The stage and screen introduced us to the Von Trapp Family Singers and Michelle Moran introduces us to a different side of the story. The one Maria wanted to tell.

From the hills of Austria to the shining lights of Broadway…Maria Von Trapp has issues with the script for the stage adaptation of her memoir. She’s on a mission to take her concerns to Hammerstein himself but he sends a middleman….his young secretary Fran in hopes of getting Maria to understand that some changes to the story are necessary in a world still reeling from WWII. The two very different women strike up a friendship and the lessons that Fran learns from the trials and tribulations of Maria are then applied to her own personal life.

This story paints a very different portrait of the woman we think we know. It was just okay for me. To be honest I found myself more invested in Fran and her life than that of Maria. I did venture to google several times to learn more about the Von Trapps and what I read was very interesting!

Thanks so much to Random House & Michelle Moran for inviting me to read this story prior to its release!

First sentence:
Dear Mr. Hammerstein,
It may come as a surprise that I am writing to you, as it appears that the theater industry believes I am dead and can now make up whatever they wish about me.

Premise/plot: Michelle Moran's newest historical novel is a fictionalized account of the creation of the Broadway musical Sound of Music. Maria von Trapp, on whom the musical is in part based along with her family, was not happy with the script or characterizations. She believed--and tried to convey--just how wrong, how inaccurate, how nonsensical the changes were. She hoped--in vain--that by telling HER story and providing detailed notes (etc) that the script would be changed. This is the story of those interviews. Fran (a fictional character) is meeting with Maria and sharing what she learns knowing that the story is essentially set in stone...the musical is due to open in a matter of weeks. This novel also reveals Mr. Hammerstein's illness--this would be the last musical he would write before his death.

The novel goes back and forth in time.

My thoughts: I love, love, love the musical Sound of Music. I have read at least one biography of Maria von Trapp. I can't remember if it was a biography written by another or an autobiography or memoir. I knew I *needed* to read this one. I found it a great read. I definitely recommend this one.

My sisters-in-law and mother-in-law performed a song from the movie at my wedding reception. It was a bit of an inside joke with my husband, because I have never been much of a fan of the movie or the musical. But I was intrigued to learn a bit more about the woman who inspired the fictionalized retellings of her life. This book was a good balance and did a good job of bridging Maria's memories of her life and the play's production. I learned about the back story of the play and Hammerstein as well as the woman who inspired such a huge following for her tale.

I appreciated that she was not depicted without flaws, and I appreciated the amount of research Moran put into bringing this story to life.

This was a good historical fiction about a woman. Not so much a historical fiction about the times, but that's ok. I guess this would be considered a historical fiction memoir or biography. The alternating viewpoints worked, because for the most part, it was still focused on Maria. I'm sure there is a connection between Fran and Maria in some aspects of their personal challenges. After all, both are struggling in a world that is set up to protect men and to only protect women through the men in their lives. And both are strong enough to stand on their own feet without a man. Even if, in the case of Maria, it depicts her as a stubborn and opinionated person.

If you are a fan of The Sound of Music, then this is a must read to delve into the life of the woman who inspired it. And if you are just looking for an interesting story about a historical figure, this is highly readable and enjoyable.

Francis Connelly, Oscar Hammersteins fictional assistant in this historical fiction novel, is sent to reason with Maria Von Trapp, who has shown up in New York to protest the script of the Broadway musical based on her life. Already made into a movie in Europe, Maria is unhappy with the script that shows her husband as a strict disciplinarian, vs the loving father that he was, and that changed many details of her life. We learn much about Marias early life through her discussions with Fran, as well as the true story of what happened between her and the Baron, as well as her children. I don't want to spoil anything, but it does look like from the authors note that most of what is depicted in THIS story of Maria is true. It definitely shows Maria in a different light than the beloved film does, but it is no less interesting, and in fact more interesting in my opinion. I particularly enjoyed learning about what happened after they left Austria, as well as the glimpse into the end of Hammersteins life. I think anyone that is a fan of the Sound of Music would enjoy this historical fiction account of Maria Von Trapps life.

