4.25. Absolutely loved this book. A wonderful historical fiction about Marjorie Merriweather Post, an incredible forward thinking prescient woman on so many fronts: heiress to the Post cereal empire ( now General Foods), diplomatic doyenne, enterprising businesswoman, socialite, art collector, and philanthropist. Yet, her life was not as easy as people might expect. An incredible life story spanning from the early 1900s to her death, including her time as a diplomats wife in Russia. Wonderfully researched novel by Alison Pataki. Thank you Netgalley for providing me an advance copy in exchange for an unbiased and candid review.

If asked, I wonder which aspect of Marjorie Post's magnificent lives Allison Pataki would name as more meaningful: her 4 marriages (and 4 divorces), her astounding wealth, her philanthropy, or her ability to design, build, and inhabit multiple luxurious properties. Because as far as I can tell from this hagiography, Pataki doesn't think there's much else to say about her (aside from a bit about her refusal to be subservient to any man).

Somehow, Pataki has managed to fill up 400 pages with descriptions of jewels and houses and travel and marriages going down the drain. To be fair, there's also a lot about Post's drive to give back, to make her wealth useful not just to herself, but to her country. But all of it, from Fabergé to feminism, is given only the most surface treatment, which is a shame, because the worthiness of Post as a subject comes through loud and clear. I think I'll have to read one of the biographies recommended at the end if I want to get anything like a real sense of the woman, though.

A whirlwind look at the luxury-filled life of Marjorie Post, Pataki's book takes us from Post's early childhood with her struggling parents, through the rise of her family's industry and wealth, and in and out of four wildly different marriages. Pataki makes the interesting choice to present everything with a similar weight, such that her lightly fictionalized version of Post tosses off laundry lists of her expensive treasures or famous friends with the same breezy quality she enters or exits a marriage, has a child, or announces a war has begun or ended. Post's father dies in a page. She falls in love in a page. She buys her next yacht or finds her husband cheating in a page. We rarely settle into a scene and we often end a chapter as soon as a major event has occurred, such that we skip over Post's reaction, creating a read with a distinct emotional remove. I'd be curious to read another account that's more selective with the story, so the events depicted had more room to breathe and the characters had more space with which to grapple with grief or desire. Or an account that focuses on a specific tension in Post's life, such as the differences in how she approached business vs. marriage, or how she enjoyed luxury but also engaged in significant philanthropy, or how she found her own version of leadership during years when she had to cede so much leadership to men. There's so much material and there are so many ways into this story. This particular version gives us a broad sweep of Post's life as a daughter, wife, and mother with an emphasis on the famous people she encountered, the homes she had built, and the belongings she amassed throughout her lifetime.

This book is a first-person account of a fascinating woman I knew very little about. THE MAGNIFICENT LIVES OF MARJORIE POST is a compelling, fast paced historical novel that touches on changing social movements, politics, business, and gender roles throughout the 20th century — from one of my favorite historical novelists, Allison Pataki.

Born into a poor Midwest family, Marjorie Merriweather Post (1887-1973) becomes the sole heiress of her father’s (C.W. Post) entrepreneurial efforts (Postum Cereal Co.) and, although limited by the gender expectations of her day, turns it into the company we now know as General Foods. Along the way, there are four marriages, three children, and plenty of opportunities to mingle among the rich and powerful — with names like Kellogg, Vanderbilt, and Roosevelt.

Marjorie lives a life of unimaginable luxury (300 ft. yacht, jewels from Russian tsars, and builds multiple mansions including Mar-a-Lago — yes, the same one Donald Trump today owns.) and becomes the preeminent social hostess of her day. But unlike many who come from wealth, she also uses her private funds to do quite a bit of good in the world. Her efforts help people survive war injuries, transport soldiers, feed families, and navigate The Great Depression.

Author Allison Pataki acknowledges in her Author’s Note that she greatly admires Marjorie Post and that definitely comes across in the novel. While I too came to admire her, I have to say that Post comes across in this book as a near-perfect human, even superhuman. Her marriages fail but she somehow is always the victim. Her children grow up with nannies and elite private schools but they turn out attentive and loving. Even one-time enemies become her friends. As a result, I found Post somewhat LESS than three-dimensional. I, for one, would have appreciated a few flaws.

The woman is nonetheless fascinating, her story provides interesting glimpses into world politics in a transformational century, and the book is a fast read. So, enjoy! As I did.

Genre: historical fiction
Pub date: 2/15/22
In one sentence: Follow the magnificent Marjorie Merriweather Post from the founding of her father's Post cereal company through her four marriages, management of General Foods, and ambassadorial and philanthropic work.

Historical fiction needs a great protagonist, and Pataki has a special one in Merriweather Post. I loved her determination and inner fire - we see her develop from a young girl to a Gilded Age queen to a humanitarian. Her life changed so much with each marriage, and I was so invested in her story and personal development. She took on the challenges of running her food empire with aplomb; sadly, most women find her struggles in a male-dominated world familiar. As an art history lover, I also enjoyed learning about her art collection and penchant for design - the construction of Mar-a-Lago was definitely a highlight.

I think historical fiction fans will love this one - especially readers who like linear timelines and single perspectives. Normally, I like more structural complexity, but I appreciated how the single narrator style immersed me in Marjorie's story. 4.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to Ballantine Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review posted to Goodreads 12/22/21, to be posted to Instagram closer to pub date.

I found this account of Marjorie Post’s life truly fascinating. I will admit, I knew very little of her personal story even though my mom grew up in Battle Creek in the Post Addition, went to Post Elementary School, and I am employed in the cereal industry. While I found the entirety of the book engaging, my personal connection to her time in Battle Creek made those years of her life most interesting to me.
Highly recommend.
I received and ARC via NetGalley and have pre-ordered to share with family and friends.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I have to say that I love a book in which I can say I learned something. Indeed, I have shared more than one historical fact about Marjorie Merriwether Post with friends. What an extraordinary life she was given and worked for and appears to have been generous to employees and benevolent to others. I would definitely categorize this novel as more historical biography. For some reason I did not like how the author ended most chapters with hanging introductions to the next chapter (if that makes sense?). Maybe because it was just used so commonly. Probably just a personal preference.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House and Allison Pataki for an advance digital copy of this book.
This novel covers the life of Marjorie Merriweather Post and what a life she led. Indeed, several lives in one including businesswoman, philanthropist and socialite. She rose from humble beginnings and ended up one of the wealthiest women in the world at the time of her death at 86 in 1973. Marjorie Post was the heiress of the Post Cereal Company which became General Foods. She had four marriages with three daughters, one of whom was the actress Dina Merrill. I found the part of the book detailing her third marriage to Joseph Davies (1935) extremely interesting. He was the ambassador to Russia from 1936 to 1938. It was during the time the couple lived in Moscow that Marjorie started her extensive collection of Russian jewelry and art. Hillwood, her former estate in Washington DC, is now a museum where her collection can be viewed.. Allison Pataki is an excellent writer and meticulous researcher. The book flows seamlessly from Marjorie’s childhood through her older years. The author’s notes at the end of the book are a very nice (and helpful) addition. I had a difficult time putting this novel down! Fans of historic fiction are in for a treat when this book is published in February 2022.

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post is the book I didn’t know I wanted to be written but am over the moon that Allison Pataki penned this amazing story of an incredible woman.

I grew up in a suburban town in Maryland, a twenty-minute ride from Washington DC, and every summer visited The Merriweather Post Pavilion for concerts. One of my fondest memories is seeing Harry Chapin perform there. Never did I consider what Merriweather Post meant, and certainly didn’t think it was someone’s name. So of course, this book holds a personal interest to me, as I got the opportunity to learn so much about this remarkable woman.

Marjorie Merriweather Post was an impressively smart and loving woman who was the heir to the Post fortune. (Post as in Post cereal and later General Foods.) Learning about the formidable Dr. Kellogg and his healing methods led Marjorie’s father, CW Post to compete against him in creating a healthy breakfast. That part of the story, on its own, could’ve been an entire book. Top that with her inability to run the company because she’s a WOMAN (ugh), her multiple marriages (four), her building of palatial homes (compounds), her extraordinary philanthropic giving and her true friendships with celebrities and presidents make her nothing short of astounding.

The story woven around Post is told with good pacing and kept my interest from the start. Pataki writes with smart dialogue and creates relatable characters. I love how she shows Post’s passion for beautiful things and that her collections were brought to life with color and detail. I couldn’t help myself from thinking what a force Post would be in today’s world. Without a doubt, she helped thousands of people throughout her lifetime. I’m so thankful that Pataki brought this woman to the page so more people can learn about her. Note: I will never eat frozen food again with thinking of this incredible woman.
Social media posts with review coming closer to pub date

I have to admit to knowing the name of Marjorie Merriweather Post more because of her real estate holdings than anything about her life. But she lived a full life, with multiple husbands.
The theme of the book seems to be that money can’t buy happiness. Because Marjorie certainly had gobs of money. But one after another, Marjorie’s husbands betrayed her and she divorced them. This, in a time when one divorce was considered scandalous, let alone four. But she never seemed to learn from her mistakes and was a big fan of rushing into her marriages.
As you would expect from a book about a rich woman, there’s a lot of focus on her possessions and her “projects”, mostly building and redecorating. This got old for me pretty quickly. The story was much more interesting when it focused on how the company grew based on first her father’s and then her ideas. I was expecting a great discussion about the Depression years. But other than a few pages concerning her soup kitchen it’s glossed over.
While I found the facts of MMP’s life interesting, I never engaged with her. In the Author’s Note, Pataki says she’s never written about a woman that she admired and liked so much. But I can’t say I shared her admiration. For all her good works, she also spent an inordinate amount of time on just amassing material goods.
I also fault Pataki’s style. More than once, she would lead the reader up to an important event. And then, the chapter would end and she’d move on without delving into the particulars.
I can recommend this book on the basis of what I learned. But I’m less enthusiastic about the MC herself or the writing style.
My thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for an advance copy of this book.

This amazing story grabbed me from the first paragraph. I had never heard of Marjorie Post before, but now I’m obsessed. She had an incredible life and also contributed so much to society. Author Allison Pataki weaves a strong story about Marjorie’s life, with such intimate details and descriptions that you feel you are right there. Every step of the way, I was surprised to learn something new about history. Marjorie was the daughter of Who? Marjorie’s daughter is her? Marjorie bought what from Russia? The details continued to fascinate me. Loved this story!

If you enjoy historical biographical fiction, this is the novel for you! I’m even planning a trip to see Marjorie’s house-turned-museum now because of the amazing things she owned. I won’t say what they are and ruin the story – but it sounds incredible.

Really enjoyed reading the life story of Marjorie Post. Interesting to read how she inherited a company bit her husband was the one that was expected to run it. A well written book.

Marjorie Merriweather Post rose from an uncertain childhood to wealth, fame and worldwide notoriety. Her father, C. W. Post, founded Post Cereal after years of illness, near death and constant financial worries. The Marjorie's life is a story of determination, business smarts, love and disappointment. She was one of the wealthiest women of her time, helping to found General Foods. Married four times, she never found contentment in love despite her yearning and her wild success in business. This is a fascinating story containing rich details of her hard work, beautiful homes, designer clothes, parties and bad decisions. She was trailblazer, supporting women's rights, building hospitals and creating feeding programs for NYC citizens during the Depression. She was a loving Mother who was periodically away from her children for months at a time. The extensive research required for this story must have been done with an overwhelming respect for the subject. The details of her life and loves are fascinating. The tone and language were initially and seemed antiquated and formal. Finally, I realized it was written in the tone of the time. Thank you Net Galley, Allison Pataki and Random House Publishing for the ARC of this great book, due to be published 2/15/22, guaranteed to be a best seller. I recommend it!

In author Allison Pataki’s latest historical fiction book, we meet Marjorie Merriweather Post and get to visit her world. “Magnificent” is not an exaggeration. Born in 1887, Ms. Post grew up with America. This book is written in an easy to read style and while it is not a thrilling read, it does present a good introduction to this memorable woman and I recommend it.

Actually, Marjorie doesn’t seem to be as well-known in our current world as she used to be. Now, she is mainly know as the creator and owner of Mar-a-Lago. However, in her lifetime, her businesses, marriages and divorces, homes, and lavish entertaining were chronicled in the press all the time.

