I was obsessed with The Sound of Music as a child, and I still probably know every word to the movie. This book was so eye opening and, at times, heart breaking. I loved getting insight in the true life of Maria and her family. I am inclined to delve deeper and pick up her autobiography, and maybe something on the success of Hammerstein.

As a huge fan of “The Sound of Music” I really enjoyed this. I don’t think I realized that the movie was based on a true story, and that they were actual people portrayed. It was a little sad to hear about some of the real life events and flaws that Maria had, but of course we all have flaws in our own lives as well. If you’re a fan of the movie, I would recommend you read this also.

Maria A Novel about Maria Von Trapp by Michelle Moran (Ebook read to on NetGalley app)

This book is obviously well researched and I believe very well written. The life of The real Maria van Trapp is shown in a way that introduces how she really was with an understanding of why she was that way. There is also a glimpse into the other Von Trapp family members, how they actually were and what the family actually was like before Maria entered the home.

Maria Von Trapp‘s life began as an unwanted child. I noticed a lot of similarities in her later actions and that of my grandmother who also lost her mom early and spent years in an orphanage. It’s really interesting how similar they are. Mostly in their view of family and how they both tried to take their version of a perfect family and fit everyone into it . however all families are imperfect and hardly ever meld into perfection. The way they reacted to this is very similar .

The book points out the difference between the version Hammerstein created and the actual Maria von Trapp. And the objections the real Maria had to the play. It also takes the reader on an interesting side journey through what was going on in Hammersteins life as he wrote what would be his final work.

I enjoyed the book and will recommend it to my friends. I also forsee this book being a popular book club read.

I have received an ARC through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review

3.5/5 ⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I was super excited to read this book, as I had grown up listening to the music from the Sound of Music in a broadway-loving house—and it didn’t disappoint!

Telling the true story of the Von Trapp family, and juxtaposing it with a young writers personal journey, entertained with Rodger’s and Hammerstein, Michelle Moran weaves a great historical fiction read!

It’s easy to fall into the dual timelines and get engrossed in the historical aspect. I loved hearing the differences between the story I grew up with vs. the truth of what actually happened.

I recommend this to historical fiction lovers—especially those who love broadway!

This is a beautifully written, well researched story of Maria von Trapp, that provides insight into the real Maria who married a Baron at age 22, and became the mother to his 7 children. They had 3 more children, bringing the total to a family of 12.
The book begins in 1959 in Manhattan, New York, when Maria is 55 years old. A play is being written about the von Trap family and Maria writes a letter to Oscar Hammerstein, expressing her concern that the script is not an accurate representation of her life, which the musical is based upon.
The story backs up to around 1913-1914 through Maria’s difficult childhood and moves forward to her young adult years around 1926, after she has graduated from a teaching college and is now at the Abbey in Salzburg, teaching children and preparing to be a nun.
The Abbey has received a request for a teacher, by Captain von Trapp, widower and father of 7 children, for a teacher come to teach one of his daughters too ill to attend school. Although she protests, mainly because of her fear of men, Maria agrees to move into the von Trapp Villa and care for the children. Anyone familiar with the move The Sound of Music will remember that Maria falls in love with the 7 children, and their father, George, falls in love with Maria.
The love of singing opens many doors to this lovable family during difficult times. They sing all though Europe, and eventually in America when Hitler takes over Austria and they flee to the United States.
The story also jumps back occasionally to 1959 and Maria’s concern for the accuracy of Oscar Hammerstein’s musical that is already in rehearsal. Hammerstein appoints one of his most dedicated and trusted employees, Fran, to meet with Maria about her concern of the accuracy of the script.
This captivating story of the lovable von Trapp family is not only fascinating, but also heartwarming. I recommend also reading the author’s notes at the end that provides additional insight into her research and this remarkable family.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.

More than a novel about the life of Maria von Trapp, this is a novel about the making of the musical The Sound of Music based on a portion of her life. Indeed, for those that don't know, before the more famous 1965 film with the same title, there was a Broadway musical created in 1959 by Rodgers & Hammerstein, on which the hit film is based.
(Full review in link.)

