Maria: A Novel of Maria Von Trapp by Michelle Moran
ARC from Dell books and Netgalley for an honest reveiw
Book Blurb:
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.
My Review: 4 stars
Maria by Michelle Moran is the real story of the Maria Von Trapp from the Sound of Music. Never could a book more meaningful to me than this because after almost 57 years on this earth, I’ve never watched The Sound of Music in its entirety. I’ve seen bits and pieces over the years, but never from start to finish, so for me, this not only led be to watch it, but also to learn so much!
This book is told in both the past and the present. Maria’s childhood, her life as a G-d’s servant, and how she came to be the nanny of the Van Trapp children is in the past, while life in the present shows her disdain for how Hammerstein, of the famed Rodgers and Hammerstein duo, was misrepresenting how her life really was. Much of the family’s escape from the Nazis was not portrayed correctly and Maria was adamant that changes be made.
Maria was a strong woman and her ability to go from nun, to nanny, to mother and wife was remarkable. Her good sense and kindness had all the kids supporting her and their father’s union. Learning about the rigorous musical touring that the family endured was eye-opening as well. This is a wonderful escape into the Von Trapp world and how the family unit was shown in the musical/movie versus how life really was! This was an easy, interesting read that I enjoyed greatly!
Quotes I liked:
The landscapes of our youths create us, and we carry them with us, storied by all they gave and stole, in who we became.”
“…love is a matter, to be nurtured, and even mourned, between two beings alone.”
“Sorrow tried but did not claim me.”
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