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Margot at War: Love and Betrayal in Downing Street, 1912-1916
by Anne de CourcyMargot Asquith was perhaps the most daring and unconventional Prime Minister's wife in British history. Known for her wit, style and habit of speaking her mind, she transformed 10 Downing Street into a glittering social and intellectual salon. Yet her last four years at Number 10 were a period of intense emotional and political turmoil in her private and public life. In 1912, when Anne de Courcy's book opens, rumblings of discontent and cries for social reform were encroaching on all sides - from suffragettes, striking workers and Irish nationalists. Against this background of a government beset with troubles, the Prime Minister fell desperately in love with his daughter's best friend, Venetia Stanley; to complicate matters, so did his Private Secretary. Margot's relationship with her husband was already bedevilled by her stepdaughter's jealous, almost incestuous adoration of her father. The outbreak of the First World War only heightened these swirling tensions within Downing Street. Drawing on unpublished material from personal papers and diaries, Anne de Courcy vividly recreates this extraordinary time when the Prime Minister's residence was run like an English country house, with socialising taking precedence over politics, love letters written in the cabinet room and gossip and state secrets exchanged over the bridge table. By 1916, when Asquith was forced out of office, everything had changed. For the country as a whole, for those in power, for a whole stratum of society, but especially for the Asquiths and their circle, it was the end of an era. Life inside Downing Street would never be the same again.
Margot at War: Love and Betrayal in Downing Street, 1912-1916
by Anne de CourcyMargot Asquith was perhaps the most daring and unconventional Prime Minister's wife in British history. Known for her wit, style and habit of speaking her mind, she transformed 10 Downing Street into a glittering social and intellectual salon. Yet her last four years at Number 10 were a period of intense emotional and political turmoil in her private and public life. In 1912, when Anne de Courcy's book opens, rumblings of discontent and cries for social reform were encroaching on all sides - from suffragettes, striking workers and Irish nationalists. Against this background of a government beset with troubles, the Prime Minister fell desperately in love with his daughter's best friend, Venetia Stanley; to complicate matters, so did his Private Secretary. Margot's relationship with her husband was already bedevilled by her stepdaughter's jealous, almost incestuous adoration of her father. The outbreak of the First World War only heightened these swirling tensions within Downing Street. Drawing on unpublished material from personal papers and diaries, Anne de Courcy vividly recreates this extraordinary time when the Prime Minister's residence was run like an English country house, with socialising taking precedence over politics, love letters written in the cabinet room and gossip and state secrets exchanged over the bridge table. By 1916, when Asquith was forced out of office, everything had changed. For the country as a whole, for those in power, for a whole stratum of society, but especially for the Asquiths and their circle, it was the end of an era. Life inside Downing Street would never be the same again.
Margot at War: Love and Betrayal in Downing Street, 1912-1916
by Anne de CourcyMargot Asquith was perhaps the most daring and unconventional Prime Minister's wife in British history. Known for her wit, style and habit of speaking her mind, she transformed 10 Downing Street into a glittering social and intellectual salon. Yet her last five years at Number 10 were a period of intense emotional and political turmoil in her private and public life. In 1912, when Anne de Courcy's book opens, rumblings of discontent and cries for social reform were encroaching on all sides - from suffragettes, striking workers and Irish nationalists. Against this background of a government beset with troubles, the Prime Minister fell desperately in love with his daughter's best friend, Venetia Stanley; to complicate matters, so did his Private Secretary. Margot's relationship with her husband was already bedevilled by her stepdaughter's jealous, almost incestuous adoration of her father. The outbreak of the First World War only heightened these swirling tensions within Downing Street. Drawing on unpublished material from personal papers and diaries, Anne de Courcy vividly recreates this extraordinary time when the Prime Minister's residence was run like an English country house, with socialising taking precedence over politics, love letters written in the cabinet room and gossip and state secrets exchanged over the bridge table. By 1916, when Asquith was forced out of office, everything had changed. For the country as a whole, for those in power, for a whole stratum of society, but especially for the Asquiths and their circle, it was the end of an era. Life inside Downing Street would never be the same again.Read by Patricia Gallimore(p) 2015 Isis Publishing Ltd
