The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki – 400 pages
ARC from Penquin Random House and Netgalley for an honest review
Book Blurb:
In The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki creates an epic reimagining of the remarkable life of Marjorie Merriweather Post, the American heiress and trailblazing leader of the twentieth century. 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.
My Review: 4.5 stars
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.
Quotes I liked:
Depression. Great in its enormity, terrible in its depth. America was in the midst of it, and so was I.”
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