Thank you to net galley for the digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

The story of Maria von Trapp and The Sound of Music is so ubiquitous, most of us could recite it as easily as the children learned their do-re-mi’s. But as many also know, the musical and movie were not completely faithful to Maria’s life. Maria was known to have been frustrated with some of the choices Oscar Hammerstein made, including portraying Captain von Trapp as a strict disciplinarian, changing the oldest child from a boy to a girl, and showing them leaving Austria in a dramatic climb over the Alps to Switzerland when they actually left by train.

Michelle Morgan has fashioned Maria’s relationship with Oscar Hammerstein as a historical novel, framing it as Maria telling her story to Hammerstein’s (fictional) assistant six weeks before the opening of The Sound of Music on Broadway. Mr. Hammerstein is not present, which irritates Maria, but we later learn that Hammerstein is suffering from stomach cancer, which caused his death 9 months after the Broadway play opened.

The material is well researched, and the only fictional parts of this book are the assistant and others of Hammerstein’s staff. It’s a clever device that allows us a window into the backstage preparations of a Broadway show. Moran even has an afterword which lists the von Trapp children (including Maria and Georg’s children) and what happened to them. This was one of the most fascinating parts of the book for me - these are real people and a few of them are still alive (although this is not in the book, I’ve seen that several of the grandchildren came together recently to tour as a singing group).

I very much enjoyed reading this book. It was written and paced beautifully, and the story will never not be fascinating, no matter what new details are revealed. Many thanks to Dell and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Maria by Michelle Moran
A Novel of Maria von Trapp

I thought I'd watched the movie Sound of Music, but now I realize I probably just watched bits and pieces of clips, since I'm not fond of musicals. Maria von Trapp wrote at least two books about her life over her lifetime and this story deals with the making of the 1950 Broadway play based on Maria's 1949 autobiography. For dramatic affect Maria's story is changed in many ways for the play and Maria has come to New York to tell Oscar Hammerstein the revisions she wants him to make to the play before its opening night. The play is already in production and Maria's chances of even talking to Hammerstein are extremely low and even lower that he'd change anything for her.

Instead Maria gets to talk to Hammerstein's secretary, Fran. The book goes between Fran and Maria's discussions back to the beginning of Maria's troubled childhood, her dream of becoming a nun, and then her time with the von Trapp family leading to her marriage into the family and becoming an aggressive driving force into their success as a group. The play fictionalizes the von Trapp story in many ways, including showing Maria in a positive light while portraying Georg in a stern and domineering light. This was far from the reality and Maria has lost most of her family over her aggressive ways. This play will not help her win her family back and Maria wants to set the record straight.

I greatly enjoyed this story as we see how Maria's life began. We also see her arrival to live with the von Trapps as a nanny, with the promise that the job is temporary and she'll be able to continue her path to becoming a nun once the job is over. But instead, Maria marries Georg and her life as a mother to as many as ten children, begins. We also see Maria change from a happy young woman who wants children to get to play, be outdoors, and have hobbies, to a domineering task master. This attitude toward life, her family, and their singing career alienates her family. So much about what the public knows about the family and their struggles to survive the war and its aftermath is not known but Maria wants to address what is incorrect in the play. This story has awoken an interest in the von Trapp family and now I'm looking a pictures and watching videos, not of movie clips but of clips of the actual family. Maria von Trapp is so interesting but so is her husband, who'd already lived a lifetime of accomplishments before he even met Maria.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell and NetGalley for this ARC.

“How do you solve a problem like Maria?”
This book is ANYTHING but a problem. Moran did a masterful job of telling the story of Maria Von Trapp, the woman who was the inspiration for the classic, “The Sound of Music” Broadway show and the movie. The novel focuses on the “true” story and how Maria was insistent that Hammerstein portrayed her family in an accurate way.
I loved reading Maria’s true story and the character of Fran, Hammersteins assistant, who helped Maria get her story as close to reality as possible. Even if you are in the minority and do not care for The Sound of Music I think the book was so well written that anyone who loves a good story would love this as well.

