Like many others, I chose to read this because I love The Sound of Music and am fascinated by the time and characters. This book took it a little deeper into the life of Maria and exposed us to the "behind the scenes' reasoning to a lot of her actions.

The way the author tangled the creation of the musical with the true life of Maria was masterful! The timeline was easy to follow and the story flowed well. Of course, I had to rewatch the musical on Disney immediately after finishing the book. It felt a little different to watch after Maria exposed some of the untruths in her story. It definitely made me do some Google searches to find out more!

Easy, chummy read that is both informative and entertaining. Didn't know how the musical veered away from the truth, so those differences kept my interest. Perfect for any fan of the musical and a welcome break from all my fantasy reads.

Maria by Michelle Moran is a book about the real life story of Maria Von Trapp, the woman that The Sound of Music is based on. In this story, Maria is responding to the play that is the original rendition of her story. She is offended that they have changed her story and particularly upset about the unjust portrayal of her husband, Baron Von Trapp. The book takes place during the 1950's when Oscar Hammerstein was in the process of writing the lyrics to the musical score for the musical. Maria is prevented from meeting with Hammerstein, and instead, she is redirected to meet with his secretary, Fran, who becomes intrigued by Maria and her story, and determined to get the real story to Hammerstein. Since I have been a fan of the Sound of Music movie since I first saw it as a child, I was very interested in reading this book. Ms. Moran does a wonderful job of describing the meetings between Maria and Fran, and the eventual effect that these meetings had on Maria and her family as well as on Fran's personal life. I highly recommend this book to anyone that can't get enough of The Sound of Music, or anyone interested in Historical Fiction. Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing for giving me the opportunity to preview this book in exchange of an honest review.

LOVED THIS BOOK! Must read for any fans of Historical Fiction and fans of Sound of Music!!

I recently decided to rewatch Sound of Music before my trip to Austria. This led me to researching about Maria Von Trapp as I was curious as to how accurate the musical was. I ended up stumbling upon this book, and was fortunate enough to get a copy from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

I loved how this book was written, between Maria’s point of view and from the point of view of Hammerstein’s assistant. As a musical aficionado I loved getting an inside glimpse into the making of such an iconic production. I also loved learning about the true stories of what actually happened to the Von Trapp family after Hitler took over Austria, as well as where Maria came from. I feel like I understand more about why Maria is the way she is after learning about her childhood.
Definitely worth the read :)

*thank you to NetGalley and Dell for an eARC of this book in exchange for my review*

If you loved The Sound of Music, you absolutely need to read this book. This fictionalized retelling of Maria Von Trapp’s life sets the record straight, where the Rogers and Hammerstein story deviated.

Michelle Moran sets up (the real) Oscar Hammerstein’s (fictional) secretary as our frame story FMC. Fran is tasked with interviewing and appeasing Maria Von Trapp when Maria storms into the rehearsal of The Sound of Music in protest of the script written to depict her life. In these interviews, we get an insightful, yet dramatized, look at Maria’s life—from her lonely and painful childhood, to her triumphant tour across America, and even the letdown of the years that followed.

Maria’s story is so captivating. While quite different from the charmed life that we all loved in The Sound of Music, Moran’s narrative paints hardship alongside the charm of her life in an honest and thoughtful way. The most difficult part of this book for me was the frame story. Fran is a lovable character, and of course I wanted to root for her. I just didn’t feel like I got to see enough of her, so it was a little difficult to empathize in her love and loss.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The author did a nice job of tying in a lot of information across various sources. I appreciated the care with which she presented this beloved story.