Margot: A Novel
by Wendell SteavensonA moving portrait of a young woman’s struggle to break free from her upper-class upbringing amid the whirlwind years of the sexual revolution.It’s the mid-1950s and Margot Thornsen is growing up between a Park Avenue apartment in New York City and her family’s sumptuous Oyster Bay estate, as the presumed heir to her late grandfather’s steel fortune. Stuck in the mores and bores of WASP society with its cocktail parties and white-gloved galas, Margot is constantly rubbing against the strictures of her domineering mother, who never misses an opportunity to lecture her on the importance of marrying well. Meanwhile, Margot dreams of microscopes and beetles and books.As she comes of age in the 1960s, a time of war and assassinations and riots, Margot’s path diverges and she finds herself in the expansive world of Radcliffe College, navigating a new age of sexual liberation, scientific discovery, acid trips, and rock ’n’ roll. The old rule book has been burned. There are no more limits. But now that she can choose, what does Margot really want?Hailed for her “intelligent and heartfelt fiction” (Kirkus Reviews), Wendell Steavenson writes with grace, precision, and great psychological perception. With Margot, she has crafted an intimate portrayal of the quiet torment of young women of the era, a comically caustic mother-daughter story, and a memorable evocation of one woman’s passion for the wonder of science.
Marguerite Yourcenar’s Hadrian: Writing the Life of a Roman Emperor (Phoenix Supplementary Volumes #62)
by Keith BradleyMarguerite Yourcenar is best known as the author of the 1951 novel Mémoires d’Hadrien, her recreation of the life of the Roman emperor Hadrian. The work can be examined from the perspective of the issues raised by writing Roman imperial biography at large and the many ways in which Mémoires has a claim to historical authenticity. In Marguerite Yourcenar’s Hadrian, Keith Bradley explains how Mémoires d’Hadrien came to be written, gives details of Yourcenar’s own biography, and describes some of the intricate historical problems that her novel’s portrait of Hadrian presents. He draws on Yourcenar’s correspondence, her interviews with journalists, and her literary corpus as a whole, emphasizing Yourcenar’s profound knowledge of the ancient evidence on which her life of Hadrian is based and exploiting a wide range of contemporary Yourcenarian criticism. The book pays special attention to the methods by which Yourcenar believed Hadrian’s life history to be recoverable, compares examples of modern life-writing, and contrasts the procedures of conventional Roman biographers. Revealing how and why Mémoires d’Hadrien is as it is, Marguerite Yourcenar’s Hadrian illustrates how imaginative literary recreation is often little different from historical speculation.
Marguerite de Navarre (1492–1549): Mother of the Renaissance
by Rouben Cholakian Patricia Francis CholakianSister to the king of France, queen of Navarre, gifted writer, religious reformer, and patron of the arts—in her many roles, Marguerite de Navarre (1492-1549) was one of the most important figures of the French Renaissance. In this, the first major biography in English, Patricia F. Cholakian and Rouben C. Cholakian draw on her writings to provide a vivid portrait of Marguerite's public and private life. Freeing her from the shadow of her brother François I, they recognize her immense influence on French politics and culture, and they challenge conventional views of her family relationships.The authors highlight Marguerite's considerable role in advancing the cause of religious reform in France-her support of vernacular translations of sacred works, her denunciation of ecclesiastical corruption, her founding of orphanages and hospitals, and her defense and protection of persecuted reformists. Had this plucky and spirited woman not been sister to the king, she would most likely have ended up at the stake. Though she remained a devout catholic, her theological poem Miroir de l'âme pécheresse, a mystical summa of evangelical doctrine that was viciously attacked by conservatives, remains to this day an important part of the Protestant corpus. Marguerite, along with her brother the king, was a key architect and animator of the refined entertainments that became the hallmark of the French court. Always eager to encourage new ideas, she supported many of the illustrious writers and thinkers of her time. Moreover, uniquely for a queen, she was herself a prolific poet, dramatist, and prose writer and published a two-volume anthology of her works. In reassessing Marguerite's enormous oeuvre, the authors reveal the range and quality of her work beyond her famous collection of tales, posthumously called the Heptaméron. The Cholakians' groundbreaking reading of the rich body of her work, which uncovers autobiographical elements previously unrecognized by most scholars, and their study of her surviving correspondence portray a life that fully justifies Marguerite's sobriquet, "Mother of the Renaissance."
