The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post: A Novel

In the summer of 1917, Marjorie sells the Connecticut property and buys the house next to their existing one in New York; they expand the outdoor space for the children.

When Ed is drafted, Marjorie yearns to do something more for the war effort. She decides to fund a hospital in France for soldiers, since that is where Ed is being sent.

Ed departs New York City, traveling on the same vessel as the medical personnel and equipment Marjorie has funded. Only a few days later, however, the ship sinks in an accident. Everyone survives, but all of the supplies she sent are gone. She quickly decides to send more.

With Ed gone, no one at the Post Cereal Company has to pretend that Marjorie isn’t pulling the strings, as she is officially acting as his surrogate.

As the flu pandemic (now known as the flu pandemic of 1918) rages, Marjorie gives her daughters cod liver oil to stave it off (though this nutritional supplement has little to do with battling viral infections). Her daughters remain her priority even as she grows busier with the Red Cross and the company.

When the war ends, Marjorie knows it is good news, but she wonders why she isn’t happy.

Marjorie has bleachers built in the backyard so that she, her family, and their friends can enjoy the parade celebrating the US victory in the war. Ed thinks the idea is vulgar and is dissatisfied with how active Marjorie is. He is likewise upset to find that Marjorie now supports the women’s suffrage movement.

She knows that she and Ed are not the people they were when they got married. Marjorie has grown up. As her guests trickle in, she notices Edward “Ned” Hutton, the brother-in-law of one of her friends. She forces herself to not stare at him, feeling jealous that her husband does not treat her with warm affection.

The next day, she suggests divorce to Ed, not wanting to draw it out as her parents had. He agrees, and they sign the papers. Shortly thereafter, he begins seeing another woman. Marjorie sees no appeal in remarriage, but her narration suggests that she will quickly be proven wrong.

In Palm Beach in 1919, Marjorie vacations with her friend Edna, who reintroduces her to Ed Hutton, whose wife had passed away. When she says she can’t call him “Ed” because of her ex-husband, he invites her to refer to him as “Ned.” He confesses that he wasn’t born into wealth, but made millions on Wall Street. He asks to see her again.

Marjorie quickly falls in love with Ned, spending all of her time in Palm Beach with him. When they return to New York, Ned proposes, and they marry in a small ceremony. She enjoys considering his college-bound son Harcourt as part of her brood—an addition that she hopes spares her from having to have another child. Instead, she wants to build a new home for them, feeling the ghost of his first wife in each room of Ned’s existing house. Ned agrees, and they name the new Washington, DC, property “Hillwood.”

When Ned and his son go to visit the new property, Harcourt tragically is killed in an accident. Ned asks Marjorie to never leave him, and she decides that she will have his child after all.

One morning in 1922, Ned announces that he’s made a million dollars between breakfast and lunch at Post Cereal Company. He now serves as chairperson of the board.

They winter at Palm Beach, and Marjorie notices how different Ned is from Ed; for one thing, Ned is much more willing to share his social life with her. However, she has a nagging feeling that there should be more to life than their wealth.

She decides to raise funds to build a hospital in Palm Beach, putting it where those in poverty can also access it, since the nearest hospital is in Miami. Marjorie throws a hugely success benefit, raising over $100,000.

Ned and Marjorie continue to enjoy their wealth, splitting time between New York and Palm Beach. Marjorie decides to throw a Versailles-themed party at Hillwood. She will tell Ned the news that she is pregnant the next day.

At the party, when she spots a group of men lusting after one of her daughter’s friends, Ned points out that the party invited the debauchery. The next morning, they discover that the party guests also ruined the gardens, placing Marjorie in a bad mood. She holds off on telling Ned about the pregnancy and feels like her money has been wasted.

A few weeks later, Marjorie miscarries. She has really wanted this third child, but her lifestyle of moving from place to place may be inflicting undue stress on her body. They decide to move to the Adirondacks, renovating an area they call Camp Hutridge. By the end of the summer, Marjorie is pregnant again.

In December 1924, Nedenia “Deenie” Hutton is born. Post Cereal Company also celebrates its 30-year anniversary. As Marjorie and Ned discuss the future, Ned suggests expanding beyond breakfast foods to lunch and dinner. Marjorie agrees with the caveat that any new products must be easy to prepare and healthy.

Post Cereal Company acquires a variety of brands, including Jell-O, Hostess, Hellmann’s, Kool-Aid, and even Maxwell House Coffee. Their sales soar.

That summer, Marjorie suggests expanding into frozen meals. They decide to visit entrepreneur Clarence Birdseye, to whom Marjorie suggests storing food in case people ever run low. Birdseye adds that it would also mean that they could have summer staples like lemonade in the winter.

