The Indigo Girl

Sometimes strength, particularly for women in history, has been quieter. The colonial early American setting of The Indigo Girl echoed part of the painting’s story from my book as well. In The Indigo Girl, Eliza is willing to speak up, to do what is right, even when it’s the furthest thing from anyone’s mind. As a huge art history fan, and as a hobbyist painter, I am always interested in learning more about where pigments and colors come from. This story told about that, but it also explored forbidden friendship and love and touched the heart, leaving a… show more.

This historical fiction novel opens in 1739 as sixteen-year-old Eliza Lucas is left in charge of her father’s plantations when he mysteriously leaves to pursue his military ambitions. Boyd uses historical documents as the basis for Eliza’s story that unfolds amidst family drama, near financial ruin, political tensions, and unrest among the slave population. In an attempt to prevent bankruptcy, Eliza decides to grow indigo and sell it to the lucrative dye-making market. With little familial support, Eliza negotiates with a reticent slave to teach her the secret process of growing indigo in exchange for unlawfully teaching slaves to read.… show more.

This book is based on the life of Eliza Lucas Pinkney, a strong-willed girl who, at age sixteen, takes over management of her father’s plantations in the sea islands near Charleston, South Carolina. Despite all odds, she not only succeeds at running the plantations but also cultivates the first crop of indigo in the United States. The author takes a progressive look at the relationship between plantation owners and their enslaved peoples. Eliza defies the odds again and again in the face of sabotage and disasters. Her place in American history may have been “mother of patriots” but she accomplished… show more.