It's always interesting to see history from a different perspective. This book is perfect for those of us who grew up watching The Sound of Music and now love reading Historical Fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc. All opinions expressed are my own.

I am a huge fan of The Sound of Music, with it being my all-time favorite musical. I also thoroughly enjoyed “The Story of the Trapp Family Singers”. With that as background, I thought I’d really love this book … but it just fell flat for me. I didn’t care for the writing style and I didn’t gain much additional insight into Maria herself.

What parts of The Sound of Music are fact, and which are fiction? That is what this historical fiction novel tackles. When the real Maria von Trapp comes to New York to confront composer Hammerstein about the liberties taken with his script, she is befriended by his secretary. Together they set out to help tell an already stranger than fiction life for entertainment.

As a lifelong Sound of Music fan, I found this book super interesting and easily readable. I was thrilled to find out what was real and what was enhanced for the story alone and Maria's struggles to tell her version and what she and her family did after they left Austria. Highly recommend this!

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

I've loved The Sound of Music since I was little. I was slightly obsessed with it at one point. I remember reading a book about the real story when I was ten and being so disappointed.

That didn't happen with this book. I liked the way the real story was woven in with the making of the musical. The Maria in this book is similar to the fictional one, but there's a harsher, more realistic side to her too. It was fun to read, as was the rest of this book.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

Maria byMichelle Moran is about Maria von Trapp of Sound of Music fame..The musicals about the family actually began in Germany in 1956.The Sound of Music was the first movie I ever went to and I appreciated new insights into the story!Maria was unhappy about the way some things were portrayed in the musical but had to admit it was partly true.After the family left the stage after their final performance and went to America things did not go so well and part of it was caused by Maria.The authors note at the end of the book must not be missed because it tells what happened to each family member.If you loved Sound of Music you will enjoy this book!Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Ballantine for allowing me to read this ARC..

"Maria" was a fascinating book. It is certainly no surprise that the Sound of Music takes liberties with the lives of Maria and the von Trapp family. However, it is interesting to learn how much was left out (obviously necessary in any play or movie) and how much was changed. For example, Liesl, probably one of the best-known characters in the movie, did not exist; the oldest von Trapp child was a boy named Rupert. It was also interesting to learn what the various children thought of singing in public as a family. The story provides a much more rounded picture of Maria, and how the events of her childhood and fears of abandonment impacted her decisions as an adult, including multiple decisions that she would come to regret because of the estrangement it caused with some of her stepchildren and children. I was amused to learn that the transforming curtains into play clothes was true. I was also amused by Georg's proposal to Maria.

**Thank you to Random House for this free digital review copy.**

I had a difficult time getting into this book, which surprised me because it's more-or-less a book version of "The Sound of Music," which isn't my favorite musical but I do enjoy it. It set it aside in favor of other things a few times, but did eventually come back and finish the story.

Fran is a hopeful writer working with the legendary Rodgers and Hammerstein, and she is tasked with meeting with Maria von Trapp, who has some complaints about the script of their new play. Fran meets several times with Maria to hear her story and give her notes to Mr. Hammerstein, who is in the midst of a personal health crisis and writing his last song for the musical.

The reader is transported back by Maria's storytelling and gets to see some of the differences between her real life and the fictionalized version that has been produced for public consumption. I have to say, having this fictionalized version of a real person arguing about the fictionalization of her life is... a little confusing. But in the end, it's about the story and this story was told with emotion and empathy, and I think any "Sound of Music" fan will enjoy this book!

When a musical play is written about Maria von Trapp, she disagrees with the storyline and goes to set the record straight.