This was a 5⭐️ read for me and I thank Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy

For fans and lovers of the "Sound of Music" this is a must read. Michelle Moran did a wonderful job of weaving stories from two different time limes to create a beautiful rendition of the Von Tripp family. I was hooked from the start, and could not put it down. Highly recommend.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I would like to thank Random House, Megan Whalen, and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book as as an ARC. Ok, full disclosure- I am a Theater Nerd. I love musical theater especially the 50's and 60's. As my long suffering husband will tell you, I can sing the score of The Sound of Music in its entirety ( not well, but:). And once on a trip you Germany, when he pointed out I could see Austria from where we stood- I twirled around and burst out into "The Hills are alive"!. I scared a few goats as I recall.Anyway, This book had me at -you have been pre approved. It is a backstory of the making of The Sound of Music, in 1959/1960. It was to be the last play of Rogers and Hammerstein. It begins a few weeks before the play opens. Maria Von Trapp is at the theater and is not happy, because the play does not accurately follow her life. One of Hammerstein's assistants is tasked with the job of talking with her and taking notes on her concerns. No they didn't cross the alps into Switzerland to escape, and the ages and names of the children were inaccurate, but much of the story was true, So why was Maria so upset. This is what Fran tries to find out.The book moves between Maria's retelling of her life to Fran, events happening with Fran, Peter and Jack, who all work for Oscar Hammerstein, and the production of the play. I have read books on both Hammerstein and Rogers before, as well as Maria's Von Trapp's Autobiography. Some characters are invented,as well as some modern day plot lines. For me, this is a wonderful companion to my already overflowing shelf of books about Broadway. To have this book to read, well as the song says, I must have done something good!

Not my favorite Michelle Moran book but still wonderful! I learned alot about Maria von Trapp! The writing was very well done!

In "Maria," Michelle Moran takes us behind the scenes of one of the most beloved musicals of all time, shedding light on the real-life story that inspired *The Sound of Music*. Set in the 1950s, we follow Oscar Hammerstein as he delves into the life of Maria von Trapp, a former novice who transformed from an aspiring nun into the matriarch of the singing von Trapp family. What starts as a simple teaching assignment for a widowed baron’s child blossoms into an unexpected romance and a harrowing escape from the Nazis.

Moran masterfully captures the intrigue and drama as Maria confronts the fictionalization of her life, forming a bond with Hammerstein's secretary, Fran. Their friendship unearths the complexities of Maria’s experiences, revealing a tale far richer and more tumultuous than what the Broadway stage would eventually portray.

This novel is not just about the creation of a musical; it's a poignant exploration of love, loss, and resilience. Moran's storytelling reminds us that real life often defies the simplicity of stage adaptations, offering a narrative that's both inspirational and heartbreakingly real.

If you’re a fan of *The Sound of Music* or enjoy historical fiction that digs deep into the human spirit, "Maria" is a must-read.

There are already a lot of quite detailed reviews out, so I'm not going to try to summarize the contents. I'll simply say, I liked it. Perfect? Of course not. No matter how much we reviewers gush over books we've really liked, no book is perfect. This one, however, does an excellent job of not only pulling the curtain back on the real backstory of Maria von Trapp.but the story behind the making of the musical "Sound of Music". Many of us have seen the movie version repeatedly and simply looking at the cover is enough to start hearing the title track in our minds. Michelle Moran has done an intensive, in-depth research effort here and it shows.

Being a history buff, I found myself putting the book aside at times to do a deep dive into the proverbial rabbit hole to see what else I could glean of the times of Maria's life. I was actually somewhat surprised to discover how many of the probably "little known facts" I actually knew, maybe because at some point I recall reading Maria's own book. What I didn't know or had forgotten, however, were the darker elements of Maria's own childhood. Reading about it, it's easily understood why finding her own family, her own place of security, was so important to Maria. With the fictional Fran Connelly as the conduit, we get a glimpse of the real Maria. The strength and, yes, stubbornness that surely helped her survive her youth and endure. Is she always a sympathetic character? Far from it. Unlike the sweet faced, perky, seemingly always cheerful character depicted by Julie Andrews, Maria was far more complex.

As it turned out, due to "life", I wound up reading the book over a period of days in spurts. Normally a negative, this may have worked to my benefit. The book is broken into sections, or points of view. By sheer luck, I usually found myself finishing one POV just as I had to take a break from reading. Fran's were in what we'll call the then present time while, for lack of a better way of explaining it, Maria's might best be described as flashbacks containing flashbacks. There's a great deal to take in. For me, while Fran's sections didn't hold my attention as well as those featuring Maria -- after all, that's who we come to this book to read about -- they did a good job of linking the past and present. especially as we see how Maria's story helped Fran work through a difficult span of her own life. In the process, we not only get to learn about Maria's life but get to see a side of how musicals/movies are created and the hows and whys of what might be included or rejected.

Bottom line, I highly recommend this book. Knowing the "rest of the story" only enhances our enjoyment of both. Sure, the plot may not be 100% accurate but the core of the story, as we learn, is there. In fact, for the curious, make sure you read the author's notes and "Whatever Happened to..." section. Those were fun. Maria's story is complex and intriguing and you'll come away feeling more empathy and kinship with the entire von Trapp Family. My thanks to #NetGalley and #RandomHousePublishingGroup for allowing me this peek behind the scenes of a story we all thought we knew. Nope. We weren't even close. Let's face it. Life is complex.

First line: Dear Mr. Hammerstein, It may come as a surprise that I am writing to you, as it appears that the theater industry believes I am dead and can now make up whatever they wish about me.

Summary: In the 1950s, Oscar Hammerstein was asked to write the music for the upcoming Broadway musical, The Sound of Music, based on the life of an Austrian nun named Maria von Trapp. With just a few weeks until the premiere, the office of Rodgers and Hammerstein receive a letter from the musical’s heroine stating her displeasure with the changes they made to her story. In an attempt to head off any bad press the former nun could throw at the new musical, Hammerstein asks his secretary and aspiring writer, Fran, to talk with Maria and try to smooth over any discrepancies. While Fran listens to Maria’s tale she learns that life for the Von Trapps was much more complicated than even the best Broadway musical can portray.

My Thoughts: When I was younger The Sound of Music was one of my favorite movies. I love Julie Andrews and her rendition of these beautiful songs. While in fifth grade my family took a trip to Germany with a detour to Salzburg, Austria where my family visited several filming/historical locations from the story. It was a highlight for me on that trip, along with visiting the birthplace of Mozart. My love of history started young.

Michelle Moran is a fantastic historical fiction writer. She brings the women she writes about to life and gives a deeper look into their lives. Even though I loved the musical, I never actually read Maria’s autobiography so much of what I “knew” of the Trapp family was from the film and a few facts from movie photo books. I learned a lot about this woman and the family she joined through this story. And I definitely want to read more about the life of this family.

I think it was a great idea to write the story using the upcoming musical as a backdrop rather than a straightforward biographical fiction novel. Many people know the story because of the musical and this will draw them in while also bringing them the true story. For fans of the musical, this is a great companion story.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this interesting fictional tale about Maria Von Trapp. Great writing with a few slow spots but overall great read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

When I was a teenager, I nannied some neighborhood kids over the summer and one girl asked me to watch The Sound of Music every day. This is not an exaggeration, I picked her up from swim practice, and when we got home we had chocolate milk and watched The Sound of Music. Also, in my junior year of high school, I was in a community theatre production of the musical. So, you could say I’m familiar.

I absolutely loved this book for many reasons. First, it’s dual timeline. I loved getting the true story of what happened in Austria from Maria, much of which varied greatly from the Rodgers and Hammerstein adaptation. I equally enjoyed the scenes set in the 1950’s leading up to the opening night of The Sound of Music on Broadway. There were conversations with Hammerstein and eventually Sondheim, which really tickled me!

My only small criticism would be that the storyline of Fran’s love life seemed unnecessary and at the end, her relationship rushed and unbelievable. I don’t feel that either of her relationships add much to the story. I understand that Jack being upset about her writing success does give an insight to the difficulties strong, ambitious women faced in the 50’s but this could have been shown without them being romantically involved.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who loves The Sound of Music, Broadway, or historical fiction in general.

Maria by Michelle Moran was a book I wasn’t sure about at first. I received a complimentary copy. As many of us I grew up watching the movie The Sound of Music and then watching it with my own children. This is a fictionalized version of the life of Maria von Trapp. Ms. Moran did do her research as there are facts woven in about Maria and her life. Maria always seemed like a happy character in the movie but her life was not always happy. I ended up really enjoying this book so much more than I thought I would. Thank you Netgalley and Random House for the advanced copy.

