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  • The Story of the Trapp Family Singers

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Maria Augusta Trapp
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The Story of the Trapp Family Singers Kindle Edition

by Maria A. Trapp (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 out of 5 stars (3,063)

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With nearly 1,500 Broadway performances, six Tony Awards, more than three million albums sold, and five Academy Awards, The Sound of Music, based on the lives of Maria, the baron, and their singing children, is as familiar to most of us as our own family history. But much about the real-life woman and her family was left untold.

Here, Baroness Maria Augusta Trapp tells in her own beautiful, simple words the extraordinary story of her romance with the baron, their escape from Nazi-occupied Austria, and their life in America.

Now with photographs from the original edition.

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  1. Print length
    377 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Harper
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    March 22, 2011
  6. File size
    544 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

In her own, beautiful, simple words, the Baroness Maria Augusta Trapp tells the dramatic story that inspired the classic American musical The Sound Of Music.

From the Inside Flap

beautiful, simple words, the Baroness Maria Augusta Trapp tells the dramatic story that inspired the classic American musical The Sound of Music.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004MMEIV4
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 22, 2011
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 544 KB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 377 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0062091970
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Best Sellers Rank: #109,559 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars (3,063)

About the author

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Maria Augusta Trapp

Maria Augusta Trapp

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Maria Augusta von Trapp’s life story was immortalized in the movie "The Sound of Music." Her position was not governess to all the children, as the movie portrayed, but specifically to the captain's daughter who was bedridden with rheumatic fever. The rest is truly history. Maria never returned to the convent and married the Captain on November 26, 1927. Her life began as a socialist and atheist then quickly and dramatically changed in a chance meeting with a visiting Jesuit priest to her college. She and her husband shared with their children about the life of Jesus and how His story entered into their lives and imaginations, which is detailed in her book Yesterday, Today & Forever.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
3,063 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find this book to be better than the movie adaptation, with a rich story of faith that touches all emotions. They appreciate how the love of family held them together and how faith kept them united and strong. The book is engaging and informative, with detailed descriptions of events, and one customer notes how the author's personality comes through clearly in the writing.
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314 customers mention content, 303 positive, 11 negative
Customers find the book engaging and enjoyable, noting that it surpasses the movie adaptation in quality.
This was a great book. The history of their lives and the struggles were just amazing. Their faith and their love of family held them together.Read more
A great read...These real people were AMAZING!! What strength and accomplishment...What compassion...Read more
...This is a wonderful and spiritual moving story that will keep your attention and renew your faith in God, live and family.Read more
Wonderful book and the real story is even better than the mivie. There is so much history in this book. But the book is also humorous and touching....Read more
209 customers mention story, 205 positive, 4 negative
Customers enjoy the book's story, describing it as honest and heartwarming, with one customer noting it's a story of hope.
It was a great story that filled in many of the holes in the movie/play "The Sound of Music." It also made clear the depth of faith in the...Read more
...and other bizarre and weird plots, this book by Maria tells a beautiful story of a family kept together by love, sacrifice, faith....Read more
What a wonderful story! I have loved the movie based on thrilled since I was a small child and even now at age 60 it is still one of my favorites....Read more
...The movie doesn't even scratch the surface of an amazing story, filled with insight on how I'm sure most immigrants felt during that period of time....Read more
92 customers mention inspiring, 91 positive, 1 negative
Customers find the book inspiring, describing it as an uplifting spiritual story that touches all emotions. One customer notes how the family approached life with hope and courage, while another highlights the journey from unimaginable hardships to joys made of love.
Well written. Inspiring story. Really enjoyable for all of us who love the movie. However, it goes on a bit long and gets a little preachy off and on.Read more
Touching, heartwarming and humorous story of the von Trapp family. Insightful look into Christianity and the reasons behind the events we celebrate.Read more
...It is very inspiring and one can only hope for a wider readership so that people can use this family as a model for how to live this life, that...Read more
...to their faith and to each other that is beyond inspiring, heartwarming, inspiring and very different from the film, although if the film's purpose...Read more
79 customers mention family, 79 positive, 0 negative
Customers appreciate the book's portrayal of the Trapp family, noting how their love for each other and their faith kept them together through difficult times.
...the movie since I was a child,but it didn't do justice to this amazing family.Read more
While I applaud this wonderful family, the book was rather tedious and boring....Read more
To read more about this incredible family and their incredible faith in the Lord they served each and every day. A must read.Read more
...woman and she shares her many insights on human nature, God, and family. Love this book!Read more
74 customers mention engaging, 69 positive, 5 negative
Customers find the book engaging and entertaining, noting that it is more interesting than the movie portrayal.
Very well written someone not trained as an author. Interesting and refreshing perspective on transitioning from Austrian-european culture to...Read more
What an incredibly interesting and fun read about the Von Trapp Family that broadens one's view of the wonderful movie "The Sound of Music."...Read more
This was such an interesting book. What courage they had. The movie was only the beginning of their story. Fabulous!Read more
Totally different than the movie. Entertaining, historical and personal.Read more
72 customers mention informative, 70 positive, 2 negative
Customers find the book informative and well-written, with detailed descriptions of events and insights into the time period.
...Great and informative.Read more
Very informative....especially for someone who is very fond of the movie...The Sound of Music.Read more
A wonderful family history as well as some historical happenings. I loved it. Nothing like the movie....Read more
...Christian family who were selfless, hardworking and totally giving to whoever needed help. An inspirational story of courage.Read more
57 customers mention faith, 56 positive, 1 negative
Customers appreciate the book's portrayal of the Trapp family's faith, noting how it kept them united and strong, with one customer describing it as a beacon for their generation.
I did not know of the Trapp family until I read this story. Their faith, family values and loyalty is something we don't see anymore!...Read more
Probably the best biography I've read. I love the humor and the honesty. The dedication to Christ is extraordinary!...Read more
...I really began to appreciate her strong faith, her intelligence, her parenting and her courage to try things she was unfamiliar with....Read more
...They were very charitable, honest and hardworking. Glad I bought this book on a Kindle sale..... I loved the book and very happy I bought it.Read more
57 customers mention writing style, 54 positive, 3 negative
Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, describing it as wonderfully written, with one customer noting how the author's energized personality comes through clearly.
Well written. Inspiring story. Really enjoyable for all of us who love the movie. However, it goes on a bit long and gets a little preachy off and on.Read more
was very well written Maria made you feel as if you were there you could feel the grief they felt as a family te death of husband and fatherRead more
This book is beautifully written! She paints an amazing picture of her homeland thru her words. You can almost imagine yourself as one of the family....Read more
...So well written you fell as if you are a silent member of the Trapp Family as they live their lives in our recent and dynamic past....Read more
Outstanding!
5 out of 5 stars
Outstanding!
This book is outstanding! I have always loved the movie and now that I’ve read this book, I wonder why it’s not as popular as the movie. I love the faith promoting stories and the family’s determination to always do God’s will. I found myself compelled to share the stories with my family as I read.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Rusky
    5.0 out of 5 stars It doesn't get better than this! (No, don't bother with the movie.)
    Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2025
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    This is one of the most heart warming, profoundly wise and all-around joy bringing books I know of. I've read it many times over the course of my life. Her early experiences with speaking English contain the funniest scenes I've ever read. She has a deep and solid faith which it does all of us good to be "refreshed" in, a living faith which sustains her and her family in difficult decisions and tragic times, and which brings joy to everyday life as it's lived throughout the year; she also shares her family's seasonal traditions with us. If your sense of what it means to be an American is wavering a bit in these times, this book will happily re-ground you. This is the real Maria von Trapp and her family, who became known to the world as the Trapp Family Singers. Good as that acclaimed movie (The Sound of Music) is, it doesn't come close to this!
    8 people found this helpful
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  • Corazon Barangan
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Hills are Still Alive!
    Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2014
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    The Story of the Trapp Family Singers is a breath of fresh air. With all the books being written and sold these days that are so empty and senseless, selling sex, violence and other bizarre and weird plots, this book by Maria tells a beautiful story of a family kept together by love, sacrifice, faith. It is very inspiring and one can only hope for a wider readership so that people can use this family as a model for how to live this life, that there are other means to be happy and keep families together, the joys of simple things like singing, looking at the world and enjoying its natural beauty. More importantly it gives us a lesson on dying well and keeps our hope alive that in spite of suffering in this world there is its redemptive value and we can look forward to a joyful eternal life! I would recommend this book for everyone to be read not just once but reread on a regular basis to share the Trapp family experience, a reminder to emulate their way of life. I wish I could one day check out their home in Vermont and look at the mountains they once enjoyed! Good good read!
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Amy D.
    4.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading, especially for kids, not exactly a biography
    Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2014
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Maria Trapp's book reads a little bit like one of those Landmark biographies written for kids back in the 50s. That is not to say that the book isn't good. It is! But there's very little in the way of dates, historical background, reflection, analysis, introspection or anything negative. Maria tells her tale in a largely unimaginative style with mostly just the facts of how things happened. Note that, as the title indicates, this is a book about the family's singing career and life in the U.S., and not strictly speaking an account of Maria's life.

    Thus, most disappointing to me was the almost complete lack of information surrounding the family's flight from Austria after the European phase of their singing career had begun. Similarly, Maria tells next to nothing about her romance with the Baron except for one little whimsical anecdote, and, then, suddenly they were married! Nor was there a shred of information about Maria's childhood or life prior to entering the Trapp household.

    The highlight of the book for me was Maria von Trapp's deep devotion to her Catholic faith which I found really very inspiring. Her faith permeated everything she did. This is especially apparent in her touching account of her husband's untimely death, one of the few incidents that she reflects upon with the reader, exposing her thoughts and sharing her fears.

    Maria must have certainly been a force to be reckoned with, a woman of action. You know, "how do you keep a wave upon the sand" and all the rest of those lyrics. In fact, there are times when I had almost had enough of her can-do, Climb-Every-Mountain attitude. How much can one person do anyway! At first glance, she might seem to be a carefree, light-hearted spirit, but she was an extremely capable, talented woman with an entrepreneurial streak who usually triumphed over adversity through common sense and persistence-- --and perhaps a large ego?

    Hers was an extraordinary life that might be better told by someone other than herself. However, I felt edified and enriched for having read the book and recommend it happily. I think this book might find its best audience among parents who would like their kids, especially their girls, ages 11 and up, to read about a strong-willed woman of deep faith and traditional values who was successful and influential in pretty much everything she did.
    30 people found this helpful
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  • Pamela Harman
    5.0 out of 5 stars Anyone who loves The Sound of Music film, will love Maria von Trapp's 312-page memoir.
    Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2025
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    If you've ever watched and love the film "The Sound of Music" with Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer you will love even more Maria Augusta von Trapp's "The Story of the Trapp Family Singers," first published in 1949. This 312 page memoir tells the story of how Maria became the wife of Captain Georg Trapp and the mother of his seven children after their own mother died. Maria, who was 25 years younger than the captain, was hoping to become a nun, but as fate would have it, rather because of Maria's faith in God's wisdom, she said, "Yes," when the Captain asked her to marry him and become the mother of his children. The story from there is told of a family committed to their faith and to each other that is beyond inspiring, heartwarming, inspiring and very different from the film, although if the film's purpose is to draw fans into Maria's book, then follow your curiosity to read the real story of the Trapp Family Singers.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Mary McReynolds
    5.0 out of 5 stars Von Trap Family Book!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2026
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    I was so happy to find this book. It tells the real story of the family. It is actually written by the author of the true story. What a wonderful story and affordable book. I will treasure it forever. It makes a nice gift also.
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars The von Trapp family in the United States
    Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2025
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    I enjoyed the movie The Sound of Music very much. This book was probably a more accurate description of the proceedings. It was interesting to read how they supported themselves here in the US.
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  • Rob swain
    3.0 out of 5 stars Happy little book
    Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2026
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Nice story. Enjoyed it.
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  • Wilma L. Vorse
    5.0 out of 5 stars very uplifting
    Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2026
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Very interesting history of a family who had to deal with much adversity and trying times, and yet through their faith in our almighty Father not only survived but also were successful in what they did both professionally and for countless others.
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Hei
    5.0 out of 5 stars Eine wichtige Ergänzung zum Film „The Sound of Music“: wie ging es weiter?
    Reviewed in Germany on November 3, 2023
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Das ist die Auto-Biographie der „echten“ Maria. Das, was der Film behandelt, ist nur ein winziger Teil des Buches und somit ist das Buch ein Muss für jeden, der wissen will, wie es weiter ging: Die Flucht vor den Nazis und die Emigration in die USA. Die schwierigen Jahre in den USA bis hin zum Erfolg sind der Schwerpunkt dieses Buches.

