Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • 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.
“As immersive, heartbreaking, and ultimately redemptive as the musical . . . This one is not to be missed.”—Allison Pataki, author of Finding Margaret Fuller
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.
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Community Reviews
I am a huge fan of The Sound of Music, so when I found out that a story was being written about Maria von Trapp, I knew I wanted to read it.
The book tells the story of a girl, orphaned at a young age, and cared for by her aunt and uncle. But life wasn't easy living with them: she was physically and emotionally abused by her uncle. To escape them, she would run up to the hills to commune with nature. There she discovers the Nonnberg Abbey and decides to become a nun.
The story opened my eyes to the vast difference it was compared to the musical. Who really was the disciplinarian in the family? And was it truly a love story between Maria and Georg? And how the family escaped Austria in time before the war started.
The story also alternates between Maria telling her story and Fran, a secretary for famous lyricist Oscar Hammerstein, who is tapped to listen to Maria tell her side of the story.
If you are a fan of The Sound of Music, and enjoy historical fiction, then this is the book for you.
I received this complimentary digital copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
The book tells the story of a girl, orphaned at a young age, and cared for by her aunt and uncle. But life wasn't easy living with them: she was physically and emotionally abused by her uncle. To escape them, she would run up to the hills to commune with nature. There she discovers the Nonnberg Abbey and decides to become a nun.
The story opened my eyes to the vast difference it was compared to the musical. Who really was the disciplinarian in the family? And was it truly a love story between Maria and Georg? And how the family escaped Austria in time before the war started.
The story also alternates between Maria telling her story and Fran, a secretary for famous lyricist Oscar Hammerstein, who is tapped to listen to Maria tell her side of the story.
If you are a fan of The Sound of Music, and enjoy historical fiction, then this is the book for you.
I received this complimentary digital copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
