How could I not request "Maria" to review? My mom has frequently told of taking me to see "The Sound of Music" at the theater when I was two, and how I sat rapt through the entire film. I've toured sites from the film in Europe twice. Heck, the name of my blog is "Girls in White Dresses!" I really enjoy the story of the von Trapps.

The book purports to be a fictional novel about Maria von Trapp ("You know the name and the iconic songs, but do you know her real story? This dramatic novel, based on the woman glamorized in The Sound of Music, brings Maria to life as never before"). It opens with Maria von Trapp writing a letter to Oscar Hammerstein, who wrote the music for the film (but first for the play, which preceded the movie). She is upset with changes he made; for instance, making Maria the sympathetic figure and the Captain the harsh one (which she said was opposite to reality) -- changing the ages and genders of the children (in reality, there were two boys and five girls, and the oldest was not the movie's Liesl, but a boy) -- the idea that the family escaped the Nazis by hiking the mountains into Switzerland (not likely since Salzburg is nowhere near the Swiss border). There is a Baroness in the story, but she is an employee living in the house and not the woman the Captain is originally planning to marry -- that is a Princess. Etc.

We also have a series of flashbacks where Maria tells her story, as well as the continuing drama with her now-grown children. There is also a fictional side story with 2 young women and 2 young men, some of whom work for Hammerstein and play romantic musical chairs with the accompanying drama.

I enjoyed tidbits about the movie/play: the producers' original name was "The Singing Heart." This book claims that the pre-nun Maria an atheist, "forced to listen to nonsense about God," but apparently took to the nunnery in an attempt to escape a harsh upbringing. It was sad that Hammerstein died of stomach cancer not long after the play's premiere and prior to the movie coming out. "Edelweiss," according to the book, is the last song he ever wrote. A priest named Father Wasner taught the children music, and accompanied the family to America where he arranged all their pieces.

It was also sad to read that Maria forced the children (the original 7 plus the three she and the Captain had after they married) to perform as singers once they had moved to America, and that this eventually resulted in her estrangement from many of them. I liked this thought of Maria's: "There is no such thing as forever. Someday soon the children will grow up and not need a governess. But I don't say these things, because of course no one wishes to imagine a time when their children have all left." Relatable!

But (and for me it was a huge but), the author states in her note "some of the more unbelievable scenes in this novel ... truly happened." Ummm ... some of them? We really are given no insights into which parts of this novel are true and which are fictional. To many people, it may not really matter. But as a big fan of the movie and the von Trapps, it bothers me to read this story, taking it pretty much as fact, and not really knowing whether or not it is. I felt a little like the real Maria, not liking someone messing with my reality when writing my story :)

So, I'm not sure who would enjoy this book. If you're a Sound of Music fan, it may bother you not knowing what's real in this book and what's not. You might enjoy it more if you weren't a Sound of Music fan -- but if that was the case, would you care enough to read it? Your call.

What a fascinating story! A just for ant Sound of Music fans. Maria answered all the questions I never I knew I had. Loved having Maria tell her story and set the record straight on so many things. I couldn’t put it down. Thank you Netgalley and Dell publishing for the opportunity to read this wonderful book.

We all know the story of the Von Trapps and the Sound of Music. This is the fictional story behind the Sound of Music. Ms. Moran paints a very realistic picture of Oscar Hammerstein, both as a successful musical collaborator and as someone sympathetic to those around him. Ms. Moran uses Fran, someone in Hammerstein's office, as a foil to tell the story. She weaves in the true parts of Sound of Music as well as those that were not true.

If you grew up with Julie Andrews, it is a delight to learn the story behind the story. Ms. Moran has a deft hand in writing this wonderful novel. Kudos Ms. Moran!

Maria -A Novel of Maria Von Trapp By Michelle Moran
Pub date-7/30/24

Do you remember The movie or play of the Sound of Music?
What if the story we love and cherish was actually not accurate? What if Maria fought to have the story corrected before the play came out? Michelle Moran explores this possibility in her new novel, Maria

Maria Von Trapp is incensed that Rogers and Hammerstein have taken her story and changed it so drastically. She decides to remedy this by contacting Hammerstein to demand a face to face meeting to discuss her changes. When she arrives, she finds herself meeting with his personal assistant, Fran.

Begrudgingly, Maria realizes she must trust Fran so she shares the horrors of war, the risks the family took and who was really the household member who ruled the roost and kept the Von Trapp children under strict supervision.

The friendship formed between Maria and Fran is lovely as both women come to terms with the likely possibility it is too late to correct the story.

I loved how the book explores the love stories of both for Maria and Fran. It is an excellent portrayal of strength of women in a the man’s world of the late 1950’s.

