The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post

Allison Pataki

Publication date: February 15, 2022 by Ballantine Books

Genre: Historical Fiction

Rating: 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mrs. Post, the President and First Lady are here to see you.. . . So begins another average evening for Marjorie Merriweather Post. Presidents have come and gone, but she has hosted them all. Growing up in the modest farmlands of Battle Creek, Michigan, Marjorie was inspired by a few simple rules: always think for yourself, never take success for granted, and work hard–even when deemed American royalty, even while covered in imperial diamonds. Marjorie had an insatiable drive to live and love and to give more than she got. From crawling through Moscow warehouses to rescue the Tsar’s treasures to outrunning the Nazis in London, from serving the homeless of the Great Depression to entertaining Roosevelts, Kennedys, and Hollywood’s biggest stars, Marjorie Merriweather Post lived an epic life few could imagine.

Marjorie’s journey began gluing cereal boxes in her father’s barn as a young girl. No one could have predicted that C. W. Post’s Cereal Company would grow into the General Foods empire and reshape the American way of life, with Marjorie as its heiress and leading lady. Not content to stay in her prescribed roles of high-society wife, mother, and hostess, Marjorie dared to demand more, making history in the process. Before turning thirty she amassed millions, becoming the wealthiest woman in the United States. But it was her life-force, advocacy, passion, and adventurous spirit that led to her stunning legacy.

And yet Marjorie’s story, though full of beauty and grandeur, set in the palatial homes she built such as Mar-a-Lago, was equally marked by challenge and tumult. A wife four times over, Marjorie sought her happily-ever-after with the blue-blooded party boy who could not outrun his demons, the charismatic financier whose charm turned to betrayal, the international diplomat with a dark side, and the bon vivant whose shocking secrets would shake Marjorie and all of society. Marjorie did everything on a grand scale, especially when it came to love.

My Thoughts:

What a fantastically entertaining and awe-inspiring woman! This is not a person I would have looked into reading about. Heck it’s not even a person I even knew about. Certainly the last name Post made me think of Post Cereal and I was intrigued by that alone. Allison Pataki writes biographical fiction as well as anyone else in the business. Pataki sheds a light on a woman who, along with her father, symbolizes a true rags to riches story. Her extraordinary vision helped expand the Post Cereal Company into a business that redefined American food choices. Marjorie was a vital component to the war effort during both the 1st and 2nd World Wars. Through her wealth she was able to acquire a large quantity of Russian art and jewelry which probably saved it from being either lost or otherwise forgotten about. While some might get disgusted by how Marjorie seems to need a man in her life, I found that including this part of her was important to understanding her. Marjorie enjoyed her wealth, her life status, and the opportunities she had as a result of the two. A simply riveting story about a remarkable woman!

I received a copy of this title via NetGalley.