Sound of Music fans will love this historical fiction depiction of Maria von Trapp’s well known story. Alternating between 1959 when Hammerstein was writing what would be his last musical and Maria’s life starting from an early age, Michelle Moran’s novel gives readers an in depth look in to the making of the beloved musical and the person that inspired it.
Fran Connelly is a secretary for Oscar Hammerstein and an inspiring writer. When Maria von Trapp asks for an audience with Hammerstein to correct the many errors in his upcoming musical about her life, he sends Fran instead. With rehearsals already underway Fran knows there may be little she can do to rewrite any creative liberties taken with the storyline but over many weeks she better understands Maria’s story as she tells it herself. Will Maria endorse the musical and will Fran be able to influence Hammerstein to hit the right notes of this love story?
The novel’s framework reminded me a lot of “Finding Dorothy” by Elizabeth Letts and I think historical fiction fans will greatly enjoy both novels.

A very interesting story that changed the way I seen Maria from the sound of music. Very interesting and I love how the truth is told and they don’t shy away from sharing choices Maria made. Overall a great read for fans of Maria and her family!

Maria by Michelle Moran offers a fascinating glimpse behind the Hollywood version of Maria von Trapp’s life, exploring the true story that inspired The Sound of Music. Set in the 1950s, the novel follows Oscar Hammerstein as he prepares to bring Maria’s life to Broadway. However, when Maria sees how her story is being altered, she sets out to confront Hammerstein, only to form an unexpected bond with his secretary, Fran.

Through this relationship, Maria shares her real experiences—revealing a life of love, hardship, and survival that is far more complex than the musical suggests. Moran’s novel is a compelling reflection on how truth is often sacrificed for entertainment, and how real life is always more nuanced than the versions we see on stage or screen. A beautifully written tale of resilience, Maria is a must-read for fans of historical fiction and The Sound of Music.

The Sound of Music is one of my all time favorite movies and soundtracks. Maria, in short, is a historical fiction take on Maria von Trapp's life in the convent, meeting and living with the von Trapp family, and the making of the Broadway musical based on Maria's story. This book is a light read and is a charming story about a movie that has become a beloved institution.

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

I’m not usually the biggest fan of historical fiction, but I am a massive musical theatre fan, so I thought I’d give this one a try. And it didn’t disappoint!

I thought the story was very well told and all the characters leapt off the page. It also was very interesting to hear a new take on a story that we all know so well.

The dual timeline definitely aided to the storytelling instead of feeling like an overused plot device as it does in a lot of historical fiction.

I would 100% recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of “The Sound of Music”, likes historical fiction, or just wants to read an interesting story!

I received a a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and statements are my own.

So. This novel was a revelation. I admit, I did a lot of unsolicited fact-sharing with my not-always-so-interested husband while I read this book, as well as quite a bit of internet-searching for confirmation. The truth, presented here (and based on several memoirs and other reference), is almost the exact opposite of what we learned from the movie, when the gruff, grief stricken disciplinarian saved the happy-go-lucky, collector of favorite things from the nunnery. So apparently he was the happy one, and she was, actually, also very much in love with God. Or something like that. I'll leave that for you to read yourself. Because you really need to read this—besides, how could you resist that cover?

There is so much to take in here. Moran has done a wonderful job with her story within a story, and I enjoyed the contemporary time (during the making of the movie) almost as much, and sometimes more, than the retelling of the actual events. The Sound of Music will always be a favorite of mine, and Moran's book did not diminish it at all for me. In fact, it may have made the whole subject that much more compelling, adding a dose of reality to a story we had to know was just too good to be true. Maria's character, it seems, was given a scripted touch-up. No matter how disappointed she was with how the whole thing turned out, I can't imagine she was sorry to hear that Julie Andrews was going to play her in the movie.

"Maria" gives readers a fascinating look into the real life of Maria von Trapp, beyond what we know from The Sound of Music. The story goes back and forth between Maria’s early life and the creation of the Broadway musical, showing the real challenges and complexities she faced. Some fictional elements, like Fran, add another layer to the story, though a few details felt out of place. Overall, it's a great read for anyone curious about the true story behind the beloved film!

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this eARC.

I felt like this book had a hard time figuring out what it was trying to do....tell about Maria von Trapp or tell about the creation of the musical based on her life. It jumped between the two rather abruptly. That being said, I watched The Sound of Music movie with my grandma numerous times and did enjoy learning more about the real person behind the story.

