First of all this is a 6 star book for me, this is one of those unforgettable stories that will stick with me forever! It is absolutely in my top 5 favorites of the year and I will be recommending it to everyone I know.
This book was so much more than I originally thought it was going to be. I absolutely loved every single second of it and couldn't put it down.
The characters were all portrayed flawlessly and I fell in love with all of them, honestly if we had another book for each of these characters I would read them all! These characters will forever live rent free in my mind.
The storyline was completely perfect I really enjoyed learning Maria's back story, I had no idea she went through all that she did. I think it gave some much needed substance to the book and helped me really connect with Maria on a different level. The other part of the story line was about the behind the scenes of how the play and the movie of The Sound of Music came to be and it was so captivating to be a true fly on the wall for everything that was going on. And finally we got Maria actually telling her story and I truly felt like I was reading the movie The Sound of Music, while also getting extra details that I never would have known about otherwise. I was shocked to find out that not all of the details in the movie were true and that some things happened much differently. Maria also told the story of what happened after the movie leaves off and I was hanging on every word.
I completely enjoyed our ending, I think it wrapped up so well and tied off all the lose ends and answered any further questions I may have had.
Overall this was a once in a lifetime book and I am so honored to have been chosen as an ARC reader for this book. Thank you so much Netgalley & Michelle Moran, my opinions are my own.

Title: Maria: A Novel of Maria Vonn Trapp
By: Michelle Moran

Genre:
Historical Fiction

Red Flags:
Clean read

Quotes:
“It’s the hardest part of being human…accepting that even the best things will have an end.”

“This is part of God’s gift to us, isn’t it? The knowledge that even while our circumstances might change, the world he created is stable and filled with beauty.”

Summary/Review:
Bringing back the cherished memories of Maria Von Trapp, who is known for her role in the famous Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “The Sound of Music,” the author creates a beautiful, sentimental story based on the real life of Maria as researched through journals.

The novel opens in the 1950’s when Rodgers and Hammerstein choose to create a musical based on Maria's life. The pair are fascinated with Maria’s life, her calling to be a nun, who later determined her life mission was to become a mother of ten. The screenplay is written, and Maria is disappointed to learn that her real life story was so displeasing to the screenwriters. She requests to meet with Hammerstein. In turn, he asks Fran to meet with Maria and see what her concerns might be with their musical adaptation.

This novel is written similar to “The Notebook” , more of a flashback, in which Maria goes back in time and describes the events in her life to Fran. The transitions between pastime and present day are smooth, and the characters are created with depth and relatability. These characteristics of the novel allow the reader to compare and contrast the differences of Maria’s real life, while constantly reminiscing and reflecting on the musical portrayal of Maria and the Vonn Trapp Family.

When I received this NetGalley, I was elated! “The Sound of Music was a constant growing up in my home on the weekends. I appreciated recalling times spent at my grandma’s house eating caramel popcorn, then in my mom’s home, singing at the top of my lungs with my sisters and the fond memories of hoping to someday be like Maria.

This is my first read by Michelle Moran, and it won’t be my last! I was curious about the difference between the Maria I grew up with and the ‘real’ Maria the author brings to life. If you are a lover of “The Sound of Music” musical, I highly recommend you read “Maria” by Michelle Moran. If you're not, read it anyway! It is fast paced, warm, cozy, and at times emotional read! Feel all the emotions!

“Maria: A novel of Maria Vonn Trapp '' will remind you of the good ‘ole days, while opening your eyes to a new Maria, who you will fall in love with evenmore. Thank you Michelle Moran for giving me back a piece of my childhood, if only for a few days!

Thank you Michelle Moran, Random House Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

#Mariaanovelofmariavonntrapp
#Michellemoran
#mariavonntrapp
#reluctantreaderreads
#NetGalley
#advancedreadereditions

The Sound of Music is an iconic musical that is viewed by millions each year. The story of the von Trapp family is inspirational. but are all the details true?