It has been a long, long time since Ms. Moran published a book. I needn't have worried - she is back and better than ever! She has been an auto-buy author for me ever since I first read Nefertiti as a sophomore in college - and each of her books thereafter have never failed to draw me in. I don't know what magic spell she weaves when she writes, but her books (every single one of them) are always so good. "Maria" was fantastic. Having been obsessed with "The Sound of Music" since a ten year old, I could not wait to read Ms. Moran's well-researched novel about the true story behind the film. It was as stunning as the movie. It drew me in from the first page and I felt like I didn't breathe until the last page, it was so good! I just kept turning page after page because I couldn't stop, couldn't put it down. Maria's voice was so strong and distinctive, and I adored Fran. Here is the real woman behind the legend, her incredible life, her amazing spirit. This was such a wonderful book and I am so honored that I was able to read an ARC of it. One of my best reads of 2024, and I am so glad Ms. Moran is back!
One hundred stars!!!

The irony is not lost on me that this is a fictionalized account of the life of a real woman who objected to... a fictionalized account of her life. And yet! Michelle Moran nailed it. I thought the story was beautifully done, gently and sensitively handled, and finely balanced between the lovable and the difficult parts of Maria's character.
Anyone who has seen The Sound of Music can probably recall the main story beats--the stern disciplinarian captain, the ray of sunshine Maria, the seven singing children, and the daring getaway over the mountains to Switzerland. In the frame story of this book, Hammerstein's young assistant meets with Maria von Trapp to discuss her concerns over the production's accuracy. Maria peels back the layers of invention to tell her own story. Some of the events in the musical turn out to be real; others are complete fabrication. Maria's own story is engaging and it tugs at the heartstrings in different ways than the musical.
At first, I was skeptical about whether I could rely on the accuracy in this book any more than The Sound of Music. After all, fictionalizing a story means that imagination is at work. By the end of the story, though, I came to appreciate the author's carefulness. Her research seems impeccable, and there were a number of primary sources for her to draw from, even for events that I wondered about.

Lovely read if you like musicals, mountain settings, 20th century history, and strong but sometimes challenging female protagonists.

Thank you Random House and Netgalley for an advanced copy of “ Maria”. as somebody who is raised on this movie, I feel ignorant that I didn’t know that this was based off of a real family. The story starts when Rogers and Hammerstein are about to preview the musical version of “ The Sound of Music”. his assistant Fran is shocked to hear that the real Maria is very upset about the inaccuracies that are depicted in the show. The story goes back-and-forth between Maria describing to Fran what really happened to the Von Trapp family and what they really went through and the creators of the show responded to that. I absolutely adored everything about this book and with my musical theater background it’s hard not to. this book was the perfect thing I needed after reading thriller after thriller it honestly felt like a warm hug and I hope more books are written like this.

If you've always loved the story portrayed in The Sound of Music and wondered how true to reality it was, you must read this book. This is the "true" tale of Maria Von Trapp. While still a fictional story it is rooted in more truth than the original musical and subsequent movie. I really enjoyed the format of the story. Maria Von Trapp being interviewed by a secretary/assistant to Oscar Hammerstein while he's in the midst of staging The Sound of Music on Braodway. The female characters are so well-developed and realistic. The story of the Von Trapp Family has always been romanticized and this brings it back to reality. They had a charmed life until they didn't. Nothing was sugar-coated, even in this novelization. I can't wait to recommend it to friends.

As someone who has grown up loving "The Sound of Music", I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which peels back the curtain and gives readers a glimpse of who the real Maria von Trapp was and the story of her life. It was eye-opening to learn of the real events surrounding the von Trapp family, something Rogers & Hammerstein clearly didn't believe needed to be a part of a film meant for entertainment the masses. I left the pages of this book reflecting that Maria while was flawed, just as well are, she tightly clung to the bond of family, just as we all should. I would definitely recommend this book to other fans of "The Sound of Music" so they may gain a little more perspective too.

As usual, Michelle Moran knocks it out of the park.

I’m a long time fan of Moran’s, her writing just gets better and better. I was captivated from page one, the imagery and writing just draws you in immediately.

Sound of Music is a childhood staple, as I'm sure it is for most people, I have fond memories of watching the movie with my mother and accompanying her to Edelweiss on the piano. It was fascinating to return to the familiar story and see it through a new lens, I definitely want to do more research on the Von Trapp family and watch the movie again soon!

Flipping back and forth between timelines is a tactic that can be hard to do well, one timeline tends to be stronger than the other, but I was happy to switch times every jump, both plots were compelling and wove together to a satisfying end. Moran really did her research on this one, and I’m very excited for this one to hit the shelves so I can add it to my library and share with my friends and family.

