Maria

In 1959 Maria von Trapp marches into the infamous Lunt-Fontanne Theater. Yes, Maria von Trapp is an actual woman and she was angry. When Rogers & Hammerstein bought the rights to produce The Sound of Music from a German film company they used their artistic license to create the life they imagined for the family that escaped the Nazi’s and became a global singing sensation. But Maria lived this life. There were too many things that the play did not capture. Too many things their beautiful family had tragically lost. Always indefatigable, Maria meets with Fran, a secretary and writer who works for Hammerstein. The women walk through Central Park as Maria paints a picture of the magnificent hills of Austria and the family’s rise to fame. Born in 1905, Maria was orphaned at an early age and sent to live with an unkind uncle who terrified them all. Finally escaping to go to teachers college, Maria discovered her natural gift for music and singing. After her training she entered the Nonberg Abbey where she adored her students and was on her way to becoming a nun. Maria was finally at home, praying she would never be alone again. At 21 she received an opportunity to teach a sickly child, one of seven siblings at Baron von Trapp’s estate, and she accepted. Their father, the Baron, was 25 years her senior and his quiet house was still mourning the loss of their mother, the Baroness Agathe. Maria brought life and music back into their lives and well, the rest is history. I adored every single page of this amazing work of historical fiction. One of my all time favorite musicals, this new novel is an absolute joy and not to be missed. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