Maria is told from the perspective of Fran, the assistant to Oscar Hammerstein. Fran meets with Maria to talk about the objections she has to the script of the musical about her family. We discover so much is different from the view that will be revealed from the world. Her story is perhaps even more dramatic and wonderful.

Such a wonderful read! If you love the story you think is true, then you'll be pleasantly surprised by this tale.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

Another great book by Michelle Moran. Brought the life and time of Maria Van Trapp to life with vivid descriptions. Extremely well researched, like all her other books.

Anyone who has ever enjoyed watching “The Sound of Music” would enjoy this story about of the real Maria von Trapp. She had an unhappy childhood and was forced to take care of herself and really did not want to leave the nuns when the von Trapp family needed a tutor. But after living with the family for 10 months and falling in love with the children she could not bring herself to leave them when their father fell in love with her! After much soul searching she decided to marry him and become a real mother to the children, and have some of her own. There is so much in this story that differs from the Broadway musical and American movie, but it is a fascinating story and I’ll never watch the movie again without thinking about her true story. Fantastic read!
Thank you Netgalley and Random House publishing for the digital ARC!

If you're like me and love "The Sound of Music," you will love a dive into Michelle Moran's new novel, "Maria!" This novel is told from the viewpoints of Fran, who works as Oscar Hammerstein's assistant, and Maria Von Trapp, who is objecting to how her story differs from the play. It is just a few weeks to go until the Broadway premiere of "The Sound of Music" with Mary Martin, and Maria has some objections to how the family is being portrayed in the play versus their real life story.

Fran is sent to meet with Maria and take note on what Maria's objections are. Through recollections from Frau Von Trapp, Fran is captivated by Maria's story - what actually happened and what has been changed in the upcoming play. The novel incorporates much of the Von Trapp family's story - from Maria's viewpoint.

This is a fascinating read! Thanks so much to Net Galley and the publisher for the Advanced Reader Copy of this book! "Maria" is set to be published on July 30, 2024.

The Sound of Music was the first movie I ever saw in an inside (not drive-in) movie theater. This was a couple of years after its original release; at a matinee for children. Thereafter, I would rewatch it on TV during its annual airing - this was before streaming, or cable TV, or even VCRs, when an annual airing really meant something. Once I was old enough, I read Maria Von Trapp’s biography and thoroughly disliked it. While, even as a middle schooler, I adhered to the truism that the book is ALWAYS better than the movie, I considered The Sound of Music to be the single exception. So, I was excited to read this book and I enjoyed it very much. I actually liked Moran’s Maria quite a bit more than I liked the real Maria, based on that single reading of her autobiography. And I loved Fran. The book itself was very well written. I found it to be very evocative, both of New York City in the late 1950s, and of pre-WWII Austria. Highly recommended.

Oscar Hammerstein is writing the lyrics to a new musical, The Sound of Music, based on the life of a woman named Maria von Trapp. Maria is unhappy with the script and writes a letter to Hammerstein expressing her displeasure. He sends his assistant, Fran, to meet with Maria and hear her concerns. Through a series of flashback chapters Maria proceeds to tell Fran the true story of her life.

Michelle Moran is a masterful storyteller, and her newest book does not disappoint. Like many people I can recall watching The Sound of Music as a child, and it was fun to read a historical fiction novel written to explore the truth behind the musical. I enjoyed learning more about Maria's childhood and life before she entered the abbey, and was fascinated to learn which parts of the musical were and weren't true. She also explores what happened to the von Trapps after they left Austria, which isn't covered in the musical at all.

I give this book 4.5 stars. It's slow at the beginning, and although the fictional character of Fran makes sense as an intermediary between Hammerstein and Maria, I wasn't interested in the setup to the story involving Fran at the start of the novel. Once we got into Maria's chapters I was riveted. It was also interesting to learn more about Hammerstein and the Broadway industry in the late 1950s.

Overall, I loved the book and will be hyping it up to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and/or musicals. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing me with an advanced copy of this book via Netgalley.

