Review: The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki

Title: The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post

Author: Allison Pataki 

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Publish Date: February 15, 2022

Format: Print

Source: Library

What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.com: "Mrs. Post, the President and First Lady are here to see you. . . . So begins another average evening for Marjorie Merriweather Post. Presidents have come and gone, but she has hosted them all. Growing up in the modest farmlands of Battle Creek, Michigan, Marjorie was inspired by a few simple rules: always think for yourself, never take success for granted, and work hard--even when deemed American royalty, even while covered in imperial diamonds. Marjorie had an insatiable drive to live and love and to give more than she got. 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 Merriweather Post lived an epic life few could imagine.

Marjorie's journey began gluing cereal boxes in her father's barn as a young girl. No one could have predicted that C. W. Post's Cereal Company would grow into the General Foods empire and reshape the American way of life, with Marjorie as its heiress and leading lady. Not content to stay in her prescribed roles of high-society wife, mother, and hostess, Marjorie dared to demand more, making history in the process. Before turning thirty she amassed millions, becoming the wealthiest woman in the United States. But it was her life-force, advocacy, passion, and adventurous spirit that led to her stunning legacy.

And yet Marjorie's story, though full of beauty and 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."

My Two Cents:

Before reading "The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post," I really didn't know much about Marjorie Post even with all of the local connections to the Washington, D.C. area here (her Hillwood Estate in NW D.C. is lovely if you ever come for a visit). I was really looking forward to reading about her and learning more. As we see in this book, she really had a magnificent life! 

Marjorie Merriweather Post, a woman born into the prestigious Post cereal family. Her home life often seemed equal parts difficult and privileged as she faced her parents rocky marriage and blooming business that her father started. While Post's life definitely has a privileged glow, the underlying theme of the book often seems to be money can't buy happiness. The book follows her through her very young life and then as she begins to carve out a life for herself. She becomes the head of her father's cereal company during a time when women rarely had a seat at the table in any business. She is married four times: each time a new adventure and each of these relationships changes how Marjorie moves through the world. She is always her own woman even when the going gets tough!

Post is in great hands with Allison Pataki! I loved all of the historical detail that Pataki brings in, which really made the book come to life! Having been to places like the Homestead Hotel (the Omni Homestead now) and Hillwood Estate, the descriptions in the book really rang true! 

I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to see what Pataki writes next!

Review: The Unquiet Dead by Stacie Murphy

Title: The Unquiet Dead

Author: Stacie Murphy 

Format: Print

Publisher: Pegasus

Publish Date: April 5, 2022 (Yesterday!)

Source: Publisher

What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.com: "The new Gilded Age mystery featuring the uniquely talented Amelia Matthew—who has the ability to communicate with the dead—as she uses her special talents to solve the murder of a young girl whose death has scandalized New York City.

Three months after her harrowing experience on Blackwell’s Island, Amelia is doing her best to come to terms with her new abilities to commune with the spirit world. The last thing she wants to do is hunt for another killer through the streets of Gilded Age New York. But when she and Jonas discover the body—and spirit—of a young girl whose kidnapping has electrified the city, Amelia’s resolve wavers. It breaks entirely when a fifteen-year old boy—the son of one of the club’s black waiters and his Irish immigrant wife—is accused of the crime.

With the city in an uproar and an ambitious reporter watching their every move, Amelia and her brother Jonas set out to discover the truth. And they have to do it quickly: in five days, the boy will be transferred to the brutal Sing Sing prison to await trial. For such a notorious suspect, it’s as good as a death sentence.

But all the evidence seems to point to the boy’s guilt. Worse, the murdered child wasn’t the first: there have been at least five other victims. As tensions rise throughout the city, the boy’s family is subjected to an escalating campaign of violence and intimidation, culminating in the firebombing of their home.

In the chaotic aftermath, Amelia taps into her special talents to search for the clues that will unmask the killer."

My Two Cents:

"The Unquiet Dead" is the story of Amelia Matthew, a young woman who has a particular talent where she can communicate with the dead. She is still coming to terms with this gift when the book opens. A slew of murders of young children and a potentially wrongly accused murderer shake Amelia from trying to come to term with her gift to diving in and using her gift before it's too late and more innocence is lost. 

Oh, this book really fit the bill for me! I love a good ghost story and I love how real the author made Amelia's powers feel. The world building in this book was really great. The author does a great job of not only making you care about the main characters but the secondary characters as well. She does a good job of showing some of the past and how it is still shaping how these characters move throughout the world. You are really pulling for all of them!

This is the second book in the author's series about Amelia's powers. Admittedly, I felt a little lost with some of the back story as I have not read the first book. While I ended up loving the characters, I do wish that I would have had more context for where they were coming from in order to connect with them a little sooner in the book. While you get a semi-recap of what happened in the book, I was definitely a little lost at first. I wish I had realized that this book was a sequel but that just means that now I need to go back and read the first book!

Overall, this was a great historical fantasy with strong gothic overtones and a good helping of mystery! I do recommend reading the first book first!

March Round-up!

 

My March in numbers:

• I read a total of 15 books. 
• Five of those books were books I already owned! (I wanted to read seven of my own books! Win some, lose some)
• One of my March goals was to: Read at least two leadership books (already owned or not), which I did!

Best book I read this month: 

• This was such a good reading month that I can't just choose one book!

April Goals:

• Read at least seven of my own books (we'll try this again)
• Read at least two leadership books. 

What are your reading goals for April?