The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by
Allison Pataki

Presidents have come and gone, but Marjorie Merriweather Post has hosted them all. Growing up in the modest farmlands of Battle Creek, Michigan, and later the heiress to the General Foods fortune, Marjorie was inspired by a few simple rules: always think for yourself, never take success for granted, and work hard—even while covered in imperial diamonds. From crawling through Moscow warehouses to rescue the Tsar’s treasures to outrunning the Nazis in London, from serving the homeless of the Great Depression to entertaining Roosevelts, Kennedys, and Hollywood’s biggest stars, Marjorie lived an epic life few could imagine.
 
And yet Marjorie’s story, though full of grandeur, set in the palatial homes she built such as Mar-a-Lago, was equally marked by challenge and tumult. A wife four times over, Marjorie sought her happily-ever-after with the blue-blooded party boy who could not outrun his demons, the charismatic financier whose charm turned to betrayal, the international diplomat with a dark side, and the bon vivant whose shocking secrets would shake Marjorie and all of society. Marjorie did everything on a grand scale, especially when it came to love.