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Maria by Michelle Moran is a historical fiction novel bringing to life Maria von Trapp’s life story. You will learn how she grew up, joined a nunnery, fell in love with a big family, and how she had to escape Hitler’s invasion of Austria. There’s always more to the story than Broadway or Hollywood can tell and this story delivers a more interesting tale. Her life was quite remarkable and the character is developed well to show how Maria persevered through her many challenges.

I would recommend this book for historical fiction readers as well as The Sound of Music fans who want to see behind the story. I found Maria’s life story fascinating with many details that I would not have known without reading this book.


Thank you Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

If you have to be home and sick on your birthday, this is the book to read. It was so much fun. It is a historical novel of the life of Maria von Trapp from the Sound of Music. If you love the sound of music, you’ll absolutely love this book and even if you are not obsessed with the musical I can’t imagine not enjoying this book. I will add that the entire time I was reading it I was picturing and hearing Julie Andrews in my head! The author has also included extensive notes at the end of the book, explaining what was true and what happen to each member of the family after the war.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an early release in exchange for a fair and honest review

This novel of the life of Maria von Trapp separates fact from fiction in an engaging way. I knew that the romanticized version in the movie is not totally true, but I learned much more than I expected about the details of her life before, during, and after she became a baroness with many children. I particularly appreciate that she was not portrayed as a perfect person, especially as a mother. She had her mistakes and regrets, as we all do, and her life was far from ideal in many ways. But she did trust God to get her through the hard times, knowing He always provides. I want to watch the movie again now to see what was true, what was stretched to fit, and what was pure fiction. Fans of the film will find this book enlightening.
*I received a complimentary copy of this e-book from NetGalley and Random House Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love Michelle Moran's books, and I am so happy she is writing again. Ms. Moran takes us out of the ancient world, for which she is known, and introduces us to the life of Maria von Trapp, the former nun from the musical The Sound of Music. This book begins with Maria's young, hard life, and dives deeper by exploring more themes than the movie. Ms. Moran weaved everyone's story together, which is no small feat considering the cast of characters. The author's writing style was masterfully done. Maria kept me hooked from start to finish! Anyone who loves the Sound of Music or is interested in reading more about Maria von Trapp should buy this book.

The author has written a gorgeous story that will ring in the hearts of those who adore The Sound of Music, who want to know more about the family's complicated matriarch. I loved the narrative that flows like honey, the dual timeline structure that allows us to follow Maria's life as she lived it in Austria, then as she retells it to a fictional assistant to lyricist Oscar Hammerstein in the 1950s, when he was working on a Broadway musical about the von Trapp family.

MARIA the book is as extraordinary as her namesake in that we get to see this beloved woman flaws and all. We find that she wasn't the kind one in the family; her husband was. We learn that as a child, she lived with an abusive uncle, which led to her become controlling, which later alienated her children. We also learn that she married Captain von Trapp because she loved those children. She came to love him later. And, the family did not escape the Germans by hiking over the alps to Switzerland. They took a train to Italy, actually the last train out of Austria when Hitler closed the borders. We see this complex woman as never before.

As soon as I finished MARIA, I watched the film for the umpteenth time and felt overjoyed by both experiences. I give MARIA endless applause and a standing ovation. The Sound of Music and historical fiction fans will love it!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the copy of Maria
A Novel of Maria von Trapp by Michelle Moran. I was seven or eight when my parents packed us into the back of the station wagon and took us to the drive-in to see The Sound Of Music. I don’t really remember much of it and I probably fell asleep, but when I was older I fell in love with the movie and Christopher Plummer, so I jumped at the chance to read this. I was delighted to discover this book was like a warm hug from an old friend. I loved how gracefully the differences between the movie and reality were revealed and how I felt like I met the real Maria for the first time. If you loved The Sound Of Music you won’t be able to put this book down. If you haven’t seen it, you should read this book to learn about it and then watch the movie. You won’t be disappointed either way!

Maria by Michelle Moran offers a fresh perspective on the life of Maria von Trapp, diverging from the familiar portrayal in "The Sound of Music." Through the lens of a fictional character named Fran, Moran skillfully weaves together a narrative that delves into Maria's family, life, and values. As a fan of "The Sound of Music," I found this alternate portrayal enlightening and thoroughly enjoyable. Moran's storytelling prowess shines in this masterfully crafted novel.

Don’t mind me, I’m just going to rewatch The Sound of Music…again.