3.5 Stars

As someone who grew up watching "The Sound of Music" movie, I was intrigued when I got the NetGalley Recommendation email from Random House about this ARC last year (yes, I'm behind on my reviews - that's the life of a mood reader). This is a historical and biographical fictional retelling of Maria von Trapp's life, before, during, and after the events of "The Sound of Music." This primarily focuses on her feelings towards the Broadway musical, her disagreements with the script, and the creative liberties taken. The story is primarily told by Maria to Fran, Hammerstein's secretary, who is tasked with determining Maria's concerns about the script, obtaining her approval, and convincing her to attend the premiere.

It was a decent and entertaining read overall; it had its highs and lows, but it does foster a curiosity about the von Trapp family and learning more about them and their story. It's well written and flows well, and it mostly kept my attention. Again, this is a fictional retelling, so while there is some truth to the story, it's not non-fiction, so some things need to be taken with a grain of salt.

What a fantastic read for fans of the Sound of Music! I found this story to be informative & exciting. Because of this story, I want to dig deeper into the story of the Van Trapp family. I highly recommend!

A great story for The Sound of Music and von Trapp fans. I enjoyed stepping back in this time period.

Thanks to Dell and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

What a lovely book, from start to finish! I love the way Moran weaved in Maria's story with the writing of the play and movie by Hammerstein. A book of nostalgia and intrigue for any and all lovers of The Sound of Music! I believe this is my first book I've read by Moran, and it won't be my last. She is an excellent author!

Maria by Michelle Moran. Pub Date: July 30, 2024. Rating: 4 stars. I found this book to be intriguing and interesting in the respect of learning more about the Famous Maria Von Trapp from The Sound of Music. This novel gives a voice to this woman and she gets her side of the story highlighted. I found it interesting how she was against the adaption of the Broadway musical and the differences in her opinion/experience compared to the Broadway show. I think it is a strong representation of how media in all forms can be skewed from the original story line for the sake of drama. I enjoyed this novel. Thanks to #netgalley and #randomhousepublishinggroup for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

My grandmother adores the Von Trapps, so this wasn't necessarily new for me given how much she's talked about them. But it was still interesting enough and for people who haven't heard about Maria since they were very young, probably a great read.

The hills truly are alive with The Sound of Music in this beautiful novel.

A big thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy of Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp. If you're a fan of The Sound of Music, this book is an absolute must-read.

Brimming with heart, history, and harmony, this story brings Maria's world vividly to life. From insightful conversations with Rodgers and Hammerstein to tender moments with the von Trapp family singers, every page is filled with warmth, music, and love.

Whether you're revisiting a beloved classic or discovering Maria's journey anew, this book will leave your heart singing at the top of your lungs.

It's always a joy to me to have the excuse to revisit all things "Maria" - whether it is the tarted up (not an insult!) beloved musical movie, the Broadway play, Maria's actual autobiography, their website, visits to where they lived and walked (or performed), finding another book? - well that's a bonus. (Another bonus is the Where Are They Now section at book's end.) Even better - the book tells her story from new perspectives: hers (with origins and backstory info), and the ballet that was Hammerstein & Maria's staff-managed conversation about all the ways the writers of the play script (and maybe music) had her story wrong and how he could correct them. That's the best stuff of this book - the insider's jam. The story we see onscreen or onstage isn't Maria's - it's BASED on Maria's. She's not Julie, and Georg isn't Christopher - but that isn't the point of this book. It's closer to the truth - but as the author states at the end, her book too is a retelling, not a biography.

My guess is this read will appeal most to those who are fans of Maria, her family, their all&everything taken by the Nazis - this reluctant celebrity who rose up out of a convent to turn that pesky fame into a way to keep her family together. . .with all the ribbons of history that wrap around them. In this read we get the real Maria - and she's the one at the heart of the truth. For me that's all the ribbons and all the stars.

