Author Natasha Boyd Zooms With Us About The Indigo Girl

Although Natasha Boyd was successful writing romance novels, she was drawn to write a historical novel about Eliza Lucas Pinckney, aka “The Indigo Girl.” Boyd learned that Eliza was not a well-known historical character but was instrumental in bringing the indigo industry to South Carolina as a young single woman and was somewhat celebrated in the Charleston area. In the “Note From the Author” at the end of The Indigo Girl, Boyd tells about this inspiration to tell Eliza’s story and “…introduce her back into our consciousness…”.

Boyd began the meeting by specifying parts of the book that were historically documented and some that she created to tell the story. She said that Eliza was indeed left in charge of the farm at age 16, when her father went to Antigua in the hopes of becoming governor there someday. Eliza was told that growing indigo as a cash crop wouldn’t work, she had a younger sister and older brothers, and she educated slaves. Cromwell purposely ruined the first indigo crop, which was devastating to Eliza. The slave, Sarah, wasn’t exactly real; the author made Sarah a strong slave and made her complicated to help bring out Eliza’s personality. Boyd wanted to build a strong friendship with a slave for Eliza, so she invented Ben. To show Eliza’s struggle, Boyd has Eliza offer him manumission, telling him he can be freed and own land, while she is free (because she’s white) and can’t own land (because she’s a woman). Lots of Eliza’s letters exist; Boyd used a compilation of letters in writing the book. She said Eliza copied all the letters she wrote and kept them in a binder. The letters have been passed from generation to generation. About the history of slaves, Boyd said that after emancipation, there was sort of a movement to deny that slavery happened in the United States, resulting in the tearing down of many slave quarters. The slaves had a strong oral history, though it wasn’t recorded in real time because they weren’t allowed to read and write.

Lydia asked why anyone would leave a 16-year-old girl in charge, especially outside England in the 1740s. Boyd answered that America was the New World, and everyone had to do more. Eliza’s father had invested in her education, and she thanked her father often in her letters. Later, Eliza studied the law and helped advise widowed women who didn’t have wills from their husbands.

Carla asked whether Starrat was real, and Boyd said that he was the real overseer and that overseers took over when owners were away. Some overseers had a side trade of selling children, who were often illicit combinations of owners and slaves. Boyd mentioned that the book wasn’t meant to be about slavery but that slavery was a part of the history.

Pam asked whether Boyd used any letters Eliza had received from other people. Boyd said she didn’t know of letters Eliza received. For Natasha Boyd, this is where Ben comes in. A family history was created by Eliza’s great- or great-great granddaughter. The book said that Eliza did much for the country. The book mentioned the Negro man sent from the islands to help with the indigo. In papers at the historical society, there is something about “the” Negro man dying that was changed to “a” Negro man. Boyd interpreted this as a specter of another person who was somewhat erased from the record. One letter Eliza wrote to her father (which was in the book) defends her friendship with someone. Boyd figured Ben could be considered that person in the book. She thinks maybe Eliza wrote more about him and received letters about him, so hiding or destroying those letters might be why Eliza’s received letters are not available.

There was some discussion about Eliza rarely mentioning her mother. Dennis suggested that her mother’s foibles or weaknesses might have been part of the reason her father left Eliza in charge, instead of his wife.

Dennis asked whether there was any information about the descendants of Quash the slave, who took the name John Williams on manumission. Boyd said that the house Quash had designed burned down, and that Charleston has not traditionally conserved historic places. She thought Quash was the earliest African-American architect, and she drove by the location where the house had been. The lot was still unused, but a Hotel Eliza is planned for it!

Shirley asked whether historical exhibits are open to the public. Boyd said that Eliza’s son, Charles, had a place near Mt. Pleasant and that there was another plantation where Eliza and her daughter lived. We know roughly where the 2 plantations were, but the area is now mostly developed. The Wappoo property, where Eliza lived when she planted the first indigo, is now a housing development with a plaque about Eliza and some streets named “Indigo Road” and “Betsy Road”.

Pam asked the author whether she would be writing another historical novel. Natasha Boyd said she preferred writing romances but loves when people ask her how we could have not known about Eliza Lucas Pinckney before The Indigo Girl was written. She likes the idea of bringing someone back who has been forgotten. Boyd’s publisher has asked her to write another historical novel for them. She is waiting for a historical character to inspire her! Meanwhile, she is working on another romance! Watch for it!

After receiving a message on behalf of the Book Club thanking her for her Author Visit with us, Boyd emailed back, “I had a lovely time thank you to everyone for their great questions.”

The 14 of us enjoyed the meeting so much that we stayed on Zoom after Natasha Boyd left, and we went over the discussion questions about The Indigo Girl that were in the book!