Back aboard their boat, Marjorie suggests buying Birdseye’s operation. Ned doesn’t think it’s a good idea, as no one would want to own a refrigerator. They fight. When he tells her not to tell him how to run the business, Marjorie shoots back that she’s been involved before he’d ever heard of Post Cereal Company.

For a year, they argue about frozen food. Finally, Marjorie asks Post Cereal’s president to find out how much Birdseye would like for his business. Ned is displeased at first. Knowing that Ned wants to feel that he has a say in how the company is run, Marjorie considers his suggestion to change its name since they sell more than cereal: The frozen food business had taken off, and they are also selling detergents and soaps. When Ned suggests “General Foods,” Marjorie agrees.

Winters at Palm Beach are filled with celebrities; the Posts are particularly close with Broadway impresario Flo Ziegfeld and actress Billie Burke, but Marjorie grows more and more concerned over Flo and Ned’s gambling.

During a stay in Cuba, Ned flirts with servers, despite Marjorie’s desire to go back to the boat. He stays out with Flo, not returning until morning. Marjorie soon learns that Ned has lost $55,000 (about $1 million in 2023) gambling. She yells at him, reminding him of all the good they could’ve done with that money. Ned points out that she also spends thousands of dollars regularly. Marjorie knows that this is true. Ned adds that he’d spend his own money if he could, but instead, he is running her father’s business. Marjorie leaves the room and tells the captain to return to Florida.

Marjorie is determined to make peace, so she suggests a project to bring her and Ned back together: building a residence in Palm Beach. He consents, and they decide to name the place Mar-a-Lago (meaning “sea-to-lake” in Spanish because the property extends from the Atlantic Ocean to Lake Worth).

They hire Joseph Urban to design the palatial mansion, but he explains that their million-dollar budget will not be enough if Marjorie wants to set a new building trend. It takes three years to build and far exceeds what they had planned on spending.

In 1929, Marjorie feels that her life is on track. Even the queen of England had heard of Mar-a-Lago. Marjorie’s eldest daughter is married, and her second has finished school. Her youngest brings her great joy.

On October 24, Ned comes home, announcing the stock market crash. It is the beginning of an economic collapse that will eventually be known as the Great Depression. Marjorie’s extremely wealthy family will be fine, but she knows that others could go hungry. Hearing her father’s voice, she knows she has to help. Marjorie organizes benefits, donates to schools, and offers to support her struggling staff. She also decides to open a free public kitchen, the Marjorie Post Hutton Canteen in New York. She works there herself and hires waiters, allowing the establishment to replace the parties she’d thrown. She feels a sense of contentment. Additionally, Ned opens his own public kitchen. Marjorie continues to find other ways to support those in need, even gaining recognition from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.

Marjorie’s middle child, Eleanor, elopes; upset, Marjorie cuts off Eleanor’s trust fund allowance. Marjorie hopes to prevent Eleanor’s new husband from spending her daughter’s money. Still, she refuses to disown her daughter, despite this huge breach of societal norms.

In spite of the Great Depression, General Foods continues to thrive. In 1934, needing a break, Marjorie, Ned, and their youngest, Deenie, decide to sail away from New York and around the world. Despite the seeming paradise of their luxury four-mast yacht, Marjorie still feels iciness in her marriage.

One morning, Ned sails for shore alone, and Marjorie is shocked. He doesn’t return for over a day. When he does come back, he is drunk. Marjorie comments that he doesn’t act like he’s her husband.

Back at Hillwood, Marjorie wonders if Ned has been cheating on her. She knows that even her female servants dislike him. However, she stays with him because she loves him.

Then, one day, she goes to his bedroom, but the door is locked. She hears a woman laughing and immediately decides to leave. When she calls for her housekeeper, she realizes that the housekeeper has been sleeping with Ned.

To divorce Ned, Marjorie will need proof—the court is less likely to grant a divorce to a woman, especially if he resists it. She also needs to ensure that she gets custody of Deenie and avoids Ned’s claims on her company and money. She asks her staff to help her get proof, and soon, she has her evidence.

Ned denies the affair at first. Then, Marjorie explains her conditions regarding custody and the company: He will be able to visit their daughter and Marjorie will pay him fair alimony, but she’ll keep their homes and the company. She reminds him that her life is also ruined.

Marjorie mourns her marriage, even as longtime friend (and company president) Colby Chester and the Post family rally around her. Soon, Ned is engaged again—to a friend of Marjorie’s daughter Adelaide. Marjorie is shocked, feeling just as she felt when her father betrayed her by marrying Leila.

Marjorie falls into depression, feeling like there is nothing to fight for. However, she knows her daughters still need her support, especially after Adelaide discovers her own husband’s affairs.

Marjorie spends the winter at Mar-a-Lago, finding refuge in the estate that outlasted her marriage. She finds comfort in religion and the kindness of her staff. She grows closer to Colby Chester, who asks her to be honest with him about how she’s doing. She reminds him that she’ll always get up again.