Maria von Trapp wrote at least two memoirs. "The Story of the Trapp Family Singers" inspired "The Sound of Music"; "Maria" went deeper into the abuse she suffered as a child and her life after the group dissolved. This novel borrows liberally from both—I'm pretty sure I recall some exact turns of phrase from von Trapp's books. For this novel not to be superfluous, it needed to shine light on the real Maria's inner workings and faults far more than von Trapp's books did.

Unfortunately author Michelle Moran falls short. She does discuss what was in effect Maria's emotional abuse of her daughter Rosmarie and her overall stubbornness, but she falls short on much more. The fictional Maria goes from being raised atheist to entering a nunnery: What brought that about? Originally nurturing of the stepchildren and emphasizing their need to be kids, she becomes short-tempered and even off-putting with her own children, even before becoming a demanding tyrant once they begin performing professionally: Why? The book misses out on the chance to show the evolution of her personality.

Then there's a subplot about Oscar Hammerstein's assistant Fran that has only the most tenuous of links to the story of Maria, plus one lone little chapter from Hammerstein's POV that reveals he has terminal cancer. The inclusion of that chapter is the most awkward shoehorning of a subplot I've ever come across.

Giving this three stars might seem generous. But I did enjoy the first few chapters about Fran, even though I knew where the storyline would end up. Maybe that should have been a different book altogether. And because I haven't read von Trapp's memoirs since I was a kid, reading this was a bit of cozy nostalgia for me. But if given the choice between those and this novel, choose the memoirs.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House—Ballantine, for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great fictionalized book of Maria Von Trapp. This is the first book by this author that I have read and I really enjoyed it. I love the drama and the character arcs. This is a wonderful historical book

“Maria,” by Michelle Moran, is a historical fiction book about Maria von Trapp and the making of the play “The Sound of Music.” In this book, Maria is upset about the portrayal of her husband, Captain von Trapp, and wants to speak to Oscar Hammerstein about this. Hammerstein sends one of his assistants to speak to Maria - and this story unfolds. This book is partially based upon the books that Maria wrote (two autobiographies) and some resources from the time of the play. I’ll admit, I am not a fan of the movie (though I’ll admit I understand the love for the movie), but I thought this book would be interesting to read for “the story behind the story.” I understand why Ms. Moran took the path that she did in this book - introducing Fran, the assistant, for whom Maria told her story. I wasn’t as interested in Fran’s side story regarding her writing and boyfriend. I did like the inclusion of Mr. Hammerstein’s chapter, which at first I felt was jarring, but as the book progressed I felt the information was better coming from him opposed to someone else. Maria von Trapp was more than a “sweet girl hoping to join the convent” and for those who haven’t investigated her story online, this makes her a bit more human - flaws, good points, and all. I was rather pleased to read that Captain von Trapp has a number of moments to shine as I always hoped he was a bit less “Captain” and a bit more “Dad” with his family. And I agree with Maria - why not have a second story of the von Trapp family after they left Austria - pretty interesting (and thus why she wrote a second book, I’m sure!). Overall, this was an enjoyable book … and that cover, so perfect for this book (and probably the scene most remember from the movie).

This is an extraordinary book with the inside scoop of the Trapp Family singers.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen the movie, “The Sound of Music” with the nun, Maria, on the picturesque mountain singing so beautifully. Of course, there’s also the handsome Captain Georg von Trapp with his children ranging from an adorable toddler to a sweet 16-year-old. It was the lyrics and music by Rogers & Hammerstein that had a strong impact in making this film win Best Picture in 1965 at the Academy Awards.

Naturally, I couldn’t wait to read a story about Maria’s life – not the version that was sort of true but what really happened with a timeline of events from when she was a child to her later years. Fran Connelly, Oscar Hammerstein’s secretary, met with Maria, upon her insistence, in 1959 to jot down some key points of her life. It was when the Broadway play was in the last stages of production. Maria was very clear: she wanted it to be accurate. How much did Hammerstein change the scenes to please her? There was much to tell which fascinated me.

The book gave readers a historical account of how the Nazis changed Austria when Hitler took control in 1938. While the Trapp family was caught in a dreadful time, it conveyed the close connection they had with music. The story showed how Maria and Georg’s love gave this family the strength they needed to survive. At the end, the author included a brief summary of the Trapp family members along with a list of discussion questions.

My thanks to Dell and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of July 30, 2024.