How much do you know about the life of Marjorie Meriwether Post? I admit I didn't know much beyond the fact that she was the Post cereal heir and built Mar-A-Lago. She had a full life, loved and lost, and a life of service.
Marjorie had an unusual childhood. Her family left their Texas home to seek medical care from Dr. Kellogg in Battle Creek, Michigan. Dr. Kellogg had a sanitarium where he treated patients with homeopathic treatments including clean, unprocessed food. Mr. Post regained his health after some time and thought it would be wonderful if there was a healthy, quick to prepare food mothers could serve their family. Grape Nuts cereal was born and soon became a staple in most homes.
Marjorie was definitely before her time. She had wonderful ideas to grow the Post business, but because she was a woman, could not serve on the board of directors. So, her husband at the time usually served on her behalf. Through him and the CEO she was able to guide the company to tremendous growth and success.
Her personal life was in many ways tragic. Healthy, steady relationships were a struggle. Much of the book speaks to her philanthropy and it was massive! I was not aware of the extent of it and was pleasantly surprised.
What a delight this book was to read. Marjorie's desire to serve others in life and give back was remarkable. She at times was uncomfortable with tremendous wealth when others had so little. She supported so many workers and their families. If there was a community need, she was there. After reading this book, I feel that I know Marjorie and wish I had the opportunity to befriend her.
If you love historical fiction, don't miss this one!

*I was given a copy of this book by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to review this remarkable book.

Having visited Marjorie Merriweather Post's Hillwood estate several times, I have always been interested with the woman and her history. While Allison Pataki's book is a work of historical fiction, it's obvious that Pataki has done her research on Marjorie Post's life.

Told from Marjorie's perspective, Pataki gives her readers a fascinating look into the life of an equally fascinating woman. Beginning with Marjorie's childhood and ending with her death, we're given a broad look into what made this woman (who came from humble beginnings) become the richest woman in America when she inherited the Post Cereal empire upon her father's death.

While Pataki's writing at times felt somewhat stilted and not as balanced as I would have liked, she gives us an engrossing read. Titles of additional non-fiction works on Post's life are included in the acknowledgements section, and I will definitely look into these for future readings.

I would like to thank #NetGalley and the Random House Publishing Group for providing this electronic ARC of #TheMagnificentLivesofMarjoriePost.

4.25⭐
G for a closed door historical fiction book with no steam

I have been fascinated with Marjorie Post since watching the series The Food That Built America (recommend!) and learning that without Marjorie Post, we would not have widely available frozen food. So I was absolutely thrilled to find a book on this fascinating woman!

Allison Pataki provides a comprehensive view of Marjorie Post's life from when her father was starting out and commercialized cereal to the acquisition of Birds Eye frozen foods to building her estate Mar-a-Lago to her many failed marriages. It's incredible how many small and big choices Marjorie made in her life that had a ripple down effect to our lives now and I found it fascinating.

Marjorie lived a long life and Allison worked hard to research a tell Marjorie's whole story in an accurate way. She succeeds, but this did make the book long and very dense with information. I would have loved to spend more time in Marjorie's head to see more about why she took certain actions, but this would have required a more focused timeline. It was also hard to wrap my head around how much money Marjorie spent on things because she liked having projects and made me wonder--what if Marjorie had been alive today in a time where it is normal for women to sit on boards of corporations so she could have run Post Foods?

Overall I enjoyed this book and I learned so much from it! If you're looking to learn about a historical figure you don't know but think you should or want some sort of elegant historical figure to read about, this is a great one to pick up!

Also, i'm now dying to visit Marjorie's house that was converted into a Smithsonian museum.

Such a strange book. Sure, this is quite a life. Yes, she did some good for people. However, was this really someone I cared to learn about? Not really. A woman born into a dynasty does some good stuff with her money and none of the bad is ever anything she needs to take personal responsibility for. I found it fairly boring at best and annoying at middle.

An excellent book about Marjorie Post. Many have heard the name, but I will admit that I had no idea the depth of her contributions or philanthropy. From Battle Creek where she helped her father make the first Grape Nuts and Postum in a barn all the way to the Russian Embassy, Marjorie Post lead an amazing life. Always ready for any challenge she rolled up her sleeves and got to work. From opening kitchens and buying clothes for the hungry during the Depression, to being the ambassadress to Russia and Belgium just before WWII, Marjorie Post was a force who left a lasting legacy. I highly recommend this book. Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC of this book.