    Maria beschreibt im Detail, wie es der Familie ging und mit welchen Schwierigkeiten sie als Einwanderer zu rechnen hatten und überwinden mussten, denn sie mussten neu und praktisch ohne nennenswerte Geldmittel anfangen.

    Man erfährt, was für eine starke Frau Maria war: voller Energie und Tatendrang, sowie Vertrauen und Hoffnung.

    Das Buch ist eine dreifache Geschichte, in erster Linie der Trapp Familie, aber auch Österreichs und der USA. So erfährt man wie die High Society in Österreich lebte und wie sich der Einmarsch der Nazis auf das Leben auswirkte. Auch erfährt man, wie die Einwanderer aus Europa die USA erlebten.

    Ich habe das Buch in der englischen Fassung mit großem Vergnügen gelesen. Immer wieder gibt es lustige Ereignisse. Maria hat Humor. Das Buch ist leicht zu lesen und zu verstehen.

    Die einzigen kleinen Kritikpunkte sind:

    Ich hätte mir mehr und bessere Fotos von der Familie gewünscht, mit Datum.
    In dem Buch werden selten Jahreszahlen genannt, sodass man sich diese mit Hilfe anderer Quellen besorgen muss.

    Fazit: Ein Genuss, Maria mit ihrer Liebe zum Leben und zur Musik auf einem steinigen Weg zu begleiten.
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  • Just my opinion
    5.0 out of 5 stars 感動した! Highly recommended!
    Reviewed in Japan on February 25, 2011
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    A most touching, real-life story about the von Trapp family. It is a story of venture, struggle, determination, family ties, hope and love.

    I was particularly impressed by Baroness von Trapp's excellent English writing ability, given the fact that English was not her native tongue, and that she only started learning the language after having moved from Austria to America as a grown-up.

    This powerful story delights the heart and enlightens the mind. I was strengthened in faith and at the same time reminded of what a wonderful gift life itself is.
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  • David Rey
    5.0 out of 5 stars inspiradora fuerza de la fe
    Reviewed in Spain on March 29, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Increíble historia de lucha contra la adversidad manteniéndose firme y confiado en la providencia De Dios. Un ejemplo de familia unida en la fe inspiradora
    Report
  • basia lojewski
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
    Reviewed in Canada on December 3, 2025
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Great book which gives great insight to a family we’ve never got to know from the musical.
    Report
  • Paddy
    5.0 out of 5 stars Superb real life account of Sound of Music'-The real family
    Reviewed in India on January 14, 2017
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Please buy this book if you liked Sound of Music.This is the real thing !A truly amazing story.She also brings a lot of insights into the difference between Europe and America and their way of life in early twentieth century
    Report
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