Maria (Florida Trilogy #1)
by Eugenia PriceIn this captivating tale, Eugenia Price paints a vivid picture of the tumultuous historic and political events that shaped the life of Maria Evans, a remarkably independent woman in the colonial south. Born in Charles Town, South Carolina, Maria, a skilled midwife, accompanied her first husband, British soldier David Fenwick, when his regiment fought the Spanish in Cuba. When Spain agreed to give all of Florida in exchange for the city of Havana, Maria (who became known as Maria) and her husband were forced to relocate to the newly British garrison town of St. Augustine, Florida. Faced with challenges that would unnerve a less resourceful woman, Maria made a name for herself—developing and enhancing her position with influential citizens of St. Augustine. Eventually marrying three times, Maria proved herself to be an extraordinary woman—for any day or time.
Maria Baldwin's Worlds: A Story of Black New England and the Fight for Racial Justice
by Kathleen Weiler“This well-written biography of an intriguing black educator is strong on narrative, recovering Baldwin’s life from obscurity with sound scholarship” (Jeffrey Aaron Snyder, author of Making Black History).In the late nineteenth century, Maria Baldwin established a unique place for herself as a highly respected educator at a largely white New England school. She also used her social standing to advance the African American cause. As an activist, she carried on the radical spirit of the Boston area’s renowned abolitionists. In Maria Baldwin’s Worlds, Kathleen Weiler reveals both Baldwin’s victories and what fellow activist W. E. B. Du Bois called her “quiet courage” in everyday life, in the context of the wider black freedom struggle in New England.African American sociologist Adelaide Cromwell called Baldwin “the lone symbol of Negro progress in education in the greater Boston area” during her lifetime. Baldwin fought alongside more radical activists like William Monroe Trotter for full citizenship for fellow members of the black community. And, in her professional and personal life, she negotiated and challenged dominant white ideas about black womanhood.
Maria Chapdelaine: A Tale of French Canada
by W. H. Blake Louis Hemon Michael GnarowskiMaria Chapdelaine, the quintessential novel of the rugged life of early French-Canadian colonists, is based on the author’s experiences as a hired hand in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean area. A young woman living with her family on the Quebec frontier, Maria endures the hardships of isolation and climate. Maria must eventually choose between three suitors who represent very different ways of life: a trapper, a farmer, and a Parisian immigrant. Powerful in its simplicity, this novel captures the essence of faith and tenacity, the key ingredients of survivance. Translated into many languages, Maria Chapdelaine is enshrined as a classic of Canadian letters. A new introduction by Michael Gnarowski examines its relevance and provides insights into Louis Hemon’s life.
Maria Edgeworth and Abolition: Critiquing Character
by Robin RuniaThis Palgrave Pivot offers new readings of Maria Edgeworth’s representations of slavery. It shows how Edgeworth employed satiric technique and intertextual allusion to represent discourses of slavery and abolition as a litmus test of character – one that she invites readers to use on themselves. Over the course of her career, Edgeworth repeatedly indicted hypocritical and hyperbolic misappropriation of the sentimental rhetoric that dominated the slavery debate. This book offers new readings of canonical Edgeworth texts as well as of largely neglected works, including: Whim for Whim, “The Good Aunt”, Belinda, “The Grateful Negro”, “The Two Guardians”, and Harry and Lucy Continued. It also offers an unprecedented deep-dive into an important Romantic Era woman writer’s engagement with discourses of slavery and abolition.
Maria Stuarda regina di Scozia: il regno dimenticato
by Laurel A. Rockefeller Traduzione a cura di Laura LucardiniLa regina Maria Stuarda è stata una delle donne più amate e controverse della storia scozzese. Nipote di re Giacomo IV e di sua moglie Margherita Tudor, la posizione di Maria quale erede apparente al trono inglese e la violenza della Riforma scozzese fanno da sfondo a una delle vite più drammatiche e incomprese del 16° secolo. Maria regina di Scozia racconta la vera storia di Maria, concentrandosi principalmente sul suo regno, celebrando la sua vita più che la sua morte e dimostrandoci come Maria fosse una donna che precorreva i suoi tempi. Una biografia della serie "Le leggendarie donne della storia mondiale".
