March 2022

In THE MAGNIFICENT LIVES OF MARJORIE POST, Allison Pataki once again delivers a powerful work of historical fiction. Marjorie Merriweather Post led a brilliantly storied life that started in Battle Creek, Michigan, where as a child she glued the labels on boxes of Grape-Nuts and Postum, their first food products. From these humble roots, the Post family grew their empire.

Over the course of her life, Marjorie built the company. She added other brands that would strengthen their reputation and bottom line, as well as deliver to the American housewife prepared foods that would make meal prep for their families easier, such as breakfast cereal in boxes and frozen vegetables for dinner. She understood the everyday woman, even as she garnered wealth and employed a large staff to run her many homes. She had style and grace, as well as a seemingly unstoppable drive.

It was very interesting to note that while Marjorie advised the company, it was not until much later in its history that she was on the board. As was customary at the time, her husband had her seat and would vote on her behalf. But along the way, she was advising based on what she knew women wanted.

Marjorie had an eye for creating beautiful things, including a resort called Mar-a-Lago, and a flair for entertaining and bringing people together, including presidents and world leaders. When in the 1930s President Roosevelt appointed her third husband to the position of Ambassador to Russia, she assumed a role there of an Ambassadress, quickly working to befriend the Soviets while also showing them what the United States had to offer. There she amassed a treasure trove of Russian art and treasured pieces, which had been plucked from those in earlier reigns. She had an eye for beautiful things and wanted to both collect and share them.

The one thing she did not excel at was success in marriage. All four of her marriages ended in divorce. As I was reading, I was not sure that any of these men could handle such a powerful woman. She was way ahead of her time.

Allison has always been a wonderful storyteller who brilliantly laces history with great prose. This would make for a terrific book group discussion. Bring on the Grape-Nuts and get chatting.

» Watch my "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Allison Pataki and listen to the podcast.