Book Reviews (1)

The Story of the Trapp Family Singers

Written by Maria Augusta Trapp

Maria was perhaps the worst behaved novice at Nonnberg Abbey.   

She slid down the banisters, whistled in the hall and was always late.   So when she was summoned to see the Abbess Mother, Maria expected that she was in trouble.  But she was not prepared for what came. The Abbess asked Maria to leave the Abbey for nine months as a tutor.  Her pupil was to be the daughter of a Baron, Captain Georg von Trapp.

Maria didn’t want to leave her beloved Abbey.  But the Abbess Mother insisted; so she summoned up all her courage and headed away to meet the Captain and his seven children.  

In the past, Captain von Trapp had been in the Austrian Navy as a submarine pilot.  He became quite famous because of his great skill and daring. He was even awarded the Empress Maria Theresia medal!*

When the Captain’s wife died, leaving him seven children, he left the Navy and settled down. His plentiful supply of money meant that he did not need to work.

*

When Maria met Captain von Trapp for the first time, she was surprised. He was not anything like she had imagined- tall and bearded and rough, since, after all, that is what sea captains look like.  But Georg could hardly be described as tall, and his kindly face was beardless.

Maria soon got to know all the Captain’s children, especially her new pupil.  The girl was so ill that she had to be confined to her room; and was therefore unable to attend school.

Maria was shocked to find that the children never sang.  So she taught them.
At night, around the fire, they would all sing together. The air was filled with Austrian folk songs, hymns, carols and many more beautiful songs. Eventually, Captain von Trapp joined them, and many a happy evening was spent gathered around the fire, Maria with her guitar and the children with their voices.  The children all grew to love Maria.  They were not the only ones.



When Maria had heard that George would, most likely, soon be engaged to a princess, she was overjoyed.  She knew the children needed a mother. And when the Captain went to visit  princess Yvonne (not for the first time),  everyone (especially Maria) supposed that this was “the” visit.  Then Georg sent Maria a letter, which mentioned “...I wish I could see your eyes when you read the announcement of my engagement.”  Maria was furious!  She sent back a fiery letter saying “My eyes are none of your business!”  

At the time the Captain received the letter, he was walking in the garden with princess Yvonne, and just on the verge of proposing.  But after he read the letter, he knew he could not marry Yvonne.  Captain von Trapp loved Maria.
Meanwhile, Maria was stricken with guilt at her hasty letter, and was wishing fervently that she had never sent it.

A few weeks past.  The Captain came home, and everyone was busy and happy.  Maria was happily unaware of George’s feelings towards her.  She was also unaware that the children had decided the two should marry. And since nothing was happening, the children devised a plan.  While Maria was distracted, they crept into their father’s office, and asked if he loved Maria.  He replied that yes, he did love her, but he doubted that the feeling was mutual.  So the naughty children went and demanded of the preoccupied Maria whether or not she liked the Captain. Naturally, Maria said that she did.  Back to the office rushed the children to tell their father that Maria said she did love him.

So when the Captain came out of his office and asked if what the children said was true, she was shocked!  Never had she suspected such a thing.  Without so much as a goodbye, she left for the Abbey.  Maria did not want to marry; she wanted to be a nun.  And yet...

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The story goes on to tell how Maria was convinced by the Abbess Mother to marry Captain von Trapp, and how they shared many wonderful, peaceful years together in Austria.  But their life changed forever when their bank went broke and the Captain lost all his money. It then took another turn when the Germans invaded Austria, and the von Trapp family had to flee to America.  There they began a new life, and also their family choir, the Trapp Family Singers.  Maria had three children of her own.  

My thoughts:

This book was a interesting and heartwarming autobiography.  Maria was a Catholic, and I could really sense her genuine love for God.  You can see Maria grow from a fun and mischief filled young woman into a wise and kind mother.  Three and a half stars.

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*This medal is only awarded if the recipient has shown extraordinary bravery at his own initiative, sometimes even against orders.