This was an interesting fictionalized story about the real Maria von Trapp. Her story was not as picture perfect as it is displayed in the musical written by Rodgers & Hammerstein! While many of the details are true, the story of her explaining her qualms to Hammerstein's secretary is made up. If you are a fan of The Sound of Music, and are not afraid of hearing the truth, this one is for you! ☺️ If you love the musical so much that any information about how things were actually different may ruin it for you forever, maybe skip this one! 😂
I was provided a free copy from @netgalley in exchange for my review, but wasn't able to finish before publication, so if you're interested you can go ahead and grab a copy now!
#NetGalley #MariaVonTrapp

Maria by Michelle Moran was like a cup of warm hot chocolate on a cold winter's day. It's no secret that I love musicals and The Sound of Music, so this book immediately caught my attention. It wasn't a masterpiece and didn't throw any surprises my way, but I truly enjoyed following along and learning more about Maria and the Von Trapp family singers. Now, I can't wait to take a trip to Vermont to their lodge (and get my hands on more of their beer!)

Thanks to Random House Publishing-Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC.

Maria by Michelle Moran ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

So excited when I saw this book coming out and it did not disappoint. I loved it. Michelle did a wonderful job writing this story.

Sound of Music is our families favorite all time movie, so getting to read how it began and what happens to all the children in their lives was amazing. It's sad that they did cut out alot, and I would have liked to see more of the story in the movie.

Hope everyone else enjoys this as much as I did.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced version.

The Sound of Music is one of those shows that has become more than the sum of its parts. It took hold of American hearts in a way that few things can. And it continues to enchant new fans every year as parents and grandparents introduce the next generation to this beloved story. And just as Maria fears in Maria, it has replaced the truth.

No one knows about Rupert, her actual oldest stepson. The years between the fall of Austria to Germany and the Von Trapps flight to America have disappeared. And no one knows that Georg was actually the sweetie of the couple, not Maria. Moran sets out to right these wrongs in Maria. She may have taken a few artistic liberties of her own, but overall, she does exactly what she sets out to do. She sets the Von Trapp record straight. The real story might not be as polished as The Sound of Music, but it’s a better story, and one that deserved to be told. Thank you, Michelle Moran, for introducing us to the real Maria!

full review in link https://broadway.thecosmiccircus.com/maria-michelle-moran-sound-of-music-book-review/

On receiving an invitation from the publisher to read and review a digital ARC of Maria by Michelle Moran, I gratefully accepted. The Sound of Music was a favorite film of mine as a child, thanks to my mom's love for it. The music is stirring, inspirational, and upbeat, as is the story of the Von Trapp family at turns.

This book is equally compelling as it gives us a glimpse into the real story of Maria, a postulate who is sent to teach the children of an Austrian baron for 10 months and ends up staying and marrying the baron. They then have to escape to America after defying the Nazi Party. So many elements of the Broadway play and film are embellished or altered from the real Von Trapp story, but as Maria states in the book, the love of God and family are at the heart of Rodgers and Hammerstein's creation.

Moran's book uniquely recounts the lives of the Von Trapp family by having Fran, one of Hammerstein's employees, talk to Maria to find out why she is upset with the way the Broadway production tells their story. I thought Fran and her boyfriend were somewhat extraneous characters, but they served toward the greater purpose of helping Maria be heard and inspiring Hammerstein to write one last special song for the show.

Overall, Maria is a really beautiful novel that gave me a deeper appreciation for The Sound of Music. I'll definitely be recommending it to anyone else who is a fan.

4.5 stars.

Maria is a historical novel about Maria Von Trapp and the making of the Broadway musical of The Sound of Music. In 1959 Oscar Hammerstein is working on songs for the show, which will star Mary Martin, when Maria Von Trapp shows up with objections about the upcoming project. Mr. Hammerstein asks his assistant, Fran, to find out about Maria's concerns about the show. The story is told from the viewpoint of Fran, an aspiring writer in Mid-Century NYC, and Maria, reminiscing about her life in Austria.

I wanted to read this book because I am a lifelong Sound of Music fan. It's my favorite musical; I have the DVD but watch it annually on TV and know all the songs by heart! I love Maria von Trapp's book The Story of the Trapp Family Singers, so I was familiar with some of the ways her real life diverged from the musical, but this novel had more instances, all vividly recounted.

I really liked the character of Fran and her viewpoint on Maria's life - and her work with Oscar Hammerstein. It added an extra dimension to the story to have Maria tell her life story to someone closely involved with the Broadway play.

