When the novel opens, Marjorie Merriweather Post is presented to readers at the height of her social clout, but without a husband, a fact indicated by the use of her maiden name. She sees herself as a kingmaker, clearly having hosted presidential families before. Marjorie rules an otherworldly domain—Lady Bird Johnson notes, “Every time I step into one of your homes, it’s like I’ve stepped into some beautiful Neverland” (10). Marjorie has come to this sense of empowerment and social capital over the course of the novel, forging an influential role in a society that has greatly changed since her birth in 1887, partly due to her actions and those of other women.

Charles William and Ella Post involve Marjorie in major decisions and conversations starting in childhood. For instance, she is allowed to remain in the room during Dr. Kellogg’s meeting about Charles William’s poor health, a fact that surprises him into asking, “And…the girl…she can stay for this?” (24). As a result, Marjorie gains a sense of her own importance. However, she knows that despite “all Papa’s talk of raising me to be strong and educated, we had always known a man would have to someday run the company, and I had always believed that man would be my husband” (132).