I literally squealed and did a happy dance when I opened my email to find out that I was given an advanced reader copy of Maria from Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group!

The Sound of Music gives me all the childhood memories: watching with my grandparents, singing songs with my sisters, and pretending to be Maria. But what I didn’t know was the true story of Maria Von Trapp and this book gave me all the details I was missing.

Spanning from Maria’s early childhood (one which was truly so sad), her desire to become a nun, meeting Georg and the children, all the way to years later demanding to speak to Hammerstein about how he got her story wrong, author Michelle Moran gives us an insight into Maria and the Von Trapps that the musical didn’t tell us about. (And the fact that it was changed doesn’t bother me- I still love it and it will remain one of my favorite things… see what I did there????)

But I’m not giving any spoilers away, but once it releases in July, this book will be worth the time to read, especially if you are a Sound of Music fan!

*This was an ARC review and all thoughts are my own. Thank you Net Galley and Random House Group Publishing.

Though my first read from author, Michelle Moran, I know that Maria won't be the last. The subject and characters were portrayed with empathy and insight.

Discrepancies revealed shocking differences between the musical/movie and actual events and characters in the von Trapp family. Learning the screenplay was written by Germans shortly after the end of the war was astounding. More surprises as well as confirmation of other details provided an engrossing and enjoyable reading adventure.

I received a complimentary copy of the book without obligation. This review is my opinion.

Maria 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.

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.

This was a beautiful story about the real Maria. Until I picked this up, I wasn't even aware that the movie was (loosely!) based on real people. This was a fascinating look at something much closer to reality. If you love the movie, I would highly recommend reading this book! I loved the movie as a child, and now, knowing more of Maria's story, I will always watch it through a different lens. ❤️

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

How do you solve a problem like Maria?! This question is fundamental to Michelle Moran’s fascinating new novel based on the real life of Maria Von Trapp and her family. Mostly set in the time period just before the opening of the Broadway version of The Sound of Music, Moran’s Maria seeks to set Hammerstein straight on the divergence between the events and characters featured in the musical and her real life experiences and family members, as Hammerstein and his staff seek to engage with Maria in an attempt to avoid the public relations crisis that would be spurred should Maria or her children publicly criticize what turned out to be Hammerstein’s last show.

Despite my multiple viewings of the Julie Andrews movie, my knowledge of virtually every lyric and note of every song in the movie, and having read Maria Von Trapp’s own books, I still learned many interesting and intriguing details about the von Trapp family and their lives - and found the novel utterly riveting and ultimately heartbreaking. I also loved the various fictional characters on Hammerstein’s team and their own story arcs.

Highly recommended. 4.5 stars, rounded up in recognition of Moran’s sensitive portrayal of the real woman who inspired one of the most loved and lauded characters of film and musical theater.

Many thanks to NetGalley and to Dell for the privilege of a complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own. .

This was SO GOOD! I have always loved The Sound of Music movie. The songs felt like part of my house, as it was my moms favorite. In the movie, Maria as a character is amazing- the almost nun that ended up being wife and mother to a house full of children. After reading the book, I feel like I must go rewatch the movie and compare notes.

The downfall (in my honest opinion) is that the book made Maria a little less likeable. I’ve never realized that she was as hard on the kids as she was. That said, the reasons for this are understandable and the ending of the book (and the subsequent authors notes) are a nice way to end it.

Like so many others, I grew up with The Sound of Music. It was a very interesting book and kept my attention to the end. It’s a little sad when a mother’s goals become more important than her children’s wishes. And before I get blasted, I know that she was trying to keep the family together and earn money to pay their bills. It was well written. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review.

THE TRUTH BE TOLD
"The Sound of Music" was one of my favorite shows growing up, about a postulate who marries an Austrian baron. She created the Von Trapp Family singers, and as the story goes, escaped from the Nazis over the Alps. These were the Roger’s and Hammerstein and Hollywood versions.
This book then tells Maria’s version of the story. I enjoyed following María’s narrative, as it diverged considerably from the film and play and gave a lot more insight into what happened to the family. I felt sad as she regaled her personal story, her childhood, and her naivety at the world. I admired her tenacity in taking on the large family and the emotional toll it took on her. Having a very strong will and personality is not always to one’s advantage. The author gives us insight into the personalities of Georg and the other family members, and how at times she was the overbearing one.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and learning the truth about the narrative behind the play and film production. I would certainly recommend it to people who are fans of “The Sound of Music.” Knowing the authentic story does not take away but enhances the experience.

As someone who loves The Sound of Music, I enjoyed every page. It had all the answers to questions I didn't realize I had. I enjoyed learning what actually happened during WWII while also being shocked by how different Maria's character in real life. This book is perfect for people who want to know the real story, but don't tend to read nonfiction. Highly recommend

I loved this book from start to finish! Of course, as a fan of Sound of Music, the topic was already interesting to me, but then to find it was about the real Maria marching to Rogers & Hammerstein’s office, demanding the upcoming Broadway musical be fixed because they didn’t get it right! And then hearing her “real” story. Really really great stuff. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun read. I loved the movie so wants sure what to expect but I enjoyed the story and the writing style. Good research on the author's part. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!

I am a huge fan of Michelle Moran's work and was very thankful to be given the opportunity to read Maria. What a great book, having been to Salzburg and to the Trapp Family Lodge in Vermont, this was a fantastic read.

✨ Star Rating: 4.5⭐️

The Sound of Music is a beloved musical and motion picture. It was iconic in its time and still holds its own. But the story, while based on the life of Maria von Trapp, is not a truthful account of her life. This novel is based on the premise that when Maria’s autobiography was being adapted into a musical, just weeks away from debut, Maria herself wrote to Oscar Hammerstein to express her displeasure in the falsities of the script. His ambitious office assistant, Fran, winds up meeting with Maria to get her account and discuss her qulams with the script.

I really enjoyed this book, but there were a few things that held me back from a five star review. First, the point of view and timeline bounce around. I love a good timeline split, but I personally prefer point of view remain consistent throughout a story, at least all first person or all third person (this had both). Second, and this is not a criticism of the book its self, but I found my opinion of Maria was tainted. Her character is less of the happy, fun mother, but was more of a disciplinarian and family manager, occasionally with an ill temper. That’s not to say she didn’t bring love and music to the family, just that she was more stern and even had rifts with her family after the death of Georg. It was hard to learn that this was more of the reality than the beloved Maria on screen!

All said and done, I cried at the end of the book. And though, I wondered throughout the whole book what was true and what was fiction, the Author’s note as the final chapter was 🤌🏼 *Chefs Kiss*.🤌🏼

As someone who adores the movie The Sound of Music, and as a fan of historical fiction, I will definitely be recommending this one. Four stars overall, well done Michelle Moran. I am so grateful for the opportunty to read an Advanced Copy. Thank you to the author, Penguin Random House and Netgalley !

I’ll definitely be bringing this one up again on July 30th when it releases!

Excellent book! As a Sound of Music fan, I appreciated the story and learning more about Maria Von Trapp. I thought the book was well written and the storyline was interestingly laid out. I highly recommend this for all libraries and I think it will be a good book club pick.

"Maria" by Michelle Moran is a historical fiction novel about Maria Von Trapp of "The Sound of Music" fame. Michelle Moran wrote, "Madame Tussard", a book that I thoroughly enjoyed (5 stars), so when the opportunity to read Maria became available on NetGalley I grabbed it. I'm so happy I did.
Who doesn't love The Sound of Music? This fictional story is a dual perspective of Maria and Fran. Maria's background is revealed from her difficult childhood to her time at an abbey where she is to become a nun. Maria is sent on assignment to teach one of Captain Von Trapps daughters and the famous story begins. There are twists and turns that are different from the movie and musical as most of us know it.
Fran is a young writer working for Hammerstein during the writing of "The Sound of Music" musical. Maria shows up uninvited to Hammerstein's office hoping to make corrections to the musical script shortly before production. Fran is assigned to quickly brush Maria off and take notes of Maria's grievances rather than Hammerstein meeting Maria directly. Due to Maria's tenacious personality and ability to use her fame to her benefit, brushing her off isn't so easily done.
The novel gives the reader what we are looking for and that's more historical details into the real Maria Von Trapp and the Von Trapp Family Singers. I did not know many of the details, so it was fun to learn more. Some of it was rather bittersweet.
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House and Michelle Moran for the opportunity to read the arc of this novel.

Michelle Moran's Maria tells the story of Maria von Trapp of Sound of Music fame; a dual timeline showcases the creation of the musical. I wanted to like this book more than I did. Perhaps it's because I'd already read Maria von Trapp's autobiographies, but I just felt like I didn't learn anything new about her. The book initially presents Maria as a warm-hearted woman who is playful with the children. When we meet her 25ish years later, her children and step-children describe her as difficult. This novel doesn't really explain this evolution, so it feels as though something is missing.

If a reader isn't familiar with Maria von Trapp's story outside of the well-known musical, I recommend this book. Otherwise, I'd suggest you read the autobiography.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC; all opinions are my own.

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

I absolutely love this book. I was so excited when I saw it on NetGalley and I knew that I needed to request it right away. I was happy when I was approved for this book.

If you are a fan of The Sound of Music, Broadway, or are just interested in the Von Trapp family this novel is for you. I had previously read Maria's book so I was familiar with the real story of The Von Trapp family. Michelle Moran did a great job telling the Von Trapp families story.

I read a lot of Historical Fiction books, and this one has to be one of my favorites. I will definitely recommend this one and will be reading it again.

I absolutely adored reading this book. If you loved watching the sound of music over and over, or historical fiction, or Broadway, I think you would enjoy this as well.
2 storylines, both told well. This definitely makes me go down a rabbit hole and find out what is fact and what is fiction

I truly enjoyed Maria by Michelle Moran. It was touching and written with sensitivity for Maria and the entire family. Not having any knowledge of Maria's difficult childhood, it was a surprise to learn how her relations with the Von Trapp family developed, especially in her later years. I loved Fran as the connection to Hammerstein and would have enjoyed even more insight about his approach to the film. I didn't necessarily follow her writing or boyfriend achievements, but did not have a problem with it.

Michelle Moran has written an interesting book about Maria Von Trapp and her family. The beloved movie, while having a foot in reality, was greatly modified from the facts of Maria’s journey through life. But, the real Maria was a very brave and tenacious woman who knew what she wanted and fought to get it. I think that I would have liked her. She was like that no nonsense family member who you could not help but love!

4.5 stars-

MARIA by Michelle Moran exceeded my expectations!! In this retelling Moran used Maria Von Trapp’s autobiographies to brings together a novel of what might have happened if she confronted Oscar Hammerstein on the misrepresentations of her and her family within his musical.

I admittedly haven’t seen SOUND OF MUSIC since I was much younger and I didn’t remember most of it - but I loved this novel for what it was. I enjoyed hearing Maria tell her story and appreciated the respect she had for the baron’s children during a time when most people believed children should be seen and not heard. It was fun to follow Hammerstein’s secretary, Fran’s individual journey through this as well as she meets up with Maria to hear her side of the story.

I typically read fantasy smut so this was definitely not a typical read for me - which is part of why I was shocked that I enjoyed it so much. I think I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an interesting book to read. I believe that SOUND OF MUSIC fanatics might have more criticism for this depending on what their familiar and thoughts are, but as a whole this was a delightful read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC!