This recent historical fiction about the interesting life of heiress and socialite Marjorie Merriwether Post kept me awake evenings when I would ordinarily have been nodding over my book. Marjorie lived a fascinating life, and Allison Pataki's careful writing does justice to both women.
Marjorie was the daughter of CW Post, who changed breakfast habits in America with his discovery of Post Toasties, Grape Nuts, and Postum breakfast drink. The reader learns of Mr. Post's life-threatening illness, and then his gradual moves to fame and fortune. Marjorie always remembers her early days, as she also lives this long life in the public eye.
She marries early (the first of her four husbands) and lives through the Roaring Twenties and then the Depression, as the cereal/food business goes through successes and failures. She was an amazing philanthropist, with her personal hands-on in food kitchens, hospitals, and other huge projects for the less-privileged.
Marjorie's enormous wealth allowed her to build Mar-a-Lago in Florida, along with other famous homes. She was a friend of Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt, and many other historical figures whom you will recognize. With her husband, she was an ambassador in Russia, Belgium and Luxembourg in the years leading up to the war. The author does an excellent job of showing history through the eyes of this woman who had many more privileges and opportunities than less-wealthy.
Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post gave me a look at history of the 1900's in a very readable way. I was wowed by Marjorie's wealth and connections, and I admired that her wealth did not make her into a selfish and self-serving person. And, both this life and this book were different from things I have read recently, and I enjoyed the variety. Thanks, Nancy, for the recommendation.
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