Are you a fan of The Sound of Music? I have been a huge fan since childhood! I've also had the distinct honor of visiting Maria Von Trapp's grave in Stowe, Vermont. That being said, it was so interesting to read this dual timeline fictional account of Maria Von Trapp's life and how it differs from the account portrayed in the musical by Rogers and Hammerstein and Oscar winning movie. Fans will definitely want to pick this one up when it is released on July 30, 2024.

Fan of The Sound of Music will LOVE this book! As a lifelong lover of this movie, I loved the details Moran was able to shine light on in this novel. I've never read either if Maria's autobiographies, but now I may have to! Learning more about the actual timeline this family lived was very interesting. Also I like the details given about what happened to the family after they left Austria. I knew some from a few articles I read over the years, but there was plenty I still had never heard before.

I loved the writing style and the alternate timelines of Maria's POV and Fran helping appease her before the musical premiers. Both were interesting and I never minded the switch. I loved the inclusion of Edelweiss and it being Hammerstein's last composition.

Truly loved this novel and will have to go digging into Michelle Moran's backlist! Have already earmarked this as a gift for a few of my fellow musical loving friends.

Thank you NetGalley, Michelle Moran and Random House - Ballantine for the chance to reach an early copy.

4.5 stars

Fascinating story of Maria von Trapp, whose life was showcased in the musical/movie Sound of Music. I struggled a bit at the beginning of this book. It's told in dual timelines. In 1959, as Rodgers and Hammerstein were writing the Broadway musical, Maria von Trapp was unhappy with the portrayal of her story. Fran, an employee of Oscar Hammerstein, is tasked with meeting with Maria to get her side of the story. So, the book alternates between 1959, and the earlier years of Maria's life. A little confusing at first. Ultimately, I was swept up in the story and couldn't put it down. Then, I watched The Sound of Music on Disney+ to compare the musical's portrayal of the von Trapp family with what I'd read in this book! I had a whole new appreciation of their story!

Thank you so much to Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this digital ARC in return for an honest review.

I had not watched The Sound of Music before reading this book. My only knowledge was the "Hills Are Alive" clips that I sometimes hear on social media. I understood the premise but didn't know much of the details. I really enjoyed Maria. I did not know TSOM was a true story. I loved that Maria's character was fighting for accuracy with Rogers and Hammerstein. The historical piece woven in the novel was captivating. I ended up watching The Sound of Music after finishing and really enjoyed the movie. It added to the book, for sure, but the book is easily enjoyable without the movie!

I usually start my reviews of ARC's by thanking the ones who gifted it to me. I promise to get to that eventually, but I'm so excited about this book that I have to get my thoughts out first.

I've loved The Sound of Music since the first time I saw it when I was 8. The story. The music. All of it. It had family, love, courage, survival, and hope. It's been one of my favorites ever since. That being said, I didn't know too much about the actual von Trapp family beyond that it was based on a true story.

Maria is listed as "historical fiction", but is based in many truths. I really enjoyed hearing about Maria's childhood and was shocked at how traumatic it was at times. I also enjoyed seeing a different side of the Captain. Apparently the stoic and no nonsense man of the movie was far from the truth. While an accomplished military man, he was known to be very gentle and kind to his children. He also loved music, which himself and his two great loves helped pass on to their ten children.

The alternating chapters between Maria's past and the "present" (late 1950s) was something I enjoyed, as well. As a huge fan of Mr. Hammerstein's work, I loved getting to see him as an actual character. I found the fictional character of Fran to be a great mediator between all the other characters and loved her determination to be true to herself (as a woman and to her writing).

This was such a feel good book and I would recommend it not only to any von Trapp fans (or fans of the musical/movie), but to any historical fiction fans as well.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing-Ballantine for the ARC of Maria. I truly enjoyed it so very much.

4⭐️

#Maria #NetGally

When I saw this book up for an ARC I have never clicked so fast. I have known for a long time that The Sound of Music took many liberties when telling Maria von Trapp's story. My mom had read her autobiography and would tell me things whenever the movie came on. I read her autobiography two years ago and found it fascinating. This novel was just what my Sound of Music loving heart has wanted for a long time. This novel is so much closer to Maria's real life than the movie. This book starts out when Oscar Hammerstein was creating the play. It was a play before a movie. We are in 1959 and Maria von Trapp wants to meet with Hammerstein because she does not like the script and she has some things to say about it. In this book, Hammerstein has his secretary meet with Maria and take notes, even though the play is already in rehearsals. He is worried Maria might make bad press if they cannot get her to see their side of things. So Maria tells her life story to Fran and that is how we get the real story. I did not know much about Maria's childhood so the song Something Good now has a much different meaning to me. She was an orphan and her Uncle was extremely mean to her as her guardian. I teared up when the family had to leave Austria. I just loved the book so much! I started it yesterday and finished it today! I will definitely buy a copy to go on my shelf. I had not read this author before but I do own another of her books so that one will move up on my TBR.