*A sincere thank you to Michelle Moran, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #Maria #NetGalley

A vey well written story, with characters that many of us know. Even though I knew the story of Maria and Ari, I appreciated this story. Well written.

I was really looking forward to this book, but it fell flat for me. I still read it, but I did not like it as well as I thought I would.

2.5 stars- This felt dry and flat for me. thanks netgalley & the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review

In my view, an incident in which one of the children got into serious trouble at school, should have brought about the arrest and imprisonment of the Von Trapps. Yet this did not happen. Instead there was a conference between Maria and the principal. I found this very unlikely under the circumstances.

There was a discussion question in which readers are asked "What is it about Maria's story that appeals to audiences?" I thought that it was Julie Andrews, the actress who performed as Maria in the Sound of Music, that was really most appealing.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title. This was an engaging historical novel regarding the backstory of the Maria Von Trapp we know and love from the sound of music. I also loved the little insight we got into the making of a Broadway musical. Thoroughly enjoyable

This is a biographical fiction that you cannot miss if know the story of The Sound of Music and the story of Maria Von Trapp. But, how much do we know and how much is a Hollywood version made to appear on screen and the play? Maria was supposedly not happy about the parts of her life that were fictionalized. There was so much more that Roger and Hammerstein told.

Why Kirsten likes it
I found the true story behind the Von Trapp story to be fascinating. I loved figuring out which parts of the famed play were real and which differed from Maria’s real story. I also appreciated the perspective of the impact of Maria’s choices on her children and the peek into their lives after their escape from Austria.

Michelle Moran, known for her vivid and meticulously researched historical novels, brings to life another captivating tale in her latest work, "Maria."

I grew up loving "The Sound of Music" so to read this historical fiction based on the life of Maria was a little bit of an eye opener but written so well that it made sense to me, and I wasn't disappointed. I love that the author gives us insight into the writing at the end of the book and that she presents the historical context in which the movie was done.


Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for the digital review copy via Net Galley

As a lifelong fan of the Sound of Music, I enjoyed reading this book about the real Maria Von Trappe, but she was not the character I expected. Fans of historical fiction will enjoy this story of Mr Hammerstein's assistant and her task of talking with Maria about her concerns prior to the premier of the famed musical. As Maria shares her personal story, it is much darker than the movie we grew up watching. Maria is driven and is not the sweet nun postulate we had all imagined. Their real life story was much darker and no less dramatic than the famous movie version. Overall this was a fun read, and a chance to learn more about the real life characters behind the famed story. .

This charming historical novel is about the real life Maria von Trapp, whose story inspired the Sound of Music. It’s the 1950s, and the musical is soon to debut on Broadway, when Maria emerges in New York to complain about the changes from her actual life, and composer Oscar Hammerstein sends his assistant Fran, an aspiring writer herself, to listen to Maria’s complaints. Most of the book consists of Maria narrating her life to Fran, with a little of Fran’s story and perspective as well.

If you are at all a fan of Sound of Music, I think you’ll love this one. It’s so interesting to see what is the same and what is changed from Maria’s real life to the musical - and truly her real life is just as interesting. And of course you’ll have the songs from the musical running through your head as well. But I buddy read this with someone who had never seen Sound of Music and she enjoyed it too!

This book was completely absorbing! Michelle Moran brings Maria’s world to life with such vivid detail, making history feel intimate and real. The storytelling is rich but never overwhelming, and Maria herself is a strong, complex character you can’t help but root for. There’s drama, heartache, resilience, and just the right touch of romance. If you love historical fiction that makes you feel like you’re living alongside the characters, this one’s a must-read!

Honestly this book had me hooked from the cover to the first page. Getting to dive into Maria and being a fan of The Sound of Music - this was a dream read for me. I couldn't recommend this more to anyone who wants to dive deeper into the story that captivated the world.

I love musicals, I (sometimes) love the Sound of Music and I certainly think Maria von Trapp deserves to have her story told, thus "Maria" is a perfect match. While I appreciate that Moran has researched and written her story, reading felt dry and uninspired.