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki
Posted on February 1, 2022 by Carol Early Cooney

Marjorie Merriweather Post
Dear Fellow Reader.

Finally. a book I enjoyed! I have been on a terrible dry spell. Reading along but I did not find anything that I liked. I’m not even talking about books that you want to stand on the corner and shout about. I was just ready for a book that I liked. (I was given a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion about the book.)

I found happiness in the book The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post. (Publication date 2/1/5/22) It is a historical fiction book that covers the life of Marjorie Merriweather Post. Ms. Post lived from 1887 to 1973. Quite a span of history!


Easily. I picked the book due to the subject matter. I recognized the name right away but not with any context – I just knew that I had heard it before. Upon reflection. I connected it to the Post Cereal Company but that was about as far as I could get.

Marjorie Merriweather Post (MMP) was the only daughter of C.W.Post. the inventor of Grape Nuts cereal and Postum (a warm morning drink that is a coffee substitute). The cereal and drink were invented by C.W. as a result of a “cure” that he took from Dr. Kellogg of Battle Creek. MI. The two, Post and Kellogg, battled over the new cereal industry for many years. (Okay. they probably still do…)

Marjorie and her father were very close. He had her working on the original company when she was a young teen. When they finally started making money. he sent her to a private school in Washington D.C. where he also moved. He had a huge influence on her life.

The book is divided into four sections. These sections are uneven time periods. but they reflect the several large changes in her life. It could be said that Marjorie was not lucky in love. She was very good with business and the company prospered under her (distanced) guidance. She was not allowed to take over the direct management of the company because she was a woman. Her husbands served on the board and oversaw the day-to-day decisions but she was always involved and made several of the major changes even over her husband’s objections.

She was also a philanthropist. Not only contributing to worthy causes but also fundraising for various charities. She was an art collector and had an extensive collection of Imperial-era Russian art. (This collection is on display at Hillwood. one of the properties that she owned.) She owned a yacht (which she loaned to the Navy during WWII) and a jet. She built several mansions. including Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach. FL. She knew how to spend her money on jewelry and property but did resist some of the excesses of the 1920s.

I found the story fascinating. It was a fairly quick read, and it was interesting until the very end. And I was interested enough after I read the book to lookup more about Marjorie Merriweather Post. A few interesting tidbits:

Glenn Close is the granddaughter of MMP’s first husband. Edward Close.
Dina Merrill was the daughter of MMP and E. F. Hutton. She was an actress
MMP’s third husband was the Ambassador to Russia before WWII.
There are so many other little things that made it an interesting read.

Thanks for reading!

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki is a work of historical fiction. There were several things that lead me to read this book. First and foremost, I am a huge Allison Pataki fan. Her stellar writing and research make all her books worth reading. Secondly, I am a graduate of CW Post College in New York. Thirdly I wanted to know more about this fascinating woman. Fans of historical fiction are in for a treat when this book is published in February 2022. I adore historical fiction and this author and subject were a win-win for me.

Marjorie Merriweather Post’s story begins when she is a young child in a very desperate situation. Her parents have nothing and have taken the last of their money to find medical help for the father who it appears is beyond help from medical science. Ultimately her father finds faith and wholesome food. He has the idea to start a company that would not only be time saving for the average wife and mother but be nutritious as well. Her family starts out making what ultimately is known as GrapeNuts Cereal. Marjorie’s job was to glue the labels to the boxes. Her story only grows from there.

CW Post becomes successful in mass-producing tasty breakfast foods and marketing them to a needy public. CW was a unique man and awesome father. He believed that education was just as important for girls as it was for boys. He wanted his daughter to be “as proficient with dance cards and teacups as with machinery and balance ledgers.”

The founding of the Post Cereal Company was fascinating, as was when Marjorie later purchased a small company from Massachusetts named Birdseye. Marjorie was a very smart and savvy businesswoman, who obviously recognizes a good thing when she saw it. This vision of frozen food turned the Post Cereal Company into General Foods and a multi-million dollar company. This was the late 1920's when not everyone even had electricity but Marjorie’s vision was introducing frozen foods to the American public.

Marjorie was a wonderful woman who quickly finds herself in several bad marriages (four of them to be exact) full of disappointment, heartbreak and sadness. One would think that she lived a ‘charmed’ life. Unfortunately, her life it was marked by sadness, trials and tribulations, as well as, betrayals. Marjorie was an extremely strong woman who faced her disappointments and challenges head on. She remained armed with her father’s philosophy - if she wants to change her circumstance, then she needs to change her attitude – self-pity simply will not do.