-"Everyone comes away from their childhood with wounds, some deeper than others."

-"How can they do this?" I cry. But that's the thing about war and invasions. The enemy can do whatever they wish.

-"It's the hardest part about being human. Accepting that even the best things will have an end."

Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp

The Sound of Music has been a nostalgic, favorite movie of mine my entire life; one that I’ve watched dozens of times. Having never read Maria von Trapp’s memoir published in 2001, I began this novel by Michelle Moran with only The Sound of Music film for previous knowledge.

Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp is set in 1950’s New York as Rodgers & Hammerstein are busy creating a broadway version of a German film based on an Austrian family that would become known as “The Sound of Music”. The story is told from the perspective of Hammerstein’s assistant, Fran.

When Maria von Trapp learns about the production of the US musical and reads the script sent to her, she travels to New York to confront Rodgers & Hammerstein about the German film’s inaccuracies with hopes of changing the script for the musical before its premiere show. Instead of speaking with them directly, Maria finds herself meeting with Fran. The novel bounces back and forth between snippets of Fran’s daily life and romantic interests and her retelling of Maria von Trapp’s true memories that she shares during their meetings.

I thought this novel was really interesting, and allowed me to learn more truth about a family that inspired a story I’ve loved since childhood. As an adult now, I can see with clear eyes the ups and downs of Maria and the von Trapp family’s true life experiences. I thought this fictional story was a creative way to share more about the true von Trapp family and felt like it was possible to hold love for the musical that Rodgers & Hammerstein created as well as empathy for the real life family experiences (both good and difficult). I definitely recommend this story for anyone who is a Sound of Music fan!

This is one of those books that I wanted it to go on and on!
It’s a touching and poignant look at Maria von Trapp and her issues with the play depicting her family’s story.
I read her memoir back in 1988 and have it somewhere but I’d forgotten many of the details of her story which Moran richly recreates.
I was taken back at her unyielding attitude toward one of the children and the estrangement by the time the play and movie came out.
I found myself reading certain parts between the Captain and Maria over and over. When he said he would take her forever I almost cried because it was so tender and affectionate and Maria was very slow on the uptake.
I loved Plummer’s brilliant portrayal of Georg von Trapp in the movie, but Moran does an excellent job of bringing out the true personality of the Captain which I found captivating. I had to look up pictures of him and he was a dreamboat!
I have so many fond memories of the movie because every year my mom and I watched it when it came on tv. My mom was also planning on becoming a nun but life had other plans for her, so I connected with the book on many different levels.

Wow, this book deserves more than 5 stars! I was totally mesmerized by this captivating book from start to finish. I had not seen The Sound of Music until a few years back when I watched it for the first time and now it is a yearly must at the holiday season. I loved the then and now format in this book describing Maria's childhood and how she happened to come to the von Trapp family to educate the youngest child who was sickly. This alternated with current day Maria von Trapp wanting the ending of the Broadway play of the von Trapp family, which was about to open, to be changed and giving her side of the story to Fran, secretary to Oscar Hammerstein. This was such a great story and I still cannot quit thinking about it.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for the ARC of this fascinating book that I really enjoyed.

THANK YOU! The story behind a beloved movie! This story is a dual timeline as Maria is growing up in Austria and then retelling her story to Oscar Hammerstein about the Von Trapp family. This puts the woman from a classic at the forefront again as we learn the true story behind this family!

An interesting "biography " of Maria Von Trapp. To read about her journey was amazing and insightfully done. She was a very strong woman who faced adversity head on.

I admit, I knew very little about the real people in this story before reading Maria. Now I feel like I have the bigger picture. I love when a novel teaches me something.

complete review will be here on July 30th. https://novelpastimes.com/2024/07/30/book-review-maria-by-michelle-moran/

First of all, I'd like to thank Random House for an advance copy of this book. This girl who grew up on the Sound of Music was giddy that I got picked for this.

If you are a The Sound of Music fan, this is a must read. I loved it. I felt like maybe it told the story that Maria von Trapp wanted to tell. Fran was such a great character. The moving back and forth between time periods was so well done. I loved how Fran's story was integrated with Maria's.

