Oscar Hammerstein is writing the lyrics to a new musical, The Sound of Music, based on the life of a woman named Maria von Trapp. Maria is unhappy with the script and writes a letter to Hammerstein expressing her displeasure. He sends his assistant, Fran, to meet with Maria and hear her concerns. Through a series of flashback chapters Maria proceeds to tell Fran the true story of her life.

Michelle Moran is a masterful storyteller, and her newest book does not disappoint. Like many people I can recall watching The Sound of Music as a child, and it was fun to read a historical fiction novel written to explore the truth behind the musical. I enjoyed learning more about Maria's childhood and life before she entered the abbey, and was fascinated to learn which parts of the musical were and weren't true. She also explores what happened to the von Trapps after they left Austria, which isn't covered in the musical at all.

I give this book 4.5 stars. It's slow at the beginning, and although the fictional character of Fran makes sense as an intermediary between Hammerstein and Maria, I wasn't interested in the setup to the story involving Fran at the start of the novel. Once we got into Maria's chapters I was riveted. It was also interesting to learn more about Hammerstein and the Broadway industry in the late 1950s.

Overall, I loved the book and will be hyping it up to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and/or musicals. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing me with an advanced copy of this book via Netgalley.

The Sound of Music is my favorite movie so I absolutely jumped at the opportunity for this eARC. The focus here is definitely on Maria and not on the story told in Sound of Music. It's what comes AFTER the story we know, with Maria von Trapp around for the making of Sound of Music. I absolutely loved it and watched the movie again immediately after finishing. This was wonderful and I'll have to get a copy to live on my shelf for years to come.

Thank you to Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Oscar Hammerstein was asked to write music for a Broadway Musical about Maria von Trapp. But he learns that she was at a Austrian Abbey where she was to become a nun. A gentleman by the name of Georg von Trapp came to the Abbey to request a teacher to teach his sickly child. The Reverend Mother told Maria that it was to be for ten months. Although, Maria did not want to go as she truly wanted to become a nun. She did not want to leave her class at the Abbey. She so loved teaching. She made her way to the Villa of the von Trapp family. Finding out there were 7 children of various ages in the family. But she was only to teach the sickly little girl. But it became more than that, Captain von Trapp would leave for various lengths of time. Meaning she was left to care for the children under the watchful eye of a Baroness.

Maria learned to love the children so much. She taught them what it was like to get in the outdoors and to sing. Maria learned that the widow von Trapp first had a love for music. So he started teaching the children to sing and play instruments. Oh how they enjoyed it after school, older children walked to school daily. That was one of Maria's duties was to walk the children to and from school. Three times a day, as they would come home for lunch. She learned to love all of these children. This had made a great change in her life. Georg von Trapp fell in love with Maria and asked to marry her. Although, she did not loved him, she learned to love him. She did go get permission from the Reverend Mother, she said maybe this was her calling, to become a Mother. The life she lead as a child was very sad, and she wanted these children to have a wonderful childhood.. She did marry Captain von Trapp and the children loved her. There were more children to come.

Maria had written an autobiography about he life. Then a movie was made. But now the script did not tell of her true life. And she wanted changes to be made. But that made it hard when she had sold the rights to her life story. A worker named "Fran" got to know Maria and made notes for Mr. Hammerstein. As the Broadway musical was coming out in one month. It is an amazing story and I so truly enjoyed it.

I wanted to read this book, when I was in 4th grade my teacher, also drama club teacher took us to Los Angeles to see "The Sound Of Music" oat the big screen theater. I so enjoyed the movie and now have enjoyed the book written by Michelle Moran. Thank you so much Michelle and a big thank you to Netgalley, Random House for allowing me to read before publishing.

I adore Michelle Moran’s novels. Adore. I will read anything she writes. I found her subject super unique and different for her so I was a little nervous but truly enjoyed it. The dual timelines through me off a little bit overall another slam dunk.

Thank you for the ARC.

Finally, the Von Trapp family story is set to right in a lovely telling about Maria and her famous family!

Being a child of the sixties, every year at the holiday season, we sat in front of the television watching Rodgers and Hammerstein's, "The Sound of Music", dreaming of handsome barons and rags to riches stories. The scenery alone had set my wanderlust tendencies in motion at a very early age. But one thing always troubled me about that production - how did the von Trapps go over the mountains outside of Salzburg and land in neutral Switzerland? That's just not physically possible.

The premise of the story is that even though Maria von Trapp had previously sold the rights of her story and Mary Martin (the original Broadway Maria) and her husband Richard Halliday now owned them, Maria still wanted the production to correct the historical facts misrepresented in the screenplay. In lieu of an audience with Oscar Hammerstein, his assistant, Fran, is called up for the meetings with Maria. The bulk of the story centers around those delicate conversations which are then reported back to Mr. Hammerstein.

