Book Review: “Maria von Trapp and Her Musical Family”

“Maria von Trapp and Her Musical Family” is a novel written by Cheri Blomquist and based on the autobiography of Maria von Trapp and on a memoir by one of Maria’s daughters.    

For those of you who have seen the film, “Sound of Music,” this book will expand on Maria’s life, including her early childhood, her marriage to Georg von Trapp and the von Trapp family’s escape from the Nazi’s. For those of you who have not seen the “Sound of Music” film, you will learn about Maria’s life, including the events covered in the movie.

Blomquist, freelance writer, teacher and director of the Denim Beret Writing Program, has done an excellent job of writing this very interesting novel, and I found it quite easy to imagine myself with Maria and the von Trapp family as they experienced the various “highs” and “lows” of their professional and personal lives. Blomquist also seems to have delivered the story in way that I believe will capture the attention and interest of both adults and teens.

Reading the first few chapters we learn of Maria’s birth (it happened on a train) and gain insight for Maria’s life before entering the convent in hopes of becoming a nun. We discover the strong influence the Catholic faith had on Maria’s life and the role her faith played in her being able to overcome the hardships she experienced as a young child and her decision to enter the convent.

The middle of the book focuses on Maria’s life in the convent, her service as governess for the von Trapp children, and bringing love and music into the lives of the family. It is in this part of the book that I clearly recognized Blomquist’s talent for describing the beauty of the various settings (the Alps, various European cities, and “well-known” musical venues) and her ability to draw me into the story as though I was present with Maria and the von Trapp family.

Later in the book we learn how the von Trapp family relied upon their strong faith to overcome financial hardships and the fear that the Nazis would take over Austria and their home.  One example that proved the importance of their faith was through the encouragement of a priest, the family would create a chapel in their home for daily prayer and the delivery and reception of the Holy Eucharist.  

We also learn about the discovery of the special musical talent of the von Trapp family and how this would play a vital role in the family traveling to, and eventually settling in, America. The family would perform in various cities of the United States and in Europe for several years.

In 1955, the family discontinued touring and established a lodge in Vermont.

In the last section of this book, “But what about…?,” we are provided interesting biographical information on many of the key characters discussed in the story of “Maria von Trapp and Her Musical Family.”

Since I have seen the “Sound of Music” film several times and wondered about the “rest of the story,” this book and author did a great job of filling in the gaps.

John H. Dolezal is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.