There's probably a good chance that I came into this book with a biased opinion. I think that if you grew up loving the Sound of Music like I did, you will also have this same bias. I had high expectations for this book, and it met them. It was definitely one of my favorites I've read this year. It was an easy read. It was easy to follow. I have already recommended it to friends, and I will definitely buy it as a gift. It gave me a warm, fuzzy and nostalgic feeling.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing-Ballantine for giving me an ARC in exchange for my honest review! I liked the voice of the book and the way that Fran and Maria both tell their stories. The book is well-organized and well-thought-out, and even if this type of book is not my preferred cup of tea, there is no denying that it is a good book. I give it a four out of five stars.

I adored "The Sound of Music" movie and have watched it every year since I was a kid and that's a long time!
This is a beautifully told historical fiction book that is Maria Von Trapp's story.
There are many similarities of the beloved movie, but it is not all "Love and Light" for the sweet nun we thought we knew.

Maria retells her life's journey to Mr. Hammerstein's secretary in the hope that he would change the play to reflect the "real" story of Maria's life.

I truly loved the writing of this book, the description, the smooth flow of the dual timelines and the memories.
I am sitting singing "Climb Every Mountain" as I write this!
If you enjoy historical fiction you will definitely want to open this book. If you grew up with "The Sound of Music", run to get this novel!

Thank you to @NetGalley and to @Random House Publishing- Ballantine for this amazing ARC and allowing me to read and provide my own review. Well done!

Michelle Moran's latest novel, Maria, is a great read. While it took a little time to "get into" the story becomes more engaging when Maria arrives "on scene!" For fans of the play and or film adaptation The Sound of Music much of the novel will be familiar, but there are differences in the real story of the Von Trapp family. Also, the first person point of view makes Moran's work compelling, from Maria's troubled, abused childhood, to how the Captain really was, and her (and his) relationship with their children including the youngest they had together. The back and forth time frames between later years and the play coming together juxtaposed with the background of Maria normally would be interesting. However, the other female protagonist's story was predictable. Getting a view into Hammerstein's life was interesting and as a whole, a very good read!

I very much enjoyed revisiting Maria Von Trapp and hearing her story. This is a fictionalized biography. It begins weeks before the opening of The Sound of Music on Broadway. Maria meets with a fictionalized character who is the assistant to Oscar Hammerstein. She shares her displeasure with the script and in doing so goes through her real life story, marriage and becoming the Von Trapp Family singers. I’ve read two of the seven books written by Maria decades ago so the real life events that vary from the stage play were familiar to me. But it is a chance to let another generation know about this person who is the inspiration for an iconic play and movie musical. I read straight through it in an afternoon. I liked the brief update on what happened to the children in their adult lives. The play ends on the escape to new life. The fact that life was hard as a new immigrant in a new country doesn’t take away from my enjoyment and fondness for the timeless musical. (4.5 Stars)

So thankfully to have received an advanced reader copy of this book, thanks NetGalley and Random House Publishing! I had heard the movie was not an accurate depiction of Maria’s life, but never knew her true story. This book reveals her life through her telling of her story to Fran, an fictional employee of Hammerstein’s (the creator of the Broadway musical). Fran was assigned to meet with Maria to hear her complaints about the musical before it went live on Broadway. Through their meetings, we are privy to hearing her true story. You will be surprised to figure out what parts of the musical/movie are true and which ones are not. I always say the book is better than the movie, and I think it’s true in this situation as well.!

Totally loved this most interesting historical fiction novel of Maria VonTrapp of Sound of Music fame.
Thanks to NetGalley and Dell for an ARC to read and review.
While this book did not tell the fairy story that the show/ movie told of the Von Trapp family it was a very beautiful and human story. I must say it was a little bit of a shock for me. I particularly enjoyed the interactions with Maria , Fran ( who worked with Rodger’s and Hammerstein) and Oscar Hammerstein.
The author did a beautiful job or telling the story that is romanticized in the Hollywood version at the same time showing a real version that Maria wanted told. She was particularly protective of the legacy of BaronVon Trapp .
This was a very emotionally charged book that left me overwhelmed with emotion but in the best way.
I highly recommend this book - it is brilliant.
Definitely looking to read more from this author!

I must admit, I was not too familiar with the story of Maria von Trapp. I watched The Sound of Music when I was young, but vaguely remember it. I found Maria and the von Trapp characters loving. The author did beautiful work in structuring the book. For us the reader, the narrative is of flashbacks of Maria’s live and in the present in which a play is being written about her life. When the narrative shifted to the present and Fran, Hammerstein’s young assistant meets Maria von Trapp to discuss the inaccuracies of the play it felt like I was there with the two women. Highly recommend for any fan of The Sound of Music, historical fiction and Michelle’s work.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine| Dell for sending me an ARC in exchange of an honest review of the book received.