Marjorie finds a lifelong purpose in helping those less fortunate. She was also an American Patriot. She was a philanthropist her entire life. One incident that stands out for me was during the war, Marjorie found out there were no hospitals in France taking care of our servicemen. She filled up a navy ship with supplies and sent it on it’s way to help start a hospital. Unfortunately, the ship was attacked and sunk. Did that discourage Marjorie? Nope. She filled up another ship and sent that on its way to help our soldiers. Totally selfless and awe inspiring. What makes Marjorie Post stand out is not her money, (although I am sure it helped) but what she did with it. She did enjoy the comforts and grandeur her money affords her, but she never forgot her humble beginnings.

Marjorie Merriweather Post lived through the Civil War, both World Wars, the great depression, the Spanish Flu, the Suffrage movement and became the first woman director of a multi-million dollar company. Truly her life was a roller coaster ride but it was a magnificent ride. Marjorie had an incredible life and this book has a lot of the real history of that life.

Brilliantly crafted, the story of Marjorie Merriweather Post offers a character filled with humanity and love. Allison Pataki’s writing moves the story along quite smoothly and has created a truly heartfelt and memorable read.

I can’t say enough about this book. Allison Pataki has done it again! Her talents are on full display in this winner of a book. Do I dare say what will she do for an encore? Well done! I have a distinct feeling that this will stay at the top of my best reads for 2022.

I would like to thank Random House, Allison Pataki and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! A fascinating woman who seemed to be in the right place at the right time for so many major moments of the last 100 years. I can't seem to believe that I didn't know anything about her before. Due to her wealth and standing in society I would have thought to have heard of her before. And as someone who has lived near DC her whole life, makes it stranger. Planning on going to her house this spring to see everything for myself!

Besides having her hands somehow involved in doing so much good for our country, she certainly had a rollercoaster of a love life. The fact that she kept trying to find her person only to have them fail her was incredibly sad. The only note of fault I had for this book is that until she faced trouble in each of her marriages, everything seemed golden for her. She kept making more money, she kept getting more famous, she kept building these big fabulous mansions, everything she touched turned to gold. It made her come off a little one-sided? Like she could do no wrong? And she had nothing at all to do with the failures of her marriage(s)? Not that I think she did, but it just came off like she had no faults whatsoever which is just really hard t believe.

Anyway, reading this book was fascinating! Makes me wonder how many unsung heroes are lurking out there. Allison Pataki's books are always eye-opening reads!

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Ballentine Books, and Allison Pataki for the advanced copy.

What an enjoying, interesting book. This woman had so much happen in her life that it is fascinating. She was smart and shrewd woman that made her way and triumphed in what was a man’s world. The author did a great job bringing forth Marjorie’s personality and intelligence. You won’t be bored reading this book.
#netgalley #randonhouse #allisonpatiki #themagnificantlifeofmarjoriemeriweatherpost

I was given an ARC of The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki, Ballantine Books and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Marjorie Post is someone who's name I knew, and that was about it. I was and still am a fan of Grape Nuts cereal, so reading about how it came about was interesting, including the rivalry between Charles Post and the Kellogg brothers. Her family went from destitute to one of the richest families in the United States in the early 1900's, which changed the course of Marjorie's life.

While still considered "new money" by the staunch and snobbish 400 list created by Caroline Astor, Marjorie Post lived a life to the fullest, marrying four times, owning expensive jewels and artwork, living in notable residences and rubbing elbows with the elite. Reading her story had me flipping pages so fast, absorbing her remarkable life.

Marjorie Merriweather Post, heiress to Post Cereal and General Foods, did not start her life well off. Her family went through health struggles that almost bankrupted them, but came out of it with the idea for breakfast cereal. This story goes through her entire life, from a childhood in Michigan to her four marriages.

This was a really interesting read! I loved reading about the changes to her life, not only due to the change in fortune, but the change of the times. Marjorie had so much wealth and while she loved her luxuries, she also started charities and put her money to use to help others. The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post was a fascinating read about a historical figure that I knew nothing about.

Marjorie Post - what a woman!!! I knew of Marjorie as a philanthropist but this book helped provide a bit more context on more of her life - even though this was a historical fiction book. Allison Pataki has taken this woman's life and created a wonderful story that is engaging and captured the essence of a true American heiress.

