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.

I’ve always been fascinated with musicals. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musicals are iconic. To get a view of what could have been the story behind The Sound of Music was very intriguing to me. They are determined to portray this fantasy life, of the nun nanny who ingratiates herself into a family and falls for the father. There’s so much more to the von Trapp story though.

Michelle tells a very gripping story and really made me feel for Maria. I inhaled this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for my ARC of this book.

I am a huge Sound of Music fan, so when I saw this book, I knew I had to read it. This book is told in two timelines, the past is during the lead up to WW2 in Austria and then when Austria is annexed by Hitler and the Nazi party. The second is after the Von Trapps are living in the US and they are making the Sound of Music for Broadway. As expected, the Sound of Music has some basis in true facts, but a lot was changed. Maria was not happy with much of it, but she agreed the finished product showed their love of family, music, God and country.

I was very invested in learning about Maria's life. We see her as a young child living with her grandmother and uncle. She doesn't live with her father, but he sees her each weekend and trains her in voice. When he dies, her uncle doesn't treat her well at all, and spends all her money which is how she ends up running to the convent to become a nun. The present story has Maria wanting to confront Roger Hammerstein about the script for the play. He sends his secretary, Fran, to meet with her and they become friends of sorts. It is Fran that Maria tells her story to over a few weeks. I loved meeting the real Maria. She is smart, resilient, caring, dedicated to her family and a fighter. I don't want to share anymore of the story with you, because this is a book I definitely recommend to those who love The Sound of Music and want to know more about the von Trapp family. Michelle Moran does a lot of research for this book and it shows. She used Maria's autobiography for a lot of it and explains how the characters in the movie are based on the various characters from Maria's real life.

I'm not a huge historical fiction fan but as a lover of The Sound of Music, I really enjoyed this story! It was very neat to see the Broadway tie-ins, as I did not know that it was a Broadway musical before the movie.

I learned a lot about Maria's life and more facts about the family. I will be looking for her cameo in The Sound of Music!

Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp by Michelle Moran is a really fascinating novel of historical fiction. While definitely fiction, readers will learn much fact throughout the novel, and these facts are confirmed with the author’s notes at the end of the book. I learned so much from this book, including the history of the making of the Sound of Music, about the early life of Maria von Trapp, and about the end of the life of Oscar Hammerstein. I just loved this book. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

I’ve always enjoyed watching The Sound of Music, so when I read the synopsis of this book, I decided to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised by just how much I ended up enjoying it. Embarrassingly, I didn’t realize that Maria von Trapp was a real person—I had assumed the movie was entirely fictional. Reading this fictionalized account of her life was both enlightening and entertaining, as it offered a deeper understanding of her story and provided a fascinating glimpse into history during the World War II era.

The narrative alternates between past and present timelines, which took a little getting used to at first. However, once I adjusted to the writing style, it was easy to follow. The present-day timeline is set in the 1950s, during the creation of the Broadway musical, while the past timeline spans from 1913 through the 1940s, covering Maria’s childhood, her introduction to the baron and his family, and her experiences during the war.

I especially loved the past timeline, which offered a captivating portrayal of Maria’s life, from her early years to her unique perspective on the world around her. Getting to know her as a person made the story both interesting and insightful. Although I preferred the past timeline, the entire book was engaging and enjoyable.

If you’re a fan of The Sound of Music, I highly recommend this book. Even if you’re not a fan of the movie but enjoy historical fiction or learning about real people, this story is absolutely worth reading.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. These are my own thoughts and opinions.

For everyone who has ever enjoyed the Sound of Music,, this book is a must-read. Intriguing historical fiction based on the truth of Maria, who, after hearing that Roger Hammerstein is making her life story into a Broadway musical, writes to Hammerstein about the inaccuracies in the show’s script and requests a meeting with I’m to relay her ideas on how he should fix the script. What follows in the novel (the fictional part) is that Hammerstein sends his assistant to meet with Maria, to listen to her concerns, in an effort to pacify Mrs. Von Trapp. This book is extremely well-researched based on the author’s note at the end and gives a remarkable insight into the character of the ‘real’ Maria as well as her baron husband and his children. It is a great read for any age.

Beautifully written historical fiction about Maria Von Trapp, who the sound of music is based on. This novel details the complexity of her life.
I always looked up to Maria, and loved reading the more in depth story!

I added a star due to my recent visit to Salzburg and Sound of Music tour there, then watching the movie again upon return. I really enjoyed reading about the discrepancies in the real story of the von Trapps from the play and movie version. The historical background of the rise of the Nazis in the 1930’s known as the Aunschloss , was a real part of their story, and their resistance should be respected. The story told in the time of the release of the Broadway play was not as interesting, but it gave the author an opportunity to have Maria tell the true story. If you are a fan of the Sound of Music, this book will be appealing to you. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I was lucky enough to see The Sound of Music on stage and watch the movie every time it shows up on TV. I love the movie and am aware that Hollywood often changes true stories to make them more exciting but didn't know the true story about Maria von Trapp until I read this book and did some additional research.

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. It was based on a book written by Maria in 1949. The people who wrote the play felt that parts of it were too dark and changes needed to be made in the story to ensure that it would be a hit on Broadway. When Maria saw the script for the play, she was angry and went to New York to insist that Rogers and Hammerstein change the play so that it was the true story of her life. She wasn't happy because her husband was not the strict father that was portrayed, that the children's names were changed and that their escape from Austria was nothing like what was shown in the play. No changes were made and when the play opened on Broadway in 1959, Maria was in the front row of the theater.

The book Maria had two different timelines. One was the life of Maria from the nunnery to the home of the von Trapp's and becoming the governess and then the mother of the children. The second time line took place in the 1950s when Rogers and Hammerstein were writing the music for the play and Maria's demands to make changes. Even though Maria was portrayed very differently in the play than she was in real life, the book still shows her as a courageous woman and a caring mother who made mistakes in her life as she tried to create the best life for her family.

The author did extensive research to write this book. Be sure to read the Author's notes at the end to find out more about her research and the changes that she made in the story.

This is the story of the real Maria von Trapp
When Rogers and Hammerstein are writing the lyrics to the musical based on Maria von Trapp’s life, Maria reads the script. She becomes furious, they have it all wrong. She demands changes be made to the script.
She tells her story to Fran Hammerstein’s Secretary. It was interesting to learn that Maria was so different in real life, and her husband was the exact opposite as he was portrayed.
I have read many books by Michelle Moran her writing is just beautiful. This is a compelling story of the truth behind the musical.

Maria is a novel about Maria von Trapp. Fictionalized from the standpoint of Hammerstein's secretary, Fran, it sets the premise of Maria's discontent with the romanticization of her life for the stage. Maria tries to speak to Hammerstein to fix the changes they made to her story but gets told he's busy and can only be assisted by his secretary. Maria agrees to meet with Fran and, over several meetings, details what she thinks is wrong to change about the Von Trapp family's story and why it was important not to change it into something that it wasn't. It's an interesting story of what's true and what isn't and how incredible the story is, regardless of these changes.

So happy to have been able to read this book. I have always been a fan of " The Sound of Music" So interesting to read Maria's actual account of how it really was and the things that couldn't be shown in a movie.

Perfect for fans of the movie and the. music. I had read an autobiography years ago, and this one fills in some of the gaps.