This was a wonderful read -- I had a hard time putting it down at night and stayed up a couple of nights late reading because I wanted to know what happened next. I cannot recommend Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp highly enough for other fans of The Sound of Music.

Let’s get this on stage and fully tell her story! I was deeply moved by Moran's writing, bringing to light a story I never would have known but now can't wait to recommend to others.

Thank you to the publishing team for this unexpectedly insightful examination of a famous life—Maria von Trapp of The Sound of Music fame—and for showing how often we don't know what we think we know about someone. I’ve read a bit about the von Trapp family before; my mom is a big fan of the musical but also has a keen understanding of history and how much of the real story can be overlooked. She led me to consider, a few years ago, how much darker the true story likely is, especially when you think about the family fleeing in secret, walking great distances into an uncertain future.

I appreciate the story behind the musical—the missing background—as well as Maria's own thoughts and experiences with the way her life was portrayed.

Maria by Michelle Moran came to be during COVID. She was sharing her love of the movie with her children. As she is watching the movie she starts to think about who Maria Von Trapp really was.

The research done by this author is incalculable. The music written by Oscar Hammerstein is outstanding. This would be the last show for he which he would write songs. The premise of the Broadway Show was inaccurately created from a German Movie about the Von Trapp family.

When the real Maria Von Trapp hears about this Broadway Show (1950’s) she is furious to say the least. She does not want her family portrayed the way the German movie portrayed them. She is extremely upset about the portrayal of her husband. Captain Von Trapp. She gets her self to Oscar Hammerstein’s offices and demands to speak with Mr. Hammerstein. She is unaware that rehearsals are already underway and that there would be no changing it now.

Mr. Hammerstein wants to appease Maria and offers his valued secretary, Fran, to meet with her so she can tell her story. The secretary over the course of a weeks time makes notes and types down the story of Maria for Oscar Hammerstein.

The story goes back and forth in time from present day(1950’s) when Hammerstein was writing the show alongs with the recollections of Maria during the time when Austria was taken over by the Nazi’s

Truthfully I was like the author and had no knowledge of the Von Trapp family except what I had seen in the film. The story fills the historical fiction genre based on actual facts about the Von Trapp Family. I was interested to learn about Maria’s childhood and how traumatizing it was. I also enjoyed seeing the side of the Captain who adored his children and Maria. The strict disciplinarian we see in the movie couldn’t be farther from the truth. Ten chilrdren sounds like a lot but he adored each and every one.

One added bonus is seeing Ms. Moran’s creation of Oscar Hammerstein. I was and still am a huge fan of his work. I loved getting to see him as an actual character. The other added bonus was the character of Fran. She became the go between for the other characters and was able to stay true to herself.

If you are the slightest Sound of Music fan this book is for you. There are many things that appear on screen that never happened. You will be surprised by many of them.

I highly recommend this book, especially if you are a Sound of music fan. This is my first book by Michelle Moran but I can tell you it won’t be my last. I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next.

I would like to thank the author, Random House Publishing-Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Imagine how disorienting it would be to hear your own story, so familiar to your mind and heart, told by someone else with misinformation, with characters missing, and with inaccurate historical details. That was the experience of Maria von Trapp, the well-loved heroine of The Sound of Music. Both the Broadway play and the classic movie played fast and loose with the basic facts that comprised her story. Audiences in the 1950s weren’t ready to be entertained by the real danger the von Trapp family faced in Nazi-occupied Austria, and other details were reinvented to streamline the telling.

Michelle Moran has set the record straight, beginning with Maria’s letter of protest written to Oscar Hammerstein, lyricist of the famed Rodgers and Hammerstein theater writing team. With rehearsals already underway and his health failing, Hammerstein was unable to meet with Maria, so Maria poured out her life story to his secretary, Fran.

Fran is a faithful fictional sounding board for Maria, and Moran has done a delightful job of weaving Maria’s compelling story with details around the production of the musical, Fran’s personal life, and Hammerstein’s staff. In fact, I don’t remember the last time I was so intrigued by the opening chapters of a novel as I puzzled over who Fran and Jack, Eva and Peter were, and what they had to do with The Sound of Music. Such a clever beginning!