Historical fiction is tricky. It's really easy to go and become bodice rippers. This isn't the case. This is a fabulous example of historical fiction and what can happen when it's done well.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

If you like historical fiction that focuses on the unsung female figures in history then this might be one you want to pick up. The book tells the story of Marjorie Merriweather Post-heiress to the Post Foods company. The book covers Marjorie's life starting with the arrival of her poor family in Battle Creek to seek treatment for her father's mystery illness, through the building of the post empire. The book deftly tells Marjorie's story as she has untold financial riches but continuously comes up empty in the love department. This was a fascinating woman who had many adventures and did a lot of good in the world. Will recommend to patrons. Note to Allision Pataki-No way Battle Creek beat the Muskegon team! :-)

Publication Date: February 15, 2022 I was given an ARC of The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki by NetGalley and Ballantine Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I had never heard of Marjorie Post before seeing this book on a Goodreads giveaway. Then, after reading the blurb about her being the Post cereal heir who was known as much for her vast wealth as she was for her philanthropic efforts, I was intrigued and wanted to know more. This book did not disappoint. This is top-notch historical fiction writing.

The book follows Marjorie’s life from the time when she and her parents arrive in Battle Creek, Michigan so her father can take the healing efforts of Dr. Kellogg and his sanitorium. Kellogg has hundreds if not thousands of patients, and Marjorie’s father finds that his cures involving bland foods and something called breakfast cereal leave much to be desired. Through the care of the woman who runs the boarding house they are staying at, Majorie’s father, C.W., soon starts getting better.

When C.W. starts feeling better, he gets the idea to make breakfast easier for women, a more appealing cereal than the one Kellogg is pushing on his patients. The result is Grape Nuts, and it’s an instant success. Like, phenomenal success. Soon they’re insanely rich, so C.W. sends Majorie to school in near Washington, D.C. and builds a home there. In a few more years, he’s building a mansion in Greenwich, Connecticut. And let’s not forget a home in New York City as well.

Without going into a blow-by-blow description of her four marriages, Marjorie meets her first husband when she’s just about to graduate (at age 16), and her husband is a Knickerbocker, one of the oldest and wealthiest families of New York, one of the famed 400 group of snooty, old money that turns down their nose at new money. But times are changing. The Vanderbilts busted their way into society, and that means Marjorie is acceptable to the old crowd. Ed Close, a Columbia law student, is smitten with her. As soon as Marjorie graduates, they get married and her father gifts her the mansion in Greenwich.

But ultimately the marriage doesn’t work though they do have two daughters, Marjorie’s father dies leaving her the heir of the Post empire, but because she’s a woman, she can’t actually help run the company. She’s got more money than she knows what to do with, and World War I leads Marjorie to philanthropic work, helping found a portable hospital on the Western front.

With her second husband, Ned, Marjorie suggests the expansion of Post cereals. Soon they’re acquiring Jell-O, Hellman’s mayonnaise and more. So they rebrand and become General Foods. They even invest in the new frozen foods market with the acquisition of Birdseye. The money keeps pouring in. They build houses in the Adirondacks, buy a 300-foot yacht, and begin building an estate in Palm Beach called Mar-A-Lago. Yes, the very same. Marjorie has another daughter, does more philanthropic work, and eventually finds herself in the same boat as before–filing for divorce.

The Great Depression hits, but because people still need to eat, General Foods and it’s profits are unmarred by the economic collapse across the globe. Marjorie meets Joe, who’s got the ear of President Franklin Roosevelt, and it’s expected he’ll be offered an ambassadorship. After courting for a while, they decide to get married, but there’s one problem: Joe’s married, but separated for years from his wife, who is currently living in London. So he asks for a divorce, and Washington society turns it’s back on Marjorie, calling her a homewrecker (Joe’s wife spent years in Washington making the rounds as a charming society hostess) and refusing to invite her to social functions and refusing her invites.

Finally, Joe’s ambassadorship comes through, but it’s not to London or Paris as he expected. It’s Moscow. Knowing how the country has been run since the revolution that killed Czar Nicholas and his family, Marjorie packs 30 trunks, 50 suitcases, and tons of food. The residence they live in needs major renovation, and since that’s something Marjorie is very good at, she soon whips the ambassador’s house is ready for guests.

Through their time in Russia, Marjorie is able to acquire countless treasures that used to belong to the Czar’s family, dating back to Catherine the Great, including Faberge’ treasures, paintings, jewels and more. But ill health forces Joe and Marjorie back to the United States for a short time. When they return to Russia, things are icier with their contacts. Soon, Joe is recalled to Washington and hears that Russia has made a deal with Germany. And the president wants to send him to Luxembourg. Eventually Russia gets screwed over by Hitler and joins the Allies, and we all know how the war ends.

