Other than her name, I didn’t know much about Marjorie Post. I know the cereal brand but that’s where it ended for me. This was a fascinating look at her life and the founding of the Post empire. I learned a lot and had fun reading about Marjorie’s life. There was a lot of history here to unpack and I feel the author did a great job putting it all together. However, this one fell a bit flat for me and I was ready for it to be over. 3.5 stars. My thanks to the pub for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

A Remarkable Woman in a Male Dominated World

Marjorie Post grew up poor. She worked with her father in their barn folding and taping cereal boxes to hold the breakfast food he was selling. All the hard work paid off . C.W. Post became the cereal king and Marjorie was heiress to his immense fortune. It didn’t come easily Marjorie had to fight he stepmother for control of the company after her father’s death, but she had to do it through her husband. Because of restrictions on women at the time, she couldn’t sit on the board. However, she was successful at controlling the company from outside.

Business success came with hard work, but love wasn’t so easy to find. Marjorie married and divorced four times. Each time she thought she’d found the right man. Each time she was wrong. Instead she filled her life collecting beautiful things and decorating her homes; one of the famous ones is Maralago now the home of Donald Trump.

The book is fiction although the author has done a great deal of research and is basically true to Marjorie’s life. The story is told in the first person. I found that a bit jarring. I typically don’t like to read historical fiction where the author pretends to be in the head of the subject. My other criticism was the amount time spent detailing Marjorie’s possession. I would have found it interesting to read more about her philanthropies and business career. However, it’s fascinating to learn more about one of America’s most celebrated heiresses.

I received this book from Penguin Random House for this review.

Allison Pataki's THE MAGNIFICENT LIVES OF MARJORIE POST was a pitch perfect, totally immersive drop into the life of a famous socialite, philanthropist, and savvy businesswoman. The story is so well done that I felt as if I were alongside Marjorie as she lived and loved and built huge enterprises with daring and imagination. One thing I particularly enjoyed was how well even secondary and minor characters were drawn. The settings are vivid and the changing time periods over her long life felt like I was there with her. I received an advance copy of this novel; my review is unbiased and my own opinions.

Admittedly I knew nothing about Marjorie Post prior to reading this book. What a fascinating life this woman led. Daughter of CW Post of cereal fame, she had an incredible life of wealth and power. She was a strong and determined woman, who made it her mission to do good things with her money.

This is a biographical novel of Marjorie Post, daughter of C.W. Post who was the founder of Post Cereal, A fascinating women, whose life encompassed four marriages (one as wife of the ambassador to the USSR), the expansion of Post Cereal from a small company to a giant food conglomerate, to the building of Mar-a-Lago (the current residence of Trump). The novel tries to cover a great deal of ground in the life and times of Marjorie Post, but seems to concentrate more on her search for love rather than her accomplishments as a women of industry. While well written and researched, it seemed to fall a little short as an addition to the myriad of recently published novels about strong women in history that have been overlooked. I would still recommend this as an introduction to Marjorie Post, but I would suggest to those who are intrigued by her to pursue additional reading to get the full picture of the woman.

Pataki’s exhaustive research about a major twentieth century philanthropic woman failed to render a completely sympathetic portrayal of Marjorie Merriweather Post. I was left with the sense that this bright, competent woman never felt complete without a husband. Understandable, as depicted, her familial relationships were dwarfed by the malaise of her mother and the manic personality of her father and what she perceived as his ultimate betrayal.

Told in four parts, encompassing each of her marriages, there is a pervasive tinge of “poor little rich girl” who is betrayed by the men with whom she chose to share her holdings and dreams. Reminded of the time when women were not allowed a seat at the corporate table it is truly amazing that she was able to accomplish and enlarge her family’s business conglomerate and fortune to dizzying heights. Astute business acumen was just one aspect of who she was.

Having seen and visited several Post properties, her eye to detail and propriety manifests everywhere. Remembering the kidnapping of their Lindbergh baby, when Post designed Mar-A-Lago, she had protective grillwork installed on the windows using figures from nursery rhymes that while were necessary were beautiful and whimsical. She always paid attention to the details. She was the ultimate planner. She was the consummate hostess, homeowner, employer, ambassador’s wife, businesswoman, philanthropist and honorable woman. Wealthy beyond belief, gracious to her core, she believed her wealth “would have been a burden” without being able to share it.

Well researched and written, the story of Marjorie Merriweather Post is an important one. Many thanks to Ballantine Books/ Random House for an advance copy.