Marjorie was an heiress, but she worked hard her whole life in her business and helped to make it the success that it still is today. Her father’s Grape Nuts and cereal company grew through the years to become General Foods, comprised of many companies that are still viable and well-known today. Marjorie was the one who met Clarence Birdseye and decided that she would buy his fledgling frozen foods business. Although her husband at the time, EF Hutton, thought she was making a big mistake, it turned out that Marjorie was right- people do like frozen foods!

Successful in business, Marjorie had many disappointments in her personal life and was divorced four times. Although known for her great wealth and high society life, she lived her life to the fullest with energy, passion, thoughtfulness and generosity. She was a leader, mother, businesswoman, and benefactor. She personally knew and entertained Presidents, titans of business, and foreign leaders. She loved America and seemed to live the American Dream. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for an advance digital review copy. This is my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! What a refreshing read! I knew nothing of Marjorie Merriweather Post before reading The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post and now can't wait to go visit her museum at Hillwood. I'm so glad Allison Pataki wrote this book. It's a joy to read.

Marjorie Post, heiress to the Post company, AKA General Foods, was born in the late 1800s and lived through the Great War, the Roaring Twenties, the Depression, WWII, and on into the civil rights era. Her philanthropic contributions to society were widespread and meaningful, and placed against the backdrop of her very different four marriages, the book is a gripping read. I looked forward to returning to it every day and was swept away by the descriptions of Marjorie's life at various moments in time.

Of note, I loved how different this book is. If you read a great deal of historical fiction, like me, and feel like you'd love a break from WWII, this is a great title to pick up when released. This book is perfect for book clubs of all ages, gifts, and safe for Great Aunt Mathilda and others who enjoy a good story but want to stay away from the more sordid aspects of life. An enjoyable and highly entertaining read.

To be fair, I knew nothing of Marjorie Post. And I wasn't certain that her life or lives were all that magnificent. Boy, was I wrong. What a good book, and a truly remarkable woman. Reading this book has made me more curious about things in her life and visiting her home.

As one who has enjoyed visiting the Hillwood Estate Museum, I was happy to learn about Marjorie Post's history and life. Excellent portrayal of an extraordinary woman.

Marjorie Merriweather Post seems to have a blessed life. Influenced by a father who was creative and tenacious, she retains his tradition of optimism and problem-solving when challenges appear. Throughout the twentieth century she rides the highs and lows of the economy and world politics, maintaining an ever-increasing fortune through her inherited General Foods Corporation by using her own creativity and tenacity. Mother of three, she becomes a collector of houses, furnishings and historic treasures. She seems to have the Midas touch in business but not so in love. Four failed marriages haunt her. Allison Pataki’s depiction of this famous philanthropist presents a woman who invokes not so much sympathy as admiration.. Unlucky in love, she is clever and indomitable in surviving, an American legend.

An interesting story about the C.W. Post Cereal Company's heiress. While I didn't love the book I did learn a lot and now want to learn more about Marjorie Post and well as the Post cereal company. Who says that you can't learn from fiction.

Marjorie Merriweather Post was not born in the type of wealth that would later allow her to own Mar-a-Lago and entertain heads of state from around the world. She grew up modestly in Battle Creek, Michigan after her family came there for the curative methods of Dr. Kellogg. Yes, that Kellogg. And yes, that Post, as in Grape Nuts. What her father learned while there led him to mass-produce cereal and food that was quick and easy to fix allowing the housewives to not live in the kitchen.

Her father encouraged her ambitions. He wanted her educated and able to form her own opinions. Marjorie took all of those lessons to heart. She lived and loved with all of her being.

Her first job was gluing cereal boxes in the barn. While she would go on to become the Cereal Heiress, she always gave more than she received.

She wasn’t very interested in the rules of society when it came to what she should or should not do and she threw herself into whatever she was passionate about. She was the wealthiest woman in the USA before she turned thirty. She was passionate about so many causes and love. She was loved, betrayed, and had some ugly things to deal with as well. She married four times and gave her all. She was an amazing woman who left an amazing legacy behind.

I loved getting to know Marjorie. What a woman! And Pataki fills this book with such passion it isn’t difficult to find yourself staying up past your bedtime!

NetGalley/ February 15th, 2022 by Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine