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Beatrice Cadbury

  • Long-listed in the International Rubery Book Award 2012
  • ALLi Book of the Month
  • Quaker Centre Bookshop’s Book of the Month
  • Kobo bestseller #1 in Political Biography & Memoir

Order the paperback from Waterstones, Quaker Book Centre, Foyles Grand Central, Bournville Carillon Visitors Centre, Hive, Wordery, Amazon UK or Amazon.com. Also available as an eBook on KINDLE and KOBO. Download a free Reading Guide for Book Groups.

BEATRICE The Cadbury Heiress Who Gave Away Her Fortune

Beatrice Cadbury, daughter of the world-famous chocolate empire, grew up with all the privileges: a fine mansion with servants, a well-rounded education and the chance to travel the world and see all its glories. But being a ‘have’ in a world of ‘have-nots’ was troubling, and in 1920 she decided to ‘give back’ all the Cadbury shares she had inherited to the Bournville factory workers … with unexpected consequences.
Join Beatrice on her astonishing journey from respectable Quaker girl to bold anti-capitalist and peace activist, as she and her Dutch husband, Kees Boeke, relentlessly pursued their vision of a fairer and more equal society.

Publisher: Foxwell Press
Formats: Paperback £14.99 £12.99 ISBN 9780957093409 Kindle eBook £7.20 Kobo £7.00
Category: Biography/Women; Biography/Historical
Buy now from good bookshops or Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com or Kobo Books.

REVIEWS AND READER COMMENTS

“The Cadbury story is an important one, not only for Birmingham and Bournville, but for British industry and business at large… Fiona Joseph brings the vital story to life with great wit and eloquence. I was hooked.”
Sathnam Sanghera, The Times journalist, author of Marriage Material and The Boy With The Topknot: A Memoir of Love, Secrets and Lies in Wolverhampton
“The whole Beatrice book is marvellous. I have to admit that the story of the Dutch queen sending her children to the revolutionary school of Beatrice and her husband had me in tears.” Mike King, author of Quakernomics: An Ethical Capitalism
“Unusual for a biography, this new book has a highly compelling narrative. Its clear literary style and dramatic storyline make it hard to put down. But it is also immensely thought provoking and surprisingly contemporary in the decade of Occupy and banker’s bonuses.” Reviewed by Chris Pettit, Just Film, on goddiscussion.com
“Beatrice was an exceptional woman, and her lifelong quest to create a fairer and more equal society is inspirational, if at times, bordering on self-destruction. The issues raised by her life – how the 1% of those who have most material wealth or power treat the 99% of those who have less — are timeless, and utterly relevant today. She lived a long and eventful life and in structure, Joseph favours a traditional approach, taking us chronologically through from birth to death.

You won’t find psychoanalytical or feminist theorising here. No faction. Little dialogue. A minimum of scene setting. Yet because Beatrice’s decisions are so extraordinary, and because Joseph’s writing style is so clear and engaged, this life story has the grip of a novel. The author’s careful and caring hand turns her straightforward presentation of what happened when into a compelling biography that in the reading becomes a great deal than the sum of its facts.”
Orna Ross, Founder of the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), review in http://indieebookreview.wordpress.com/2012/09/04/beatrice-by-fiona-joseph/

“Just finished @FionaJoseph’s new book. It’s absolutely brilliant. Surely one of the non-fiction books of 2012! Rarely do you find a biography with such a gripping narrative.” David Viner, Librarian
“This is a fascinating read. 8½/10. Inspiration factor 9/10.”
Rickie Josen, reviewed in full on her blog
“Inspiring and thought-provoking book for our age. The anti-capitalist heiress who gave away her fortune to the workers. A great read.” Emma Whittle, Writer and TV researcher
“I found it an extremely good read. The subject is obviously wonderful, and someone I knew nothing about although I sense her work permeates the world in various ways still. The narrative was brilliantly played out, and her sometime exasperating character was very real, as was Kees’. I shall certainly recommend it, particularly to Dutch and Quaker friends.” Jonathan Davidson, Writing West Midlands
“Fiona Joseph’s story of the Boekes is a fascinating look at a quest for purity and righteousness – both in its pitfalls and its promises – and would be a good and humbling meditation for anyone who has ever considered “going all in” and uncompromisingly living by the standard of their most idealistic hopes.” David M. 4/5 stars Goodreads.com
“Fiona Joseph has managed to unearth an impressive amount of information about the intriguing life of Betty Cadbury … The picture she has painted of Betty’s life not only sheds new light on a fascinating history but is a very ‘good read’ as well.” Daniela Hooghiemstra, Biographer of Kees Boeke, Amsterdam University
“The book is meticulously researched and written in a lively fashion that really engages us with the subject and her wider family and times. I can honestly say that I loved this book. I urge locals and non-locals who are interested in social and political principles and protest, social history or just people, to read this book.” Liz Broomfield, reviewed on Libro Editing blog
“I read, with admiration, of the Quakers; the Cadbury set-up at Bournville; the early 20thC peace movement; the Nazis in Holland and of an exciting educational experiment: the Werkplaats – giving kids a rounded education to enable them to succeed in life rather than in league tables. Mr Gove could learn a thing or two.” Michael Holliday’s blog review
“The story of Beatrice takes us on a roller-coaster ride leaving the reader unable to put the book down as it moves from one cliffhanger to the next. Mandatory reading for bankers … the book has kept me thinking all week about money and how we use it.” Mike Albutt, reviewed in the Green Paper
“It ticks a lot of boxes of contemporary interest: a tale of a determined woman who sought to change things for the better; about idealism and a quite remarkable degree of integrity; and in the background … the story of Cadbury, run by businessmen who cared as much about the wider society as turning a profit. Now, Matthew Parris, need a suggestion for Great Lives?” Reviewed by Enko on Amazon.co.uk*****
“Have just finished Beatrice Cadbury. Really enjoyed it – fascinating insight into a most remarkable woman. Lots of food for thought.” Angela Day, Reader Development Librarian, Solihull Libraries

About the Author
Fiona Joseph is a former university lecturer and textbook writer who now runs her own publishing company, Flo-Joe, for EFL exam preparation. She also writes short stories, language learner fiction and narrative non-fiction, with an emphasis on Life Writing. She is a member of Tindal Street Fiction Group, The Biographer’s Club and The Society of Authors. She lives with her husband and two children in Birmingham, approximately five miles from the Cadbury chocolate factory at Bournville.

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