The Sound of Music is my favorite movie so I absolutely jumped at the opportunity for this eARC. The focus here is definitely on Maria and not on the story told in Sound of Music. It's what comes AFTER the story we know, with Maria von Trapp around for the making of Sound of Music. I absolutely loved it and watched the movie again immediately after finishing. This was wonderful and I'll have to get a copy to live on my shelf for years to come.

Thank you to Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Oscar Hammerstein was asked to write music for a Broadway Musical about Maria von Trapp. But he learns that she was at a Austrian Abbey where she was to become a nun. A gentleman by the name of Georg von Trapp came to the Abbey to request a teacher to teach his sickly child. The Reverend Mother told Maria that it was to be for ten months. Although, Maria did not want to go as she truly wanted to become a nun. She did not want to leave her class at the Abbey. She so loved teaching. She made her way to the Villa of the von Trapp family. Finding out there were 7 children of various ages in the family. But she was only to teach the sickly little girl. But it became more than that, Captain von Trapp would leave for various lengths of time. Meaning she was left to care for the children under the watchful eye of a Baroness.

Maria learned to love the children so much. She taught them what it was like to get in the outdoors and to sing. Maria learned that the widow von Trapp first had a love for music. So he started teaching the children to sing and play instruments. Oh how they enjoyed it after school, older children walked to school daily. That was one of Maria's duties was to walk the children to and from school. Three times a day, as they would come home for lunch. She learned to love all of these children. This had made a great change in her life. Georg von Trapp fell in love with Maria and asked to marry her. Although, she did not loved him, she learned to love him. She did go get permission from the Reverend Mother, she said maybe this was her calling, to become a Mother. The life she lead as a child was very sad, and she wanted these children to have a wonderful childhood.. She did marry Captain von Trapp and the children loved her. There were more children to come.

Maria had written an autobiography about he life. Then a movie was made. But now the script did not tell of her true life. And she wanted changes to be made. But that made it hard when she had sold the rights to her life story. A worker named "Fran" got to know Maria and made notes for Mr. Hammerstein. As the Broadway musical was coming out in one month. It is an amazing story and I so truly enjoyed it.

I wanted to read this book, when I was in 4th grade my teacher, also drama club teacher took us to Los Angeles to see "The Sound Of Music" oat the big screen theater. I so enjoyed the movie and now have enjoyed the book written by Michelle Moran. Thank you so much Michelle and a big thank you to Netgalley, Random House for allowing me to read before publishing.

I adore Michelle Moran’s novels. Adore. I will read anything she writes. I found her subject super unique and different for her so I was a little nervous but truly enjoyed it. The dual timelines through me off a little bit overall another slam dunk.

Thank you for the ARC.

Finally, the Von Trapp family story is set to right in a lovely telling about Maria and her famous family!

Being a child of the sixties, every year at the holiday season, we sat in front of the television watching Rodgers and Hammerstein's, "The Sound of Music", dreaming of handsome barons and rags to riches stories. The scenery alone had set my wanderlust tendencies in motion at a very early age. But one thing always troubled me about that production - how did the von Trapps go over the mountains outside of Salzburg and land in neutral Switzerland? That's just not physically possible.

The premise of the story is that even though Maria von Trapp had previously sold the rights of her story and Mary Martin (the original Broadway Maria) and her husband Richard Halliday now owned them, Maria still wanted the production to correct the historical facts misrepresented in the screenplay. In lieu of an audience with Oscar Hammerstein, his assistant, Fran, is called up for the meetings with Maria. The bulk of the story centers around those delicate conversations which are then reported back to Mr. Hammerstein.

Author Michelle Moran, has carefully crafted a fictional story based on historical fact, set in 1959 New York City with flashback scenes from Salzburg, Austria of the 1940s. The research which went into its telling is herculean and spot on. The writing is solid, amusing and equally tender at times. The characters are well developed and the mise en scène is right off of a movie set.

This was a thoroughly engrossing and enjoyable read. I commend it highly to those who wish to understand the real story in an historical fiction kind of way.

I am grateful to Dell, the publisher, for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.


