The inspiration behind the HBO Max
limited series formerly in development,
directed by Susanna Fogel and
co-executive produced by Cathy Patttap
About Cathy
Cathy Pattap is a writer and English teacher originally from Columbus, OH. She received her BA in English from Emory University in 2004 and her MA from New York University in 2006. She was the co-executive producer of the HBO Max scripted limited series formerly in development based on Beatrice's War. She has written for Bloomberg Businessweek, and she has worked the writing desk at CNN. A strong and comfortable speaker, she has been quoted in major outlets including NPR, Forbes, Bloomberg News, The Columbus Dispatch, Columbus Monthly, Financial Planning, and dozens of podcasts such as Criminal, Friends Talk Money, A Life's Story, and Psychology of Aging. Beatrice's War is her first book.
“Cathy has a profound talent for storytelling. I've always admired her keen eye and endless appetite to examine the intricate complexities that make us all human.”
Ali Soufan, author of The New York Times bestseller The Black Banners and former FBI Supervisory Special Agent
“This is a remarkable story: a feisty matriarch fleeced and abused by her grandsons; a storied dynasty splintering into dysfunction; a granddaughter getting involved from far away and coming to terms with her own history; and a financial giant exposed in all its slimy greed. Cathy Pattap has written a compelling narrative that you will not want to stop reading.”
Mark Bauerlein, bestselling author of The Dumbest Generation
Beatrice’s War: A Fractured Family Dynasty. Elder Abuse.
Millions in Financial Fraud.
Ninety-seven-year-old Beatrice Donivan’s legal victory against the biggest bank in the world, T.J. Goodman, and two of her own grandsons made financial headlines around the globe.
Now, Beatrice's granddaughter Cathy reveals that her cousins' crimes were not merely financial, but also deeply personal--and all too common.
Beatrice’s War is a story of defiance in a world that wishes to see you shrink away and warns readers of the real and irreversible consequences of elder abuse, financial fraud, and how family money can sow the seeds of generational conflict.
This book offers a rare and unflinching look at the fiercely private Donivan clan, one of America’s most influential and philanthropic families. It’s a story about how money can tear a family apart and about the multigenerational roots of the entitlement that allowed Beatrice’s grandsons to justify fraud and deceit.
In 2020, then 94-year-old Beatrice Donivan, the matriarch of the Donivan oil dynasty, was cross-examined for more than eleven hours in a financial industry arbitration that captured media attention worldwide. Beatrice sought restitution for unauthorized trading by her financial advisor grandsons and accused them of abusing their fiduciary duty, making fraudulent misrepresentations, and elder abuse. In 2021, the final binding decision and $19 million award made seismic headlines, but few people knew the inside story of what Beatrice had endured.
In a candid narrative that reaches beyond Michael and Roy Donivan’s crimes, Beatrice’s granddaughter Cathy details the warning signs of elder abuse and wrestles with the origins of family dysfunction and betrayal–all while weaving together a powerful and detailed story that captures and honors her grandmother’s legacy.
Inspired by a true story, it’s a timely and important book, shining a bright light on what even the most vulnerable can accomplish when refusing to be intimidated or governed by fear.
“You're never too old to stand up for yourself and try to right an injustice.”
Cathy Pattap, quoted by Bloomberg News
Contact
Cathy Pattap is available for media interviews and speaking engagements. Please email or call:
Sam Mitchell
Hilsinger-Mendelson Inc.
smitchell@hmieast.com
646-784-4080