Tag: Austria

What’s Ashley Reading?: Maria

Maria by Michelle Moran

First line: Dear Mr. Hammerstein, It may come as a surprise that I am writing to you, as it appears that the theater industry believes I am dead and can now make up whatever they wish about me.

Summary: In the 1950s, Oscar Hammerstein was asked to write the music for the upcoming Broadway musical, The Sound of Music, based on the life of an Austrian nun named Maria von Trapp. With just a few weeks until the premiere, the office of Rodgers and Hammerstein receive a letter from the musical’s heroine stating her displeasure with the changes they made to her story. In an attempt to head off any bad press the former nun could throw at the new musical, Hammerstein asks his secretary and aspiring writer, Fran, to talk with Maria and try to smooth over any discrepancies. While Fran listens to Maria’s tale she learns that life for the Von Trapps was much more complicated than even the best Broadway musical can portray.

My Thoughts: When I was younger, The Sound of Music was one of my favorite movies. I love Julie Andrews and her rendition of these beautiful songs. While in fifth grade my family took a trip to Germany with a detour to Salzburg, Austria where my family visited several filming/historical locations from the story. It was a highlight for me on that trip, along with visiting the birthplace of Mozart. My love of history started young.

Michelle Moran is a fantastic historical fiction writer. She brings the women she writes about to life and gives a deeper look into their lives. Even though I loved the musical, I never actually read Maria’s autobiography so much of what I “knew” of the Trapp family was from the film and a few facts from movie photo books. I learned a lot about this woman and the family she joined through this story. And I definitely want to read more about the life of this family.

I think it was a great idea to write the story using the upcoming musical as a backdrop rather than a straightforward biographical fiction novel. Many people know the story because of the musical and this will draw them in while also bringing them the true story. For fans of the musical, this is a great companion story.

What’s Ashley Reading?: The Only Woman in the Room

The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict

First line: My lids fluttered open, but the floodlights blinded me for a moment.

Summary: Hedy Kiesler was a young actress in Austria in 1933 when she meets Fritz Mandl, a munitions manufacturer. Her parents urge her to marry him in order to keep her safe with the threat of Nazi Germany looming over much of Europe. However, married life is not what she imagined. After fleeing her husband and the coming war, she travels to Hollywood and becomes the famously beautiful, Hedy Lamarr. As the path to war progresses, Hedy is determined to help save as many people as she can, even with very unconventional ways.

Highlights: Going into this novel I knew next to nothing about Hedy Lamarr. The one interaction with her was on the show, Timeless. I think this is one reason that I devoured this book. I did not know what to expect. Many authors have been taking readers back to the golden days of Hollywood but this is by far my favorite! Marie Benedict does a fantastic job of blending truth and fiction.

Hedy is not the normal Hollywood actress. She had other interests and was very intelligent. Her work on the guidance systems for torpedoes was leagues ahead of anyone else. It took months of work but she was not taken seriously by the men of the time. The technology is still used today in cell phones! Even though she has been called the most beautiful woman in the movies she wanted to be defined by more than that.

“Let me understand.  You are turning down our invention—which would have made your fleet unsurpassed in ocean warfare—because I’m a woman?  A famous one that you’d rather have shilling war bonds than helping build effective systems?  I can do both, you know—sell bonds and assist with your torpedoes, if that’s what it takes.”

After finishing her story I picked up the documentary, Bombshell, which goes past Benedict’s narrative but is a great companion to it. As with all the other Hollywood stories, I had to interlibrary loan several of Hedy’s movies. I cannot wait to watch them!

Lowlights: At first I was irritated that we spent such a long time in Austria and centering around her life with her husband as I read though the pacing made more sense. When Hedy arrives in the United States, she feels the guilt of leaving behind her loved ones. In addition, the knowledge she gains from her time with her husband help inform her for her inventions. I was sad that it ended so soon when there was still so much of her life to live but I think that now I have had time to reflect that the author made a good choice of ending it where she did.

FYI: If you enjoyed this than try books by Susan Meissner and Melanie Benjamin.

**Release date: January 8, 2019**

Book Review: Dark Tracks (Book 4 in the Order of Darkness series)

First line: There was an angry bellow from inside the woodcutter’s hovel; the woman, struggling up from the stream with a heavy bucket of icy water in each hand, raised her head and shouted back.

Summary: In the fourth installment of Philippa Gregory’s young adult series we follow Luca, Isolde and their companions on their journey. As they stumble into a small village, they find the townspeople besieged by a troupe of dancers. However, these are no ordinary dancers. These dancers seem to be possessed. What is causing this dance sickness and how can it be cured? These are just a few of the questions Luca wants to find out. But when Isolde is taken by the dancing fever the need to find a cure becomes even more important.

Highlights: I have really enjoyed Gregory’s young adult novels. She is my favorite author. Her historical fiction is amazing. She does a great job of describing the time. This is a great way to get younger readers interested in the past. Even as an adult, I learn new bits of information with each story. I also really like the covers. But if you have read my other reviews you know how much I love a good cover!

Lowlights: These are definitely for young adult. They are not as in-depth and detailed but still gets the story told in a fun and interesting way.

FYI: This is book 4 in the series. Check out her other books (Changeling, Stormbringers, and Fool’s Gold) before reading this one!