Author Michelle Moran, has carefully crafted a fictional story based on historical fact, set in 1959 New York City with flashback scenes from Salzburg, Austria of the 1940s. The research which went into its telling is herculean and spot on. The writing is solid, amusing and equally tender at times. The characters are well developed and the mise en scène is right off of a movie set.

This was a thoroughly engrossing and enjoyable read. I commend it highly to those who wish to understand the real story in an historical fiction kind of way.

I am grateful to Dell, the publisher, for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.


Publisher:‎ Dell
Publication Date:‎ July 30, 2024
Number of Pages:‎ 320
ISBN:‎ 978-0593499481

What a fabulous book! If you want something to sink your teeth into, a historical fiction story that will have you reading all day, get your hands on Maria by Michelle Moran.

In the 1950s, Oscar Hammerstein is asked to write the lyrics to a musical based on the life of a woman named Maria von Trapp. He’s intrigued to learn that she was once a novice who hoped to live quietly as an Austrian nun before her abbey sent her away to teach a widowed baron’s sickly child. What should have been a ten-month assignment, however, unexpectedly turned into a marriage proposal. And when the family was forced to flee their home to escape the Nazis, it was Maria who instructed them on how to survive using nothing but the power of their voices.

It’s an inspirational story, to be sure, and as half of the famous Rodgers & Hammerstein duo, Hammerstein knows it has big Broadway potential. Yet much of Maria’s life will have to be reinvented for the stage, and with the horrors of war still fresh in people’s minds, Hammerstein can’t let audiences see just how close the von Trapps came to losing their lives.

But when Maria sees the script that is supposedly based on her life, she becomes so incensed that she sets off to confront Hammerstein in person. Told that he’s busy, she is asked to express her concerns to his secretary, Fran, instead. The pair strike up an unlikely friendship as Maria tells Fran about her life, contradicting much of what will eventually appear in The Sound of Music.

A tale of love, loss, and the difficult choices that we are often forced to make, Maria is a powerful reminder that the truth is usually more complicated — and certainly more compelling — than the stories immortalized by Hollywood.

I enjoyed this book which supplemented my knowledge of the vonTrapp family. Sheds new light on the personalities of both Maria and the captain.

I received this book from the publisher via net galley in exchange for an honest review. Three and a half stars.

Having grown up watching the movie, The Sound of Music, about the von Trapp family singers, I had to read this book about the matriarch of the family, Maria. I was so engrossed and entertained by this story, I may have to go read it again. This book has two story lines. Maria relates her life story from 1913 through the 1940s to Fran who is Mr. Hammerstein's assistant. Fran's story is about Broadway in 1959 and putting on the musical, The Sound of Music, starring Mary Martin. Maria is not thrilled with the script and tries to share her thoughts to Mr. Hammerstein but has to talk to Fran instead. I enjoyed learning a little more about the writing and production of Mr. Hammerstein's musical as well as the genius himself. You learn more of the real story of Maria's life with the Captain and the children. The movie and the play capture the essence of their lives, but there is so much more to her life that can't be captured in 2-3 hours on screen or stage. I will not give away Maria's real story because you have to read this book. This is historical fiction, but I think the author portrayed the von Trapp characters, Hammerstein, and the fictional characters with truth and realism. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy historical fiction or are just a fan of The Sound of Music.
Thank you Random House Publishing Group and Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Hello Fellow Reader,

How could I not read this book?  We have all been brought up with the von Trapp family, right?  Or does that just show my age?  Isn’t The Sound of Music a rite of passage? 

In Maria, the prologue is a letter from Maria to Oscar Hammerstein imploring him to make changes to The Sound of Music so that it accurately reflects their lives.  Maria von Trapp requests a meeting so that she can clear up misconceptions and she has suggestions for the script. She understands that the music for the play is not yet complete, and she feels that making the changes is imperative. 

We then meet Fran. Fran is part of the group that revolves around Oscar Hammerstein. She works in his office along with her boyfriend, Jack.  When she arrived at the office on Monday, Mr. Hammerstein asked her to meet with Maria and see what she had to say because he didn’t have time.  He is busy with the musical and trying to finish the last songs. 

Fran meets Maria and instead of brushing her off, she meets with her several times to find out about her life.  Maria explains just some of the basic differences between her true story and the story in the play.  The oldest of the von Trapp children was really a boy; they did escape but not by climbing over the Alps. Also, Maria and Captain von Trapp had three children together.   

Fran can do nothing to help Maria change the plot but she listens to her and writes all the information up for Mr. Hammerstein.  Fran learns the good and bad sides of Maria and her regrets.  At the same time, Fran has great news in her professional life. The great news brings about changes that she didn’t anticipate but seem to work out well.

