Author: Michelle Moran
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Dell
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 311
Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: 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.
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.
My Review: The famous movie, The Sound of Music is based upon the life of Maria Von Trapp. In this historical novel, it retells Maria’s life to her escape from Austria. Maria is about to take her vows as a nun, when she is sent to take care of a baron and his eleven children. In a few short months, the baron falls in love with her and wants to marry her. Maria must decide if she should marry the baron or to become a nun.
The Sound of Music is one of my favorite childhood movies. Therefore, I was very excited to read Michelle Morgan’s take on Maria. Maria is a complicated character. She had a sad upbringing. She loved music. She also loves God and is very devoted to him. When she marries the baron, she does not love him. Over time, she eventually comes to love him. She also wants to become a good stepmother to his children. However, Maria could be very stubborn and manipulative. She committed some actions that I disagreed with, especially when she was caught up in her newfound fame. She desired to be a star and made some tough choices. Therefore, Maria was a very grey character. I did not have any feelings for her. I did not love or hate her. I was very ambivalent. This may be because of how she was written because the tale was told in a passive voice.
Overall, this book is about guilt, loss, and ambition. The characters were very passive. The characters, especially the children, were not distinguishable. They all seemed alike just with different names. Maria’s husband was flat, and I did not see what he loved about Maria. I thought that Fran was an unnecessary character and her chapters seemed mostly to be filler. I did not like how Maria’s narration ended when they left Austria. I wanted to know more about Maria’s time in America. Therefore, Maria ended abruptly. I did like how Mrs. Moran described the Austrian landscape on the brink of the war. Maria was a sweet but superficial novel. I think for a more clearer picture of Maria, the reader should look for her autobiography, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers. I also think that Maria was not the best of Michelle Morgan’s work. Instead, her Egyptian historical novels are still her best. Nevertheless, I recommend this book for fans of Tayvie’s Story, Ecstasy, and A Woman’s Voice.
Rating: 2 ½ out of 5 stars
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