Publisher:‎ Dell
Publication Date:‎ July 30, 2024
Number of Pages:‎ 320
ISBN:‎ 978-0593499481

What a fabulous book! If you want something to sink your teeth into, a historical fiction story that will have you reading all day, get your hands on Maria by Michelle Moran.

In the 1950s, Oscar Hammerstein is asked to write the lyrics to a musical based on the life of a woman named Maria von Trapp. He’s intrigued to learn that she was once a novice who hoped to live quietly as an Austrian nun before her abbey sent her away to teach a widowed baron’s sickly child. What should have been a ten-month assignment, however, unexpectedly turned into a marriage proposal. And when the family was forced to flee their home to escape the Nazis, it was Maria who instructed them on how to survive using nothing but the power of their voices.

It’s an inspirational story, to be sure, and as half of the famous Rodgers & Hammerstein duo, Hammerstein knows it has big Broadway potential. Yet much of Maria’s life will have to be reinvented for the stage, and with the horrors of war still fresh in people’s minds, Hammerstein can’t let audiences see just how close the von Trapps came to losing their lives.

But when Maria sees the script that is supposedly based on her life, she becomes so incensed that she sets off to confront Hammerstein in person. Told that he’s busy, she is asked to express her concerns to his secretary, Fran, instead. The pair strike up an unlikely friendship as Maria tells Fran about her life, contradicting much of what will eventually appear in The Sound of Music.

A tale of love, loss, and the difficult choices that we are often forced to make, Maria is a powerful reminder that the truth is usually more complicated — and certainly more compelling — than the stories immortalized by Hollywood.

I enjoyed this book which supplemented my knowledge of the vonTrapp family. Sheds new light on the personalities of both Maria and the captain.

I received this book from the publisher via net galley in exchange for an honest review. Three and a half stars.

Having grown up watching the movie, The Sound of Music, about the von Trapp family singers, I had to read this book about the matriarch of the family, Maria. I was so engrossed and entertained by this story, I may have to go read it again. This book has two story lines. Maria relates her life story from 1913 through the 1940s to Fran who is Mr. Hammerstein's assistant. Fran's story is about Broadway in 1959 and putting on the musical, The Sound of Music, starring Mary Martin. Maria is not thrilled with the script and tries to share her thoughts to Mr. Hammerstein but has to talk to Fran instead. I enjoyed learning a little more about the writing and production of Mr. Hammerstein's musical as well as the genius himself. You learn more of the real story of Maria's life with the Captain and the children. The movie and the play capture the essence of their lives, but there is so much more to her life that can't be captured in 2-3 hours on screen or stage. I will not give away Maria's real story because you have to read this book. This is historical fiction, but I think the author portrayed the von Trapp characters, Hammerstein, and the fictional characters with truth and realism. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy historical fiction or are just a fan of The Sound of Music.
Thank you Random House Publishing Group and Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Hello Fellow Reader,

How could I not read this book?  We have all been brought up with the von Trapp family, right?  Or does that just show my age?  Isn’t The Sound of Music a rite of passage? 

In Maria, the prologue is a letter from Maria to Oscar Hammerstein imploring him to make changes to The Sound of Music so that it accurately reflects their lives.  Maria von Trapp requests a meeting so that she can clear up misconceptions and she has suggestions for the script. She understands that the music for the play is not yet complete, and she feels that making the changes is imperative. 

We then meet Fran. Fran is part of the group that revolves around Oscar Hammerstein. She works in his office along with her boyfriend, Jack.  When she arrived at the office on Monday, Mr. Hammerstein asked her to meet with Maria and see what she had to say because he didn’t have time.  He is busy with the musical and trying to finish the last songs. 

Fran meets Maria and instead of brushing her off, she meets with her several times to find out about her life.  Maria explains just some of the basic differences between her true story and the story in the play.  The oldest of the von Trapp children was really a boy; they did escape but not by climbing over the Alps. Also, Maria and Captain von Trapp had three children together.   