The book is enjoyable.  I’m sure that if Sound of Music is really a generational thing those who have lived with it as part of their life will enjoy the book.  (Is it still on TV every Easter?) It is not a heavy read at all.  A great light beach read or summer mornings and evenings on the deck. 

Thanks for reading!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I saw The Sound of Music perhaps once or twice in childhood, and it made a bit of an impression, although I haven’t seen it recently to remember much beyond the basics. But I do remember that I was stunned to find out it was based on a true story, and that Maria and the Von Trapps even formed a musical group that performed together for around 20 years! Thus, I was intrigued by the concept for Maria, especially how it directly discussed the issue of adapting the life of a real person for the stage (and later screen).
Structurally, I like that, while the main voice was Maria’s, recounting the period of her life covered in The Sound of Music, there’s also a frame narrative surrounding the period leading up to the staging of the musical itself. While the choice to have a throwaway fictional character, Fran, Oscar Hammerstein’s secretary, as the POV for this framing device, was a risky move, as often this can fall flat, she serves her purpose of being a conduit between Maria and Oscar Hammerstein, as well as the production itself. She’s not meant to be engaging in her own right, as far as I can tell, as there’s no attempt to shoehorn insights about her. And while it would have been interesting to get more of Hammerstein’s insights into all of it, I like that while there was a chapter where the reader got a peek into his head, and the narrative conveyed the stakes for him, I didn’t feel like there was anything lost by not hearing more of his inner thoughts.
Maria herself is vibrant, and while she’s not exactly like the Julie Andrews incarnation, you can see some of the similarities. I was drawn by how her upbringing by her abusive uncle shaped her, and she didn’t initially want to marry at all, as she was committed to becoming a nun. She was hired as a governess for one of the Von Trapp children, and it was her love for them that was the reason for her marriage to Georg Von Trapp, although she did grow to love him, and they had three biological children together (finding out their youngest is still alive, and their other two only died in the last few years was pretty cool).
As this recounts events on a historical scale, not a theatrical/cinematic one, it skips around a bit to cover everything relevant to The Sound of Music’s plot. I did find this a tad choppy, especially towards the end during the 1930s, in the leadup to them fleeing the Nazis, and clarifying how things happened differently than they do in the film. However, as the bulk of the story prior was mostly linear, and Moran mostly succeeded in making it feel cohesive, this was likely more related to my own personal preferences than any failing on the part of the book.
This was a wonderfully nostalgic read, and it’s perfect for fans of The Sound of Music.

Maria didn’t like the way her story was told in the play, The Sound of Music. She didn’t like the portrayal of her husband, Captain Georg von Trapp. A story is more appealing when a character undergoes a major transformation. The captain was chosen to be the one to hear the sound of music and see the light.
Maria isn’t portrayed as a very good mother, insisting that they all sing together, even at the ages of 6 and 9. Locking one daughter in her room in an effort to keep her from marrying.
Very revealing book.

The hills were not always alive with the sound of music for Maria and the von Trapps. But this book by Michelle Moran is something good. Like many of us “The Sound of Music” has a special spot in our hearts and memories. This novel, tells other parts of the story and the making of the musical. When the book was announced I KNEW i had to read it, and it lived up to all my hopes for it.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for an advanced copy!

I have loved the books I have read by Michelle Moran, and Sound of Music is one of my favorite movies, so this was a must read for me. I had already read Maria's autobiography and other books about the movie, so all that was written was not new to me. However, I did learn some new things which I enjoyed. I also liked learning something about Oscar Hammerstein. Michelle's well-researched novel is a compelling read. I would definitely recommend this, especially if you haven't read anything else about her.

Please note:
I will be sharing my review on my book blog: marysreadallaboutit.wordpress.com on May 29, 2024, and it will also post on my Goodreads page that same day.

Thanks to Random House, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the digital advance copy in exchange for my honest review. This will be published July 30, 2024.

Between my undying love of THE SOUND OF MUSIC and my family’s annual summer vacation in the mountains of Vermont, the von Trapp name is a source of comfort for me. Like any fan of the film’s iconic and recognizable opening sequence, I was immediately drawn to the cover of this novel. Despite my fandom of the musical and multiple visits to the lodge and brewery in Stowe, I realized I didn’t know much about the real family. This year’s trip seemed like the perfect opportunity to read this ARC.

What I didn’t know before reading this book is that the real Maria von Trapp was extremely displeased with the initial concept of the musical, especially the portrayal of her husband, Georg. Upon learning that fact, it felt a little…odd…to be reading yet another fictional portrayal of her life and family. This book is historical fiction about a woman who was trying to correct the fictionalized portrayal of her life…so it became difficult to wrap my head around that concept.

That said, while I enjoyed reading this during my vacation in Vermont, I had some issues with the writing and format. I felt that the side story featuring Oscar Hammerstein’s assistant was extraneous, and I probably would have enjoyed the book more if it had been written completely from Maria’s perspective. If you’re a big fan of the film or musical, you might enjoy this, but ultimately, you might be better off reading one of Maria’s actual memoirs instead.

Maria by Michelle Moran is an immersive, heartbreaking, and ultimately redemptive novel that captivates readers much like the beloved musical. This book is a must-read, featuring a complex and compelling leading lady who will both delight and surprise those who think they already know the story of the legendary von Trapp family.

A fun take on behind the scenes of adapting the real-Von Trapps into a play!
I did have minor concerns of the cover dancing the line of copy right infringement which makes me unlikely to morally feel comfortable recommending this book to someone.

I have adored “The Sound of Music” movie since I was a little girl. I’ve seen it many times, listened to the soundtrack record on my parents’ Hi-Fi; basically I have it memorized. When I read Maria’s autobiography as a kid, it was a disappointment, because it wasn’t the same story as the movie (No Gretel, no Liesel, etc.) I don’t think I even ever finished it…
Fast-forward to present-day:
The gorgeous cover of the Netgalley ARC caught my eye first. Then the description intrigued me; I wanted to know why the real-life Maria was not a fan of the script of the play. Incensed, was the word used. Once I started reading, I found myself thinking, “Oh, that’s why that was in the movie!”, quite often. Enough to where, by the end, the differences between the real story and the screenplay didn’t bother me anymore. My “favorite things” were still there; a captain with seven children, all of whom are still grieving the loss of their mother, are driving away governess after governess. Maria manages to bring some light back into the household, by loosening many of the tight reins of perfect behavior exacted on the kids. Yep, she really did teach them how to play and be children, in clothes made of drapes! The family did have good reason to flee Hitler’s Austria, and did escape narrowly.
So, by the end , I was very satisfied with this book! I will definitely by a print copy at the end of July, and enjoy it again. ( And, I’m sure a “Sound of Music” movie night will be in the near future!)
**I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.**

The master storyteller, Michelle Moran, makes a phenomenal come back with a surprising story of Maria von Trapp who was glamorized in The Sound of Music. However, this story gives stage to Maria who tells her side of the story; a woman who was larger than life, who knew what she wanted and went after it.

The story begins with Maria already in NYC in the 1950s confronting Oscar Hammerstein about the lyrics he wrote for a musical based on her life. As Maria expresses her concerns to Oscar’s secretary, she reveals her true story, more complicated and compelling than the glamorized version.

The story goes back to 1926 Salzburg, Austria, where the nineteen year old Maria is a teacher at convent. When this place becomes her home and children like her family, after two years, she is asked to take an assignment. It doesn’t make her happy to leave this homelike feeling place. Something she craved to have from her childhood. But she is promised it’s only for ten months.

When the war hero who loses his wife to scarlet fever asks for a teacher for his seven children, Maria is recognized as the best teacher. Thus, she is asked to take this assignment. The thought of taking orders from a man makes Maria shiver. And she drifts to her childhood story revealing why.

As the story moves backwards, it reveals the traumatic childhood. With each page, the dimensions are breathed into the rebellious character who seeks warmth and family atmosphere. The progressing pages reveal more, that despite Maria’s challenging childhood, her spirit remains joyful as she likes to skip steps, climb the roofs and hop over the chimneys, and tickle people to make them laugh. All that seen as improper at the convent but what makes Maria stand out is her ability to sing and teach children the most songs.

At the von Trapp family’s villa, Maria’s spirit continues to shine despite strict rules of aristocratic traits. She uses a curtain to create dresses for children to play in, something comfortable. They hike when it shines, and sing inside when it rains. Within the short time, not only children get attached to her but also the father. The expected ten months turn into unexpected lifetime with the von Trapp but the happy lives are challenged by financial downfall, war, and exodus.

As it often happens, in hard times, the soulful music becomes balm. That’s how the family faces challenges with music at home, which takes them to an appearance at the music festival, which further sparks the interest of others and gives start to their tours and the legendary movie.

This is a deeply touching story of a remarkable woman who despite life’s challenges remains joyful and kind. Her youthful spirit is contagious which can be felt throughout the pages. With simple prose, this story takes the reader on a journey of self-discovery, resilience, and remarkable spirit.

Review originally posted at mysteryandsuspense.com

I was hesitant to read this book, as The Sound of Music is my all-time favorite movie. I didn’t want anything to affect by feeling for this movie, but I didn’t want to put this book down. It made Maria all the more real and gave more background of Maria and the Von Trapp family. I highly recommend this book for all Sound of Music fans.

Fantastic historical novel! I breezed through this book and enjoyed every minute of Maria's (and the Von Trapp family) backstory.