I loved the peek into Hammerstein final days. This glimpse was enough to demonstrate what an influential lyricist he was and that he truly had a heart for his work.

Order your copy today.

NetGalley and Random House Publishing have provided me with an advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

4.0. I love The Sound of Music and never tire of the story and music so I was thrilled to read the new historical fiction on the life of Maria Von Trapp. The novel shows a very different character than what was portrayed in the musical and movie. She was neither Julie Andrews nor Mary Martin. Maria had a very tough upbringing and was a tough cookie. . The book goes into her life before and after joining the Von Trapp family which I found very interesting . There are certain factual differences in the real story from the story we saw in The Sound of Music, but there are many similarities as well. The novel includes two stories, one on Maria’s life but also another story that focuses on the upcoming production of the musical in the 1950s. I found the latter story a bit distracting and not so relevant though it does provide an interesting perspective on Oscar Hammerstein and the problems the production was having as Maria (and her family) was not so happy with it as in their view it did not accurately portray their lives. On the whole, a good story. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an advance copy in exchange for an honest and candid review

Genre: Historical Fiction/Von Trapp Family singers
Publisher: Random House
Pub. Date: Jul 30, 2024

I don’t believe many haven’t heard of Maria von Trapp or the film “The Sound of Music.” The book has three timelines: In the 1920s during her childhood, in the 1950s in her young womanhood years, and the making of the play in 1959 with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein. According to this novel, Maria says the first part of the play and movie are correct, even though they left out her abusive foster father. As the novel opens, Maria complains to Mr. Hammerstein that he has altered her life into something she has never been. The woman immortalized in “The Sound of Music” was not always lovely. She could be harsh and judgmental toward her stepchildren and her two daughters. It is also mentioned that Georg was a loving father, but not how he was portrayed in the movie. Most shocking of all to my romantic heart is that, unlike the film, Maria never loved Georg von Trapp. She gave up on becoming a nun and married him because she didn’t want to leave the children. I googled “Movie vs. Reality: The Real Story of the Von Trapp Family.” It appears that, as usual, Hollywood took many liberties with the story. If you are curious about them, I recommend this novel. If you prefer to think of Maria as Julie Andrews, I do not.

In the 1950's, Oscar Hammerstein is working in the musical, The Sound of Music and there's a problem...Maria (Von Trapp). She dislikes how her family is being portrayed and wants to talk directly to Hammerstein but what she gets is his assistant, Fran. As Maria shares her story, Fran understands why Maria is upset but there is little she can do.

This novel tells Maria's version of The Sound of Music and it is vastly different from the Julie Andrews version. In truth, Georg, the father, was an incredibly loving man who only stayed away so much over the grief of losing his first wife to scarlet fever. Maria, on the otherhand, ends up being the bad guy who forces her chilren to remain part of the family singing group long after they wish to leave.

There is also Fran's love life to deal with and its not done well. Her storyline feels disjointed and out of place in this novel. If she had more of a hard life growing up and she could have sympathized with Maria more and her storyline would have worked with the larger theme of the novel.

I’ve always been a fan of The Sound of Music, so I was thrilled to receive an ARC of Maria. This is a fictionalized story of Maria’s displeasure of how her family was portrayed in the play. It shows how the true story is different from the one popularized in the play/film. I loved reading about all the details that were different; the biggest one being that the real Maria was much more feisty than the one in the play/film. I met the real Maria as a child in her cafe at the lodge in Vermont and remember being shocked she was nothing like Julie Andrews!
Highly recommend!

I knew I was going to love this book, and it did not disappoint! Maria tells the true story of Maria von Trapp, the nun who stole our hearts in The Sound of Music. I absolutely loved learning more about the real Maria and Captain von Trapp, especially which parts of the play/movie were true and which parts were fictionalized.

Moran does a fantastic job at weaving the story of Maria’s painful childhood and sweet relationship with the children with the mid-century plot about the writing of the musical. I loved the way she incorporated Maria’s qualms about the musical and how her family viewed the portrayal of their parents (it was shocking to me!).

So much of what we see in movies feels unrealistic, but Maria’s positivity and belief in God’s plan always ring true to me when watching The Sound of Music. I was glad to see this reflected in the real Maria’s life as well. It was one of my mom’s favorite musicals, adnI know I was hearing her singing “I Have Confidence” and “Edelweiss” in my head as I was reading the novel. She would have loved it.

It’s a perfect five-star read for me and will have a special place on my forever shelves!

Huge fan of The Sound of Music, so I could not wait to read Maria! And it did not disappoint! I absolutely loved the way this story unfolded, learning about the real Maria and the details of her interesting life. Highly recommend this book to anyone that loves the Von Trapp family!

Thank you to net galley for the arc in exchange of an honest review.

As a lover of The Sound of Music, this was a wonderful and surprising read. Although I knew the Von Trapp family was real upon seeing The Sound of Music as a child, I had no way of knowing how different their life story was to the movie. Learning about the family and Maria was enlightening and helped me understand why the play and film were so different. Seeing the flaws in Maria, I can see why it was better to make her a loveable character.
The writing of the book was done well, my only qualm would be the dates at the beginning of most chapters. The timelines didn't fully match, specifically making Maria & Georg's wedding. Chapter 15 has the date 1927 with Maria going to the Reverend Mother about the proposal, and with the ending of the chapter being the wedding. Then Chapter 16 has the date 1934, and Georg mentions how it is their first night together and that the Baroness can wake up with the children. Could it be I missed a 7 year gap somewhere or was the date incorrectly published?

I am a huge fan of the sound of music so I was so excited to read this. I thought it was really interesting. It gives you a much deeper look at Maria and her life. I would highly recommend for fans to get another taste of this world.

I knew Maria through The Sound of Music, and as I read this story, I got to see Maria's life as it unfolded in real life, and not what appeared in a script to sell tickets. As I read the story, I read it different from other books I read. In this one, it felt like I was reading in the present, but my brain was flashing back to the Sound of Music. There is so much about Maria, that she was unforgettable in Sound of Music and is unforgettable in this book. Thank you for writing this story, Michelle Moran, it just felt so right.
I received an ARC from Dell through NetGalley.

The stage and screen introduced us to the Von Trapp Family Singers and Michelle Moran introduces us to a different side of the story. The one Maria wanted to tell.

From the hills of Austria to the shining lights of Broadway…Maria Von Trapp has issues with the script for the stage adaptation of her memoir. She’s on a mission to take her concerns to Hammerstein himself but he sends a middleman….his young secretary Fran in hopes of getting Maria to understand that some changes to the story are necessary in a world still reeling from WWII. The two very different women strike up a friendship and the lessons that Fran learns from the trials and tribulations of Maria are then applied to her own personal life.

This story paints a very different portrait of the woman we think we know. It was just okay for me. To be honest I found myself more invested in Fran and her life than that of Maria. I did venture to google several times to learn more about the Von Trapps and what I read was very interesting!

Thanks so much to Random House & Michelle Moran for inviting me to read this story prior to its release!

First sentence:
Dear Mr. Hammerstein,
It may come as a surprise that I am writing to you, as it appears that the theater industry believes I am dead and can now make up whatever they wish about me.

Premise/plot: Michelle Moran's newest historical novel is a fictionalized account of the creation of the Broadway musical Sound of Music. Maria von Trapp, on whom the musical is in part based along with her family, was not happy with the script or characterizations. She believed--and tried to convey--just how wrong, how inaccurate, how nonsensical the changes were. She hoped--in vain--that by telling HER story and providing detailed notes (etc) that the script would be changed. This is the story of those interviews. Fran (a fictional character) is meeting with Maria and sharing what she learns knowing that the story is essentially set in stone...the musical is due to open in a matter of weeks. This novel also reveals Mr. Hammerstein's illness--this would be the last musical he would write before his death.

The novel goes back and forth in time.

My thoughts: I love, love, love the musical Sound of Music. I have read at least one biography of Maria von Trapp. I can't remember if it was a biography written by another or an autobiography or memoir. I knew I *needed* to read this one. I found it a great read. I definitely recommend this one.

My sisters-in-law and mother-in-law performed a song from the movie at my wedding reception. It was a bit of an inside joke with my husband, because I have never been much of a fan of the movie or the musical. But I was intrigued to learn a bit more about the woman who inspired the fictionalized retellings of her life. This book was a good balance and did a good job of bridging Maria's memories of her life and the play's production. I learned about the back story of the play and Hammerstein as well as the woman who inspired such a huge following for her tale.

I appreciated that she was not depicted without flaws, and I appreciated the amount of research Moran put into bringing this story to life.

This was a good historical fiction about a woman. Not so much a historical fiction about the times, but that's ok. I guess this would be considered a historical fiction memoir or biography. The alternating viewpoints worked, because for the most part, it was still focused on Maria. I'm sure there is a connection between Fran and Maria in some aspects of their personal challenges. After all, both are struggling in a world that is set up to protect men and to only protect women through the men in their lives. And both are strong enough to stand on their own feet without a man. Even if, in the case of Maria, it depicts her as a stubborn and opinionated person.

If you are a fan of The Sound of Music, then this is a must read to delve into the life of the woman who inspired it. And if you are just looking for an interesting story about a historical figure, this is highly readable and enjoyable.

Francis Connelly, Oscar Hammersteins fictional assistant in this historical fiction novel, is sent to reason with Maria Von Trapp, who has shown up in New York to protest the script of the Broadway musical based on her life. Already made into a movie in Europe, Maria is unhappy with the script that shows her husband as a strict disciplinarian, vs the loving father that he was, and that changed many details of her life. We learn much about Marias early life through her discussions with Fran, as well as the true story of what happened between her and the Baron, as well as her children. I don't want to spoil anything, but it does look like from the authors note that most of what is depicted in THIS story of Maria is true. It definitely shows Maria in a different light than the beloved film does, but it is no less interesting, and in fact more interesting in my opinion. I particularly enjoyed learning about what happened after they left Austria, as well as the glimpse into the end of Hammersteins life. I think anyone that is a fan of the Sound of Music would enjoy this historical fiction account of Maria Von Trapps life.

Thank you to net galley for the digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

The story of Maria von Trapp and The Sound of Music is so ubiquitous, most of us could recite it as easily as the children learned their do-re-mi’s. But as many also know, the musical and movie were not completely faithful to Maria’s life. Maria was known to have been frustrated with some of the choices Oscar Hammerstein made, including portraying Captain von Trapp as a strict disciplinarian, changing the oldest child from a boy to a girl, and showing them leaving Austria in a dramatic climb over the Alps to Switzerland when they actually left by train.

Michelle Morgan has fashioned Maria’s relationship with Oscar Hammerstein as a historical novel, framing it as Maria telling her story to Hammerstein’s (fictional) assistant six weeks before the opening of The Sound of Music on Broadway. Mr. Hammerstein is not present, which irritates Maria, but we later learn that Hammerstein is suffering from stomach cancer, which caused his death 9 months after the Broadway play opened.

The material is well researched, and the only fictional parts of this book are the assistant and others of Hammerstein’s staff. It’s a clever device that allows us a window into the backstage preparations of a Broadway show. Moran even has an afterword which lists the von Trapp children (including Maria and Georg’s children) and what happened to them. This was one of the most fascinating parts of the book for me - these are real people and a few of them are still alive (although this is not in the book, I’ve seen that several of the grandchildren came together recently to tour as a singing group).

I very much enjoyed reading this book. It was written and paced beautifully, and the story will never not be fascinating, no matter what new details are revealed. Many thanks to Dell and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Maria by Michelle Moran
A Novel of Maria von Trapp

I thought I'd watched the movie Sound of Music, but now I realize I probably just watched bits and pieces of clips, since I'm not fond of musicals. Maria von Trapp wrote at least two books about her life over her lifetime and this story deals with the making of the 1950 Broadway play based on Maria's 1949 autobiography. For dramatic affect Maria's story is changed in many ways for the play and Maria has come to New York to tell Oscar Hammerstein the revisions she wants him to make to the play before its opening night. The play is already in production and Maria's chances of even talking to Hammerstein are extremely low and even lower that he'd change anything for her.

Instead Maria gets to talk to Hammerstein's secretary, Fran. The book goes between Fran and Maria's discussions back to the beginning of Maria's troubled childhood, her dream of becoming a nun, and then her time with the von Trapp family leading to her marriage into the family and becoming an aggressive driving force into their success as a group. The play fictionalizes the von Trapp story in many ways, including showing Maria in a positive light while portraying Georg in a stern and domineering light. This was far from the reality and Maria has lost most of her family over her aggressive ways. This play will not help her win her family back and Maria wants to set the record straight.

I greatly enjoyed this story as we see how Maria's life began. We also see her arrival to live with the von Trapps as a nanny, with the promise that the job is temporary and she'll be able to continue her path to becoming a nun once the job is over. But instead, Maria marries Georg and her life as a mother to as many as ten children, begins. We also see Maria change from a happy young woman who wants children to get to play, be outdoors, and have hobbies, to a domineering task master. This attitude toward life, her family, and their singing career alienates her family. So much about what the public knows about the family and their struggles to survive the war and its aftermath is not known but Maria wants to address what is incorrect in the play. This story has awoken an interest in the von Trapp family and now I'm looking a pictures and watching videos, not of movie clips but of clips of the actual family. Maria von Trapp is so interesting but so is her husband, who'd already lived a lifetime of accomplishments before he even met Maria.

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

“How do you solve a problem like Maria?”
This book is ANYTHING but a problem. Moran did a masterful job of telling the story of Maria Von Trapp, the woman who was the inspiration for the classic, “The Sound of Music” Broadway show and the movie. The novel focuses on the “true” story and how Maria was insistent that Hammerstein portrayed her family in an accurate way.
I loved reading Maria’s true story and the character of Fran, Hammersteins assistant, who helped Maria get her story as close to reality as possible. Even if you are in the minority and do not care for The Sound of Music I think the book was so well written that anyone who loves a good story would love this as well.

This was a 5⭐️ read for me and I thank Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy