Queen Bee: Roxanne Quimby, Burt's Bees, and Her Quest for a New National Park

by Phyllis Austin

In this fascinating biography of the woman behind the wildly successful line of natural skin care products known as Burt's Bees, veteran journalist Phyllis Austin provides insight into Roxanne Quimby s background, her determination, and her desire to protect Maine s wilderness by establishing a national park in the north woods. Born in Massachusetts, Roxanne Quimby made herself a success. She changed a roadside honey stand into a juggernaut company worth hundreds of millions of dollars before selling it to Clorox in 2007. She then turned her attention to her longstanding interest: conservation. Quimby has purchased more than 120,000 acres of Maine forest to preserve it. Not everyone in the Katahdin region welcomed Quimby s efforts with open arms, and this well-researched book chronicles the ups and downs of Roxanne s quest for a national park in a way no other book has.

Genres: Nonfiction

385 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2014

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
(1)novels
Phyllis Austin (1888-1979) , neé Coke was a British novelist wife of actor Edward Rigby.

(2)outdoors and nature
Phyllis Austin (1943-) is a professional journalist whose focus has been on environmental issues for many years. Most of her career was with Maine Times, a statewide weekly, the Associated Press, and numerous magazines and newspapers."

Reviews

[Penny · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took me a long time to finish this book. Normally when I find a book boring at the beginning, I quit because life is too short and I have too many other great book choices. However, I stuck with it because I was very interested in the quest for a new national park and after a visit last summer to Millinocket, ME, I couldn't imagine why in the world the people who live here would not want a national park. The town is a ghost town and dying even more since we visited last June. I stuck with finishing the book but should have skipped to the last few chapters. I still don't understand the logic of the locals for the opposition or for the leaders in Maine following suit. Maine will not be able to thrive without some business and logging is not going to be a sustainable future for them anymore. Logged land is for sale everywhere in the area and developers are snatching up the land. I am not exactly sure who will buy and build on these lots unless it is wealthy folks looking for a vacation home in the Maine woods. What good will that be for the local folks of Maine?

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up so many different times during the last year and a half. I skimmed parts of it but found other parts very engaging. I really would rate it 3.5 stars but because I learned much about Roxanne Quimby’s passion for nature and preservation and entrepreneurship I decided I’m glad I read about this pioneer and her determination!

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating story. Roxanne Quimby has many obnoxious traits but you have to admire her vision, creativity, and drive. Austin is good at presenting both sides of both Roxanne as an entrepreneur and of her proposal for a protected land tract in the North Woods.

[Dory · Rating 4 out of 5]

As befits a first rate journalist, Phyllis Austin conducted exhaustive research into Roxanne Quimby’s heritage, personal history, business development, and conservation aspirations to develop this comprehensive biography of Quimby and Burt’s Bees. However I found that the level of detail mired the book’s readability. I can only imagine the material that didn’t make it into the text, but even tighter editing would have made for a more compelling read. That said, it’s a very well balanced portrayal of a controversial figure.

[Roger · Rating 5 out of 5]

A remarkably in-depth look at a remarkable woman (with whom I attended high school). Her phenomenal success and her desire to achieve her goal(s) are inspirational. Anyone interested in the history of Burt's Bees, and/or the state of Maine should feed their eyes on this extremely well written account.