3.5 stars from me! I am very glad that Michelle Moran has returned to the historical fiction world with the release of Maria. I liked that we got a 2 for 1 deal on historical settings with 1950s NYC and 1920s-30s Austria with the dual POV. I can't say I loved either of the main characters, but it was interesting to read about the making of the Sound of Music behind the scenes. Also, reading about the differences between the musical and the real Maria von Trapp's life was something!

Looking forward to future releases from Michelle Moran and am so glad I got a chance to read this book.

Fans of the musical, "Sound of Music," will want to pick up Maria; A Novel of Maria von Trapp.

Oscar Hammerstein is finishing up his latest play regarding the life of Maria Von Trapp. He's ready to make this his next hit but he's got one issue, Maria. She's in the theater demanding changes to the play right now as it does not portray the actual events of her life. Open to hearing about the changes the play should make, Maria tells her life story to Hammerstein's secretary, Fran. How do you solve a problem like Maria? You listen to her.

I have always been a fan of the Sound of Music since my youth and was excited to dive into Maria by new to me author, Michelle Moran. I immediately pictured scenes from the movie throughout the read as I was taken into Maria's life. Moran writes in a way that the scenes come alive and then make me want to do some research, and some planning, to discover if/when these scenes occurred. I definitely will be picking up another book soon by Moran to dive into what other historical events she has taken an interest with.

This book was a must read for me as I watch the Sound of Music once a year.

Reading Maria's back story and her love of music at an early age gave insight into this beloved and iconic character.

A beautiful historical fiction account of the story Von Trapp evolves over a dual timeline story. Michelle Moran is a master of the genre and always develops a heroine that is honest, strong, and complex. If you think you know The Sound of Music, you will want to read this beauty. Thanks to NetGalley for this gem!

It's always bittersweet when I come across a book that I know my mom would have wanted to read. Maria: A Novel of Maria Von Trapp by Michelle Moran is one of those books. While it is fiction, it tells the true story of the Von Trapp Family Singers famously (and incorrectly) portrayed in The Sound of Music.

Moran takes us back to 1959 when Rodgers & Hammerstein are almost finished and ready to premiere their new musical. Except, Maria Von Trapp has arrived and would like an audience with Hammerstein to convince him to make changes to the script. Hammerstein's assistant Fran is charged with meeting with Maria in Hammerstein's place and taking notes about what needs to be changed.

While this is mainly a story about the real Maria Von Trapp, it's also a story about Fran, an aspiring writer, and how she does her best to appease Maria, do her job well, and go after her own dreams.

I had no idea what the real story was about the Trapps. I didn't know it was based on a German film that itself was based on Maria's autobiography. I knew that the family bought and owned a lodge in Vermont. I've visited it!! But I didn't know the specifics of the real children or that Georg and Maria had children of their own or how they managed to escape from Nazi-occupied Austria.

If you're a Sound of Music fan, you'll enjoy learning more about the real story through this historical novel. Discussion questions in the back make this a great read for a book club. Or just discussing with your mom.

Maria: A Novel of Maria Von Trapp is published by Dell and will be available to purchase tomorrow, 7/30/24. I received a free e-ARC to review.

I love historical fiction and I really enjoyed Maria. It was a different version of the movie more like her book. I loved how Michelle Moren told Maria's story making the Captain her husband more likable. She was tough on the kids and really tried to make the family stay together. They really didn't get to live there own lives that was not depicted in the movie version. This would be a great book club choice.

I love the movie “The Sound of music” and I read one of the biographies a looong time ago. When I saw this book, I was very interested in reading it. It is written from two people’s perspective; one is Maria von Trapp and the other is Oscar Hammerstein’s secretary Fran. I did find it interesting to find out what Maria (supposedly) thought about the manuscript for the Sound of Music musical.
Part of the book is Maria telling Fran about her life, this was the best part of the book. I really enjoy finding out things I didn’t know about the famous family.
This book was well written and very well researched.