The Sound of Music is a wonderful movie inspired by a true story, But movies like that often part company with some of the actual facts and this one is no exception. This novel explores how the lead character may have reacted to this. Sweet subplots make this a good light read.

This was a fascinating story about Maria von Trapp. It is a biographical novel. I enjoyed it very much.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is an excellent book! It has all the cozy feels! Almost everyone likes The Sound of Music, and this story peers into the interesting early life of Maria. The descriptions are dazzling!

The cast of characters is brilliant! My favorite is Fran! She's a go-getter! She's also compassionate, caring, and a great listener! Maria is a survivor. She goes through so much pain and heartache. Her and Georg's love story is unique and adorable!

I really enjoyed reading this book! I look forward to reading more books by this author!

I was provided a copy of the book from Random House via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’m gonna start off by saying I’m a HUGE Sound of Music fan so I knew I had to read this book. For the most part I enjoyed this book! I liked the multiple perspectives and a more ‘real’ story behind the Sound of Music. I was surprised to learn it was historical fiction- I thought it was going to be more non-fiction retelling of the story (but that’s kinda on me). I did dislike the authors writing style during certain parts of the story but overall I still enjoyed!
(thank you to the publisher for the e-arc!)

Thanks to NetGalley and Dell for this advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review,
For fans of The Sound of Music, maybe you took the musical as gospel of the life of the Von Trapp family, or maybe like me, you have read every biography you could find on Maria Von Trapp and knew largely that the musical was a terrific story based in little truth. No matter, this is a gem of a book that brings the person back into the story. I followed along intently and even learned a few things. Maria was not a Julie Andrew’s or Mary Martin, but what a story she had. Now I’m torn. Would the musical have been a success of the story was closer to true? Probably not, it was the magic of Hammerstein and the cast that lifted people up in an era that likely wasn’t ready for stories about WWII.
Regardless, as a book I loved it. I would recommend this to all who love the movie or musical, or who like historical fiction of real people.
Book club material for sure, and I would happily read it again for the purpose.
4.5 rounded up for prepub.
Thank you!

I love Sound of Music so I was very intrigued to learn the real history. Unfortunately, the first part of the book just didn't hook me so I didn't care to read on.

Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and "The Sound of Music" is easily my favorite movie of all time, so I was thrilled to be offered an ARC edition of Maria, courtesy of Netgalley.

This novel was everything I hoped it would be. It gave the real story of Maria von Trapp and revealed how after she sold the rights to her biography, she was unhappy with the changes made in the film versions. I had no idea that there were two German movies made about the von Trapp Family singers nor that Maria was more of the disciplinarian and the Captain was the softie and that Maria was really the ambitious one of the family

I also liked how the story wove in Oscar Hammerstein and how his brilliant lyrics elevated the story of the von Trapps in "The Sound of Music".

Highly recommend!

When I was chosen to read an advanced copy of this book, the squeak that came out of my mouth was so loud!!
The story of Maria Von trap is written gorgeous! I absolutely enjoyed every page of this book! It’s going to stay with me for a long time! Michelle nailed this book!
It’s a ‘must read’ from me!

I was so excited to get an ARC of Maria. I loved this book! Growing up, I watched The Sound Of Music every year when it came on TV with my mom. How fascinating to find out about how much was changed for the sake of the Broadway show and more about who Maria was besides the image in the movie. It was also interesting to learn about Hammerstein, who I really don’t know much about. I finished this book in four days and it usually takes me about two weeks to read a similar size novel.

This is a wonderful read, I have always loved the Sound of Music but this gives us a whole new understanding of the real story. The writing is excellent, research was in-depth, but most importantly she brings them all to life with dignity and integrity. This book has it all, love, loss, heartbreak and sacrifice.

Years ago I read another true story on the making of the Wizard of Oz, it too was an excellent read. I thank you Ms. Moran on a wonderful book and letting us all know the true side of this classic. I highly recommend and 5 stars is not enough.

I thank Random House Publishing Group along with NetGalley for providing this Galley edition for no requirement other than my offer to provide an unbiased review.

The Sound of Music has always been one of my favorite movies and I couldn’t wait to dive into this novel. It did not disappoint. Told in a dual timeline, Maria relates her story to Fran Connelly, secretary to Oscar Hammerstein in hopes of “fixing” the inaccuracies in the script of the upcoming stage play. We learn what is fact and what is fiction in the musical. Yes, Maria really did make play clothes for the children from the draperies hanging in her bedroom. No, the family did not escape the Nazis by walking over the mountains to Switzerland. Maria’s story at times tugs at the heartstrings, at others makes me smile, and still others makes me groan at the poor decisions she makes. She is in reality a much more nuanced character than that portrayed in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. It is obvious the author has been meticulous in her research and I feel like I’ve gotten to know the real Maria Von Trapp a little more. A must read for historical fiction fans and lovers of musicals alike. Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for giving me an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

I would probably give this book 4.5 stars if it were possible. This book was such an eye opening experience for me as I did not know much about the /real/ Maria von Trapp and only knew the movie/musical version of her. Seeing that she was a fully complex woman who was flawed and maybe the less sympathetic out of the Captain and Maria was not something I was expecting. This story does a wonderful job of showing how Hammerstein was such a mastermind.

It was a wonderful book! You will learn so much about the Sound of Music and come to love the real Maria. Michelle Moran has written another stunning book and transported me to another time.

As someone who grew up loving “The Sound of Music,” I was very excited to read this! Michelle Moran did a wonderful job with Maria’s story. To learn that the movie we grew up with from Hammerstein was inaccurate, this book was wonderful to finally get to know Maria and her real story.

I absolutely loved this book. It’s a novel about how the story of Maria Von Trapp came to be the musical and movie that is The Sound of Music. Though there are some fictional characters in the book such as Fran, a writer who works for Oscar Hammerstein, the book is based on Maria’s story. It was interesting to learn how Maria’s story is different and similar from the show, which became the premise for the movie.

We learn about Maria’s time at Nonnberg Abbey, arriving to the Von Trapp home, and how her relationship grows with the Captain and his children.

The Sound of Music is my favorite movie of all time, and I’ve had the opportunity to visit Salzburg, and several of the locations from the movie, but I learned so much about Maria and the Captain’s story from this book that I didn’t know before, and it was an eye opening and interesting read for me.

Utterly and completely enchanting! The Sound of Music is one of my favorite movies, but this book is an amazing look at the real woman and the real family behind the musical, and a look at the history of the musical.

If you have ever seen the Sound of Music you HAVE to read this book! As a young girl I watched the Sound of Music many times, so when I saw this book was coming out and it was by one of my favorite historical fiction writers I had to read it. It was everything I hoped for and more. I learned so much about the von Trapp family and about Maria's life. I cried when I read about the difficult upbringing Maria faced and her desire to have a stable home. Their life in Austria and the struggles Maria faced in becoming a step mother to so many children was nothing I had really thought about when watching the musical. I had no idea just how much the war had impacted their family or how difficult their real life may have been. The story was fascinating and I devoured it all.

The book also features Fran who is tasked with hearing about Maria's story so Maria doesn't create waves when the musical premieres. I enjoyed reading about her story and her interactions with Hammerstein. The book includes an Author's Note which I always love in historical fiction so that the reader knows what is real and not. It also let the reader know what happened to all of the children which I appreciated. This book is a MUST READ! I loved it and I really think anyone who has ever watched the Sound of Music will find it just as fascinating as I did.

Thank you to Dell/Random House Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.

I am a big Sound of Music fan. I was so excited when I received this arc. I was always interested in what happened to the Von Trapp family. I loved how this book talked about Maria’s childhood through the Von Trapps settling in America. This book answered a lot of my questions and I learned a lot. I will be looking for more books by this author.

The Sound of Music is my favorite movie, so I was beyond excited to enjoy an early read. I was not disappointed. This is a dual time-line story that is gorgeously written and cleverly imbeds the dual stories. First, it is the story of Maria, the family governess, marrying Georg, a man with seven children in 1927. The family escaped the Nazis in 1938 on a train through Italy. This book is also the story of the making of the ‘Sound of Music’ on Broadway and Maria’s objection to the fictionalized version of the Von Trapp family story. Finally, it is a love story among Oscar Hammerstein’s assistances.

This is good book for both historical fiction readers and fans of the Sound of Music or any one that enjoys a beautifully written story.

Thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for an early read in exchange for a fair review. The book was awesome and revisiting the story of Maria Von Trapp was amazing.

I've been a fan of Michelle Moran's writing since reading her Egyptian Royals Collection, a historical fiction trilogy about Nefertiti, Nefetari, and Selene. So, you can understand my excitement when I received an early copy of Maria to read!

Aside from having seen The Sound of Music with Julie Andrews, I knew next to nothing about Maria von Trapp -- or the von Trapp family in general. Reading Maria was a fascinating experience for me for a few reasons.

First, I learned about the reality of the von Trapp family, especially the personality differences between what is seen in The Sound of Music versus real life. Second, Moran beautifully illustrated life in Austria pre-WWII, with interesting insights into the rise of the Nazi regime that can be seen with years of hindsight. Lastly, it was particularly interesting to learn about the work that went into producing the Rogers & Hammerstein Broadway musical, on which this book centers.

Michelle Moran did a fantastic job humanizing Maria von Trapp. She did not shy away from the woman's flaws, and she painted a robust portrait of an idealized family who faced internal struggles alongside the political machinations of the WWII period. The book flowed well and was easy to follow, even with regular jumps between a few different time periods. In all, it left me curious to learn more about the family and the period in which they lived!