The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post (Pataki)

I received this book through NetGalley as an advanced reader's copy.  I will admit, the cover is what caught my eye, but after reading the synopsis, I thought it sounded good, and I always enjoy reading things that have a connection to our home state of MI.

This is the fictionalized life story of Marjorie Post, the daughter of C.W. Post.

C. W. Post was the founder of the Post cereal company which was probably the greatest rival to the Kellogg's company, at least back in the beginning.  After her father's death, Marjorie continued to run the company (later renamed General Foods), although for much of her life she had to do it through each of her husbands, as women weren't allowed to have such positions of leadership back in those days.  Marjorie was rather an unlucky woman when it came to love, she married four times, each of them ending in divorce. This novel, told from her point of view, was a great story about her life.  She was a very rich woman, but she was also a very generous woman who led an interesting life.  Post did spend a good share of her childhood in Battle Creek, MI and returns there for a few visits throughout the book.

One thing I really enjoy about reading historical fiction, is that when I'm done, I usually feel like I got a history lesson in a very enjoyable way. Many times, things in historical fiction novels lead me to do a little bit of research to learn more about something. One tidbit I gleaned from this novel is that Mar-a-Largo, the resort whose name most people will recognize because of former President Donald Trump, was actually designed and built by Marjorie Post and upon her death, it was bequeathed to the National Park Service. Post had hoped it could be used for state visits, or as a winter White House, but the costs of maintaining it proved too much, and it was returned to the Post Foundation in 1981, they in turn sold it to Donald Trump in 1985.