I received this book for free from Netgalley in order to prepare an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Indigo Girl by Natasha Boyd
Published by Blackstone Audiobooks on October 3rd 2017
Genres: Historical
Pages: 346
Goodreads

FINAL DECISION: I almost gave up on this story because the beginning is tremendously slow, but the true events upon which it was based were interesting enough to keep me going and I ended up enjoying this book.

THE STORY: At the age of sixteen, Eliza Lucas is left in charge of her family’s plantations in South Carolina when her father travels to pursue his advancement in the military. Strong willed and independent, Eliza is determined to use the knowledge she has gained from her relationships with her family’s slaves to grow Indigo and make the fortunes of her family. Working with the slaves and making an agreement to teach them to read (in violation of the law) if they will help her with her endeavors, Eliza blazes a new trail in the early 1700s.

OPINION: Told in first person, this book was really hard for me to get into.  Until Eliza gets busy with her Indigo business, it feels like the story is a little rudderless. I think that if I had read the real life story before I started, I would have focused more and felt like the story was going somewhere. When I got tired about 25 percent of the way through, I read the real life story information at the end of the book and that was interesting enough to push me through. Once I got far enough in the book, I was intrigued by the relationships depicted in the book and with Eliza’s business sense and determination.

I want to make it clear that this book is historical fiction and not really a romance. By the end, there is a little romance, but this book is really a fictional account of Eliza’s life. She was really an amazing woman who make inventive and dangerous decisions in order to advance her business. The historical events in this book are so fascinating that the story could have been told as non-fiction as this young woman with the help of slaves create the foundation of one of fundamental crops of South Carolina. (It should be noted that she is against the idea of slavery and especially the despicable treatment of slaves, but is limited in what she can do by her father’s instructions).

This book is for those who are looking for an interesting glimpse at a little known historical figure and don’t mind giving the story a chance to breathe before the action picks up.

WORTH MENTIONING:  This historical fiction is based on the true life of a real woman named Eliza Lucas.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE INDIGO GIRL is a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to provide a review. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.