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The Indigo Girl
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins
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The Indigo Girl
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Publisher's Summary
In this incredible story of ambition, betrayal, and sacrifice, an extraordinary sixteen-year-old girl in Colonial South Carolina defies all expectations to achieve her dream.
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Based on historical documents, including Eliza’s letters, this is a historical fiction account of how a teenage girl produced indigo dye, which became one of the largest exports out of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.
What the critics say
“Maarleveld characterizes Eliza so well that listeners will feel they know her, and understand her complex emotions and struggles to succeed in a man’s world. Her excellent reading enlivens a large cast…Pacing is spot on.” - Booklist
“….fully transports the listener to a different time and place.” - AudioFile
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What listeners say about The Indigo Girl
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- nyeac
- 2021-11-14
Magical whether read or listened to -
For an hour or so after listening to the final chapter of 'The Indigo Girl', even before writing a review, I diligently set aside time to send notices to family and friends, ever so highly praising Natasha Boyd's 'The Indigo Girl'!
Having opted for the 'Audible' version of the text. I was elated to discover, by chance, that this storyline, was to be narrated by Saskia Maarleveld, a truly gifted narrator. What more could one ask: with a meet-up between such a brilliant storyteller combined with the perfection of such a gifted narrator, translating into a truly divine listening experience!!!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jennifer
- 2019-06-06
Beautiful!
I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful story about a strong and courageous young woman whose heart was full of love and kindness for all!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- BookWorm
- 2019-02-08
Intriguing Story
I really enjoyed this story about a remarkable girl in a period of time that was incredibly difficult. This book is well written and the story is well told. The narration was enjoyable. Recommended.
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7 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- M.S.
- 2021-11-12
Interesting book
This is an interesting historical fiction based on a real person Eliza Lucas and the events in North Carolina from the first half of the 18th century. She was portrayed as a “good” slave owner, but her wealth and success was still result of the work of the slaves. The story was presented in the first person which makes the listening of the story more interesting.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mji
- 2022-09-27
Great historical story of an incredible woman!
Superb writing, fantastic narration, and overall terrific story. I’ve read/listened to a good number of books with Saskia M narrating .. this was one of her best! She’s a wizard!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Shawn B
- 2022-05-27
Loved this Book
Story, narration, performance was enchanting and kept me hooked to the end.
Very interesting story of a woman who defied the odds and the norms of her place in society.
Was a champion of change for ending slavery.
Inspirational!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sharron padden
- 2022-02-13
The Indigo Girl
I enjoyed this book very much. The story is about a real woman of history who learned how to produce indigo dye. As a woman, she was expected to act like a woman of the times but she was too intelligent and strong willed to accept the subservient role.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Canadian eh
- 2022-02-19
Excellent!
This was an excellently written story, and beautifully narrated. I wished it would not end! Bravo to the author and narrator 👍🏻
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Marc Faubert
- 2022-01-12
Fantastic
I absolutely loved everything about this book and when I got to the end and found out it was based on truth I cried
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- JI
- 2022-09-28
300 Years Later…it’s About Time
This book makes me wonder how many other powerful and influential women have been written out of history.
Grateful for the opportunity to hear a part of her story.
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