As with her previous two marriages, this one begins to crumble, too, so she files for divorce. But it isn’t long before she meets husband #4, who turns out to be the biggest loser of them all. Marjorie contents herself to realize she may be unlucky in love, but she certainly is not unlucky in life. She’s the richest woman in the United States, with homes all over the country filled with precious treasures, good relationships with her daughters (for a movie buff like me, it was interesting to find out that actress Dina Merrill was her daughter–I always thought she should have had a bigger career than what she had), and tons of philanthropic efforts both named and unnamed.

Obviously, I thought this book was a big hit. The only complaint I had was in one or two sections regarding Franklin Roosevelt, who was said to have walked in with Eleanor with some difficulty. While FDR could “walk” short distances with braces and leaning heavily on a strong man like a serviceman or his son, James, there’s no way FDR walked into a room and mingled with is wife. I thought this was common knowledge. I know that while FDR was living, he went to great lengths, and the press cooperated, with not letting people know that he was in fact paralyzed, but in 2022, to let people think that. I thought the oversight ruined an overall fantastic book.

I love Pataki’s historical fiction novels. She does extensive research and is able to give the female historical figure such a specific personality! This holds true in her newest novel The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post. I didn’t know anything about her other than assuming she was a part of the Post Corp. known for Post Cereals. So many fascinating aspects of her life are handled in this novel: the rivalry between Post and Kellogg, her four very different marriages, her role as Ambassadress of Russia during Stalin, and her abundant philanthropic works. This was a great read and taught me so much about a part of history that I knew very little about. I will continue to read Pataki’s novels because I know I will be entertained and educated.

I didn’t know anything about Marjorie Merriweather Post before I read this book, but I was absolutely fascinated by her life! Allison Pataki paints such a vivid picture of a complicated and incredibly interesting woman who lived a life that sounds like a fantasy. I learned so much but was thoroughly entertained the whole time. If you’re interested in history, socialites, government, family sagas, romance—this is the book for you.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for an advance reader’s copy.

I did a happy dance of excitement when I was approved for this book. I have been a huge fan of Pataki for years. I know I will learn so much from her novels, often introducing me to women I am unfamiliar. I knew next to nothing about Marjorie Post. Just a few pages in, I was looking up Post history online.
Post had great wealth, but she was extremely benevolent and generous. I did enjoy reading about her time in Russia and her snapping up so many treasures. I wish she could have purchased them all. Post’s one failing was her choice in men, four times wrong.
Post was an extraordinary woman and the author does an excellent job of depicting her life.
The cover is dreamy.

I became a fan of Ms. Pataki’s after reading the beautifully written Beauty in Broken Places. So, I jumped at the chance to read this book. From the beautiful cover to the great story, it drew me in from the beginning.

I knew the name of Marjorie Merriweather Post, but not her story. What a life lived! From humble beginnings to the cereal and frozen food empire to her philanthropy efforts and over the top style, entertaining and love life, this book will keep you entertained and engrossed from beginning to end. Ms. Post enjoyed her riches but, gave so much to so many. Fun to read all the high profile people that were in her circle.

Thanks to Ms. Pataki, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

What a wonderful book! And so interesting! Most everyone has heard of Post cereal and many of us did the Grape-Nuts breakfast when dieting in the 70s (ha). I never realized how all came to be. The relationship to Kelloggs (who the man was to Mr Post) General Foods and frozen Birdseye foods. Majorie was the daughter and heiress to Post. She had an exciting life with several husbands, all with recognizable names of interest. Homes from Palm Beach (original owner of Mar-A-Lago) to NY and DC and living abroad. Such an interesting book and well written historical fiction. Highly recommend. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC and to Susan Meissner for the recommendation.

Wow I had no idea how interesting and entertaining I'd find this book! Every page is a gem of fun, amazing facts told as a story about this truly "Magnificent" woman.

Definitely a page-turner... I kept wanting to find out "what happened next" to Marjorie and "which famous person" would she next meet during her fabulous life that rivaled that of any royalty. I also came to like and admire her, as well as feel bad for the many losses in her life. I wanted to cheer her on as she navigated both business and politics, family drama, and the question of "How should she spend ALL this money?"

This is a bit of American history I wish I'd come to know earlier in my own life.

A fabulous book club pick, interesting also to those who love biographies, historical fiction, or dramas! Only an instance or two of language and no graphic scenes.