Fran can do nothing to help Maria change the plot but she listens to her and writes all the information up for Mr. Hammerstein.  Fran learns the good and bad sides of Maria and her regrets.  At the same time, Fran has great news in her professional life. The great news brings about changes that she didn’t anticipate but seem to work out well.

The book is enjoyable.  I’m sure that if Sound of Music is really a generational thing those who have lived with it as part of their life will enjoy the book.  (Is it still on TV every Easter?) It is not a heavy read at all.  A great light beach read or summer mornings and evenings on the deck. 

Thanks for reading!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I saw The Sound of Music perhaps once or twice in childhood, and it made a bit of an impression, although I haven’t seen it recently to remember much beyond the basics. But I do remember that I was stunned to find out it was based on a true story, and that Maria and the Von Trapps even formed a musical group that performed together for around 20 years! Thus, I was intrigued by the concept for Maria, especially how it directly discussed the issue of adapting the life of a real person for the stage (and later screen).
Structurally, I like that, while the main voice was Maria’s, recounting the period of her life covered in The Sound of Music, there’s also a frame narrative surrounding the period leading up to the staging of the musical itself. While the choice to have a throwaway fictional character, Fran, Oscar Hammerstein’s secretary, as the POV for this framing device, was a risky move, as often this can fall flat, she serves her purpose of being a conduit between Maria and Oscar Hammerstein, as well as the production itself. She’s not meant to be engaging in her own right, as far as I can tell, as there’s no attempt to shoehorn insights about her. And while it would have been interesting to get more of Hammerstein’s insights into all of it, I like that while there was a chapter where the reader got a peek into his head, and the narrative conveyed the stakes for him, I didn’t feel like there was anything lost by not hearing more of his inner thoughts.
Maria herself is vibrant, and while she’s not exactly like the Julie Andrews incarnation, you can see some of the similarities. I was drawn by how her upbringing by her abusive uncle shaped her, and she didn’t initially want to marry at all, as she was committed to becoming a nun. She was hired as a governess for one of the Von Trapp children, and it was her love for them that was the reason for her marriage to Georg Von Trapp, although she did grow to love him, and they had three biological children together (finding out their youngest is still alive, and their other two only died in the last few years was pretty cool).
As this recounts events on a historical scale, not a theatrical/cinematic one, it skips around a bit to cover everything relevant to The Sound of Music’s plot. I did find this a tad choppy, especially towards the end during the 1930s, in the leadup to them fleeing the Nazis, and clarifying how things happened differently than they do in the film. However, as the bulk of the story prior was mostly linear, and Moran mostly succeeded in making it feel cohesive, this was likely more related to my own personal preferences than any failing on the part of the book.
This was a wonderfully nostalgic read, and it’s perfect for fans of The Sound of Music.

Maria didn’t like the way her story was told in the play, The Sound of Music. She didn’t like the portrayal of her husband, Captain Georg von Trapp. A story is more appealing when a character undergoes a major transformation. The captain was chosen to be the one to hear the sound of music and see the light.
Maria isn’t portrayed as a very good mother, insisting that they all sing together, even at the ages of 6 and 9. Locking one daughter in her room in an effort to keep her from marrying.
Very revealing book.

The hills were not always alive with the sound of music for Maria and the von Trapps. But this book by Michelle Moran is something good. Like many of us “The Sound of Music” has a special spot in our hearts and memories. This novel, tells other parts of the story and the making of the musical. When the book was announced I KNEW i had to read it, and it lived up to all my hopes for it.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for an advanced copy!

I have loved the books I have read by Michelle Moran, and Sound of Music is one of my favorite movies, so this was a must read for me. I had already read Maria's autobiography and other books about the movie, so all that was written was not new to me. However, I did learn some new things which I enjoyed. I also liked learning something about Oscar Hammerstein. Michelle's well-researched novel is a compelling read. I would definitely recommend this, especially if you haven't read anything else about her.

Please note:
I will be sharing my review on my book blog: marysreadallaboutit.wordpress.com on May 29, 2024, and it will also post on my Goodreads page that same day.