Allison Pataki gives an amazing fictional story of the life of the heiress to the Post family. Great romance and business adventures throughout her life and the many homes and tragedies that made her life a thrilling read.
The character development was very good and really helped the reader get into the fictional life of this family. Through the hard times Ms. Post always stood up to the challenges and plowed through to feed the troops and the whole of the world through the inventions of the cereal life and frozen foods to make life easier while still maintains healthy options.
Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an ARC of this books
#Netgalley #BallentineBooks

I didn't know anything about Marjorie Post until reading this book. Now I want to know more. What a wonderful, kind and generous person. It seems the only thing she ever failed at was her choice in men. She was married and divorced four times. She was the ultimate hostess and had lavish parties with hundreds of guests including presidents, celebrities as well as other millionaires but what she was more noted for was her philanthropy. She built hospitals, schools, and funded many, many other worthwhile causes. Her Hillwood home in Washington DC is now part of the Smithsonian Institute and houses many of her treasures from Russia and the Romance era. This is such an interesting story of an amazing woman.I highly recommend.

BOOK REVIEW: The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki
Publication Date: February 15

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️

T.I.M.E. Favorite Books To Read
T.I.M.E. Best Book Club Books
T.I.M.E. Recommended Books By Genre | Historical Fiction
T.I.M.E. Most Anticipated Books of 2022

CONNECT WITH THIS BOOK | T.I.M.E. SIMPLE LIVING TIP:
If you want to change your circumstances, then you have to change your attitude... ✨😎✨

T.I.M.E. BOOK REVIEW: A remarkable read about a remarkable woman who mastered business, social circles and politics all while prioritizing philanthropy to create a life with purpose... I continue to be astounded by the number of women that significantly shaped our country yet still remain largely unknown to most of the American public... A big thank you to Allison Pataki and to all historical fiction authors who endeavor to close that neglected chasm!... ✨😎✨

Pages: 381
Genre: Historical Fiction
Sub-Genre: Biographical Fiction
Time Period: 1891 - 1973
Location: Battle Creek, Michigan | Washington, DC | Palm Beach, Florida | Adirondacks (NY) | Russia... and more

IF YOU LIKE THIS BOOK THEN TRY…
Book: American Empress: The Life and Times of Marjorie Merriweather Post by Nancy Rubin Stuart
TV: The Food That Built America | Season 1 - Episodes 2 & 3 (History Channel)

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All my reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Simple Living | Denise Wilbanks at www.thisismyeverybody.com

♡ Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

This book caught me by surprise. I didn't really know what I was getting into when I started reading. I was taken in by the cover but the story was really good. I wish I had been able to read historical fiction in school to learn history instead of history textbooks. The author did a wonderful job of telling the story of Miss Post's life (lives) I was happy to learn of all the good that was done with the family's money... even though it couldn't really buy her happiness. A great book and I recommend it!

I admit I don't recall knowing anything about Marjorie Post, CW Post's daughter, before reading The Magnificent Lives Of... but I'm glad I requested it! There's nothing I love more than when historical fiction is well done and I become immersed in the time period and character's lives.

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki brings a story of a fascinating woman. She was an American heiress who made her mark as a distinct philanthropist and pioneering leader of the twentieth century. This marvelous novel kept me up way past my bedtime. Before starting this book, I did not know anything about Marjorie Post. The author did a fantastic job writing about Marjorie’s life. I look forward to reading more from the author.

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post is the
most expansive historical fiction I have read in a
very long time. Born in 1887 and living through
the Great Depression and two World Wars,
knowing presidents and inventors- Marjorie truly
lived a fascinating life!
I do like books about the rich and famous, and
Marjorie certainly was. She was also a woman
ahead of her time, hard working and creative. I
loved the details about Mar-a-lago in Florida and
General Mills, which is headquartered in
Minneapolis. I also found myself googling photos
and information about her famous descendants
such as Glenn Close and Dina Merril. Although
this book is long, I found myself enjoying every
chapter.
Who is the most famous person you ever
met? Although I've met a few from Donnie
Osmond to Jordan Knight- I'd have to say Joe
Biden is the most memorable!
Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse
for the opportunity to read this book which is being published today!

This is the first book I have read by Allison Pataki. I will now have to make a point to read her books about Empress Sissi and Desiree Clary as I really enjoyed this book.

I have always vaguely known about Marjorie Merriweather Post of the cereal dynasty, but did not know the particulars of her life. She was just an heiress to one of America’s great dynasties like Doris Duke, except Marjorie was nothing like Doris, she was a philanthopist, businesswoman, and collector of beautiful art and jewels. Her home Mar-A-Logo is still famous today. Ms. Pataki really brought her to life. Imagine being a destitute child, eking out a living in Battle Creek, Michigan and then growing up to run one of the biggest food empires in the US. In the early 20th century, when women were not overly respected or expected to be more than pretty housewives and mothers, this was quite the feat, I sometimes find novels of real life people boring, but really enjoyed this book. Ms. Pataki has an engaging writing style that kept my interest. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a novel of one of America’s great dynaties and the woman who ran it.

Thanks to Netgalley, Ballantine books and the author for the chance to read and review this book.

Magnificent indeed! This novel about the epic life of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki was just amazing. I loved all its phases, the depiction of her choices, adventures, achievement, heartbreak, relationships, glamor and experiences was breathtaking. Left me feeling empowered and magnetized by her charisma and character. Thank you for that! Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the early copy for review. All opinions are my own.

** “After the delirious recent years of distraction and decadence, I felt that I was finally living in a way that aligned with what Papa and Mama had taught me, that I was finally using my wealth in the service of something larger than myself.” **

Allison Pataki always does an incredible job of vividly bringing to life the stories of real-life women in her novels, and she doesn’t disappoint with “The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post,” the telling of the heiress to the Post Cereal empire.

Her latest book reveals the story of Marjorie Merriweather Post, whose father created the Post Cereal empire with Grape-Nuts and the Postum drink. As the family’s business grow, Marjorie’s life sees many ups and downs.

Married four times, she weathers many storms professionally and personally, as well as jubilant times, as she brings the company into bigger and better waters. She overcomes many challenges — including being a woman in a man-domineered world — to not only increase her empire and her wealth, but to also use that money and power to help the less fortunate.

Pataki does an incredible job of diving into the life of Marjorie Post, revealing the truly inspiring woman that she is, but also that she also faced many struggles in her life that she worked hard to overcome. (“In those busy but meaningful days, I began to understand, truly, the fierce and formidable power of women. … Though I could not vote for the president, though I could not even sit on the board of the company that bore my family’s name, I began to hope that, by the time my girls were older, these facts might change.”)

The author expertly creates a perception of Miss Post’s life that allows the reader to feel they’re walking alongside her. And she reminds us again and again of the positive impact Miss Post made in the betterment of mankind.

Pataki also throws in some great themes throughout the book, like anything is possible; finding our reason and purpose; the importance of helping others; never giving up; and the meaning of home.

This novel is deeply researched and definitely makes a biographical subject interesting and fun to read. Fans of historical fiction, stories about strong women, and authors like Melanie Benjamin will love “The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post.”

Five stars out of five.

Ballantine Books provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

When it comes to bringing little known historical characters to life, Allison Pataki is at the top of my list of go to authors. With each book she releases, I grow more and more amazed with not only her writing ability, but also her skill to weave a story that utterly captivates. Her latest, The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post, was absolutely spellbinding. Having known next to nothing about this woman before reading, I could hardly but the book down as Pataki illuminated her life. I felt as if Pataki were actually breathing Marjorie Post to life as page after page unveiled a woman so completely fascinating and beyond my imagination.

I cannot praise Pataki or this book highly enough. Her books are not to be missed!

I received this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This biography was written in the first person, reading more as historical fiction, which made it much more interesting than a dry listing of facts.
Marjorie Post had all the advantages money could provide, yet remained humble and gave back whenever she could, supporting huge philanthropic projects such as building overseas hospitals during WWI.
Marjorie had a great mind for business and was the heiress to the Post cereal fortune, which became General Mills, but due to the times she lived in, had no real power to run the company after her father died.
She was considered "New Money" to the blueblood family she married into, which was a point of contention between Marjorie and her first husband.
She had four unfortunate marriages, but Marjorie remained active and involved in world events, when she could have just been pampered all her life.
I liked this book more than I thought I would - it was interesting all the way through.

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post
by: Allison Pataki
Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books
Author Allison Pataki has written historical fiction in its finest form, with an amazing story about the heiress of the C. W. Post Cereal Company. Marjorie Post's life was fascinating, from her life as a young girl and throughout her romantic and career choices and events through the years.
From the gorgeous color and style of the book cover and throughout the pages, readers will be totally immersed in this beautiful and well-written book.
Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for the advance reader's copy and opportunity to provide my unbiased review.
#TheMagnificentLivesofMarjoriePost #NetGalley

I definitely enjoyed this one but it didn't stand out for me. I wasn't immediately captured and didn't feel like I could connect with the plot in general. I think I may need to give this a re-read later.