Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp

"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 fascinated to learn about this Catholic novice who was living quietly as an Austrian nun until her abbey sent her away to teach a widowed baron's children. When the assignment turned into a marriage proposal and the family was forced to escape the Nazis, it was Maria who taught them to survive by using the power of their voices and song. It's an inspirational story, to be sure, and as half of the famous Rodgers & Hammerstein duo, Oscar knows Maria's story has big Broadway potential. But much of her life will have to be reinvented for the stage. With the horrors of war still fresh in people's minds, Hammerstein won't let audiences see just how close the von Trapps came to losingtheir lives. But when Maria sees the script, she is so incensed that she sets off to confront Hammerstein, who foists her off on Fran, his secretary. The pair strike up an unlikely friendship as Maria tells Fran about her life, contradicting much of whatwill eventually appear in The Sound of Music and delivering a far grittier tale. Michelle Moran's hugely entertaining novel explores how Hammerstein grossly misinterpreted Maria's story and offers a more nuanced retelling. Maria is a powerful reminder that the truth is often more complicated-and certainly more compelling-than the stories immortalized by Hollywood"--
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.