The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post: A Novel

Oh, gosh. I just love historical fiction sometimes. And this book is one of those times. It was a joy learning about the inception of the Post cereal company, about the heir of the company, MMP, and the times in which she lived. It was fun reading about the circles in which she traveled, her literal travels, the ways in which she used her wealth, and the properties she designed and built.

Ann's pick. 👍🏻 Historical fiction on the richest woman in America.

I loved this book! The journey of her life was so interesting and I love that all the events were real. I admired her resilience to push through hard times and her charitable attitude during good times. However, Ms. Post was grinding my gears a few times. Despite her savvy business sense, she had terrible luck with men. All I kept thinking was "stop getting married!!!!" I get the first and second husbands - young love and not knowing what you want/need but after #2 being such a disaster and her being extremely rich already without a husband, why would she risk what she worked for to marry again?? Even with a wealthy man, she had so much to lose and she already had children so I don't get it. I guess she still had hope for love, which I can't blame her for. At the end of her life I think she realized that her friends and her daughters were all that she truly needed to feel fulfilled. Maybe she subconsciously knew that and that's why she married Herbert, because he was gay and she thought of him more as a friend anyway. I felt bad for her still because she clearly felt betrayed by him even though she admits she may have suspected it. I found her involvement in the world wars very interesting and inspiring. I love how she used her fortune to find ways to help America instead of hoarding it all for herself and staying in her upper class bubble. But I also like that she enjoyed her fortune! She knew how to spend that money and I think I would be the same way! I've also been watching Downton Abbey and a documentary about WWII and everything was lining up at the same time with the book so it was really fun to learn more about those times. Fun fact: Glenn Close is Edward Close's great niece (Ed Close's brother is her dad).

This was a fascinating look at the life of Marjorie Post, heir to C.W.Post who invented breakfast cereals and competed with Kellogg. This book covers a lot of interesting history from the early 1900s to the mid 1960s. Miss Post uses some of her family's money for charitable purposes, for example, the building of hospitals in France during WWI. She had an interesting life and because of her family's fortune was able to encounter many famous people, presidents, and socialites. Highly recommended.

What a fascinating portrait of a woman whose life spanned—and influenced—so many defining moments in American history. The story brings to vivid life a trailblazing figure who was equally at home in high society, business boardrooms, and behind groundbreaking philanthropy. From cereal heiress to Palm Beach tastemaker, Marjorie's world was both dazzling and complicated.
The blend of personal drama, historical detail, and iconic locations made for an interesting read.

"Marjorie loved beauty, and she was the first to admit that she had been blessed with many beautiful things over the course of a very privileged life, but it was in how she used her wealth and privilege to make this world more beautiful for others that I found her so particularly compelling. She was honored by the United States Congress as an individual who "derived particular joy out of her ability to give happiness to others."
--Allison Pataki

"My wealth would have been a burden on my
soul if I did not find ways to share it with
others." -- Marjorie Post