eliza well in business, agriculture, and plantation management, and she is bright, considerate, and ambitious. Eliza sees the production of indigo dye as the family’s financial salvation, but indigo is risky to grow, and dye-making is a valuable but well-kept secret so she must approach her new assignment with caution. Kindhearted Eliza is independent and forward-thinking. She defies the Negro Act of 1740 and teaches her slaves to read, seeks their advice, and banishes the lash. As a marriageable young woman she rejects all suitors and expects to be a spinster, but as the plantation booms and her public stature grows, so does her affection for a married gentleman friend. Add threats of war with Spain and the strict social and cultural codes for Southern women, and Boyd has crafted a captivating novel of Southern colonial history. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

★ 08/01/2017
When 16-year-old Eliza Lucas is left in charge of her family's plantations in 1739 South Carolina, she sets her sights on producing indigo dye to avoid defaulting on the debts her father has accumulated to advance his military career. As her pursuit of a lucrative crop is thwarted by relatives, business advisers, and her own workforce, Eliza remains fiercely determined to continue. Each of her successes is bittersweet: trusting and educating her slaves destroys her social standing; forsaking suitors means financial ruin; and employing a long-lost friend culminates in devastating personal loss just as her goal of being the first person to export indigo from the colonies is about to blossom. Without preaching or judging, the narrative integrates the politics of gender inequality, race, and class into Eliza's quest for confidence and allies. VERDICT Romance author Boyd's (Eversea) first historical novel captivates on every level, refreshingly crafting the 18th-century world of real-life Eliza Lucas Pinckney (1722–93). Fans of Elizabeth Gilbert's The Signature of All Things will savor.—Tina Panik, Avon Free P.L., CT

Library Journal