As with the story of any life, there are cautionary tales embedded in the narrative arc. While the family’s music saved their lives, it also became a point of contention and a reason to divide. The untold story of Maria von Trapp’s life may have been too unwieldy for Julie Andrews or Mary Martin to sing about, but, nevertheless, the real Maria’s story deserves to be told, and Maria is a fresh view that deepens an already beloved tale.

4.5⭐

When I chose to read Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp by Michelle Moran, I went in well-prepared and not much of what is shared about the true story that inspired the musical/movie came as a surprise. However, I did enjoy this novel and appreciate the research that went into the crafting of this story.

The novel primarily revolves around the making of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s 1959 Broadway musical and Maria von Trapp’s objections to the creative liberties taken in telling her story. The narrative is presented in dual timelines. The 1959 timeline is, for the most part, shared from the perspective of Fran, Oscar Hammerstein’s secretary, who is tasked with meeting Maria, who after writing a scathing letter voicing her objections, comes to New York to confront the Mr. Hammerstein and demand revisions in the script. The 1926 timeline, which also includes flashbacks from Maria’s earlier years, is shared from Maria's first-person POV.

Maria shares her story with Fran and also shares how the previous movie based on her 1949 memoir The Story of the Trapp Family Singers (the 1956 German movie Die Trapp-Familie) and the misrepresentation of facts have fractured her bond with her family. She also shares her experiences and the challenges the family faced in the initial years after arriving in the United States. As the narrative progresses, we get to know more about Maria, the Trapp children and Georg, and whether she was ultimately able to convince Mr. Hammerstein to incorporate any of the revisions she requested.

Though the writing might feel a tad disjointed due to the jumping timelines and perspectives, the author eventually brings all the threads of the story together in an incredibly moving ending.

Do read the beautifully-penned Author’s Note where she discusses her inspiration for this novel, the source material she has referenced and the creative liberties she has taken while crafting this story. Maria’s story is one of courage, resilience, love, family, loss and hope and I commend the author for her efforts to bring the true story that inspired the musical and later the movie to a wider audience. The scope of the novel is limited to the making of the musical, but in her note, the author provides a brief glimpse into how the family fared in the years after and I especially appreciated the updates on the Trapp children.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and would not hesitate to recommend it to those who enjoy historical fiction inspired by true events.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I have always been a fan of the Sound of Music, but I am also a person who loves to understand the history of the people involved in movies/stories like the Sound of Music, so when I was given the opportunity to read MARIA, I jumped at it.

I knew that the story depicted in the movie was different than the story of the family in real life, but I had never taken the time to really dive into what that story was. I'm grateful that I have now read MARIA and I was able to learn how different the two truly were. How different Maria and the Captain truly were from what was portrayed. I appreciated how this novel went back and forth through the time periods giving us a glimpse at what was happening and how things actually played out. It has given me a new hunger to check out the biographies of Maria Von Trapp now as well. I'm even more curious about those now too.

This is one of my favorite books I've read this year!

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher**

I have long been a fan of Michelle Moran and was so excited to see she had a new book being released! I didn't want this book to end. It made me nostalgic for my love of the von Trapp family! I learned so much more than I had previously known about them through the author's research and the way she wrote this book. I loved it so much! I loved the setting and the characters (of course they were based on real people). Such a unique and beautiful story.

I loved learning more about what was real verses what was fictionalized and changed for the musical. Learning a little more about Maria and her background as well as what was more accurate for her life with the von Trapp family. Such a beautiful story and very inspiring!

If you are a historical fiction fan then I highly recommend you pick this up. And if you're both a historical fiction fan and a fan of The Sound of Music, then I doubly recommend you pick this one up! It is definitely going to need a spot on my shelf reserved for Michelle Moran's books! I love them lots! If you haven't read her books then I highly recommend them! My favorite is Cleopatra's Daughter, but they're all wonderful!

Content: Clean. Some moments of peril but nothing graphic. Some talk about emotional and physical abuse but not in great detail, done in flashback scenes.

I received a copy from the publisher, Random House Publishing Group, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!