Maria Stuarda, Regina di Scozia: Versione per studenti e docenti (Libri di testo Le leggendarie donne della storia mondiale #3)
by Laurel A. RockefellerLa regina Maria Stuarda è la più amata, ed allo stesso tempo, controversa figura femminile di tutta la storia scozzese. Maria, in quanto nipote di re James IV e Margaret Tudor, deteneva diritti d’ascensione al trono d’Inghilterra; tale posizione di erede legittima alla corona inglese, assieme alle violenze della Riforma scozzese, sono alla base di una delle esistenze più drammatiche e fraintese di tutto il XVI secolo. Maria Stuarda, Regina di Scozia, ne racconta la vera storia, concentrandosi principalmente sul suo regno e celebrandone la vita piuttosto che la morte, oltre che a mostrare come Maria fosse una donna all’avanguardia per il suo tempo. La versione per studenti e docenti include: domande d’approfondimento alla fine di ogni capitolo, una dettagliata cronologia ed una vasta lista di letture consigliate.
Maria Stuarda, regina di Scozia: una rappresentazione teatrale in tre atti
by Laurel A. Rockefeller Laura LucardiniLa tragica storia della regina Maria Stuarda diventa un'opera teatrale in questa coinvolgente tragedia che ne racconta la vita, gli amori e il regno. Un'opera perfetta per le scuole e le compagnie amatoriali. Include bibliografia e cronologia degli eventi. Durata: 60-80 minuti.
Maria Theresa of Austria
by Margaret GoldsmithMargaret Goldsmith’s Maria Theresa of Austria is a compelling biography of one of Europe’s most remarkable and influential monarchs. As the only female ruler of the Habsburg Empire, Maria Theresa reigned from 1740 to 1780, navigating a male-dominated political landscape to transform her realm into a modernized and centralized power.Goldsmith delves into the life and reign of this formidable empress, from her unexpected rise to power following her father’s death to her determined efforts to defend and expand her empire during a period of relentless conflict, including the War of Austrian Succession. The book explores Maria Theresa’s political acumen, administrative reforms, and military strategies, all of which solidified her legacy as one of Europe’s great Enlightenment rulers.Beyond her political achievements, Goldsmith examines Maria Theresa’s personal life, including her devotion to her large family and her complex relationships with her husband, Francis I, and her children—most notably Marie Antoinette. Through rich detail and engaging storytelling, Goldsmith paints a nuanced portrait of a ruler who balanced the demands of empire with her roles as a wife and mother.Maria Theresa of Austria offers a fascinating look at a monarch whose vision and determination left an indelible mark on European history. This biography is essential reading for anyone interested in the Habsburg dynasty, the Enlightenment era, or the extraordinary lives of women who shaped the course of history.
Maria Theresa: The Habsburg Empress in Her Time
by Barbara Stollberg-RilingerA major new biography of the iconic Austrian empress that challenges the many myths about her life and ruleMaria Theresa (1717–1780) was once the most powerful woman in Europe. At the age of twenty-three, she ascended to the throne of the Habsburg Empire, a far-flung realm composed of diverse ethnicities and languages, beset on all sides by enemies and rivals. Barbara Stollberg-Rilinger provides the definitive biography of Maria Theresa, situating this exceptional empress within her time while dispelling the myths surrounding her.Drawing on a wealth of archival evidence, Stollberg-Rilinger examines all facets of eighteenth-century society, from piety and patronage to sexuality and childcare, ceremonial life at court, diplomacy, and the everyday indignities of warfare. She challenges the idealized image of Maria Theresa as an enlightened reformer and mother of her lands who embodied both feminine beauty and virile bellicosity, showing how she despised the ideas of the Enlightenment, treated her children with relentless austerity, and mercilessly persecuted Protestants and Jews. Work, consistent physical and mental discipline, and fear of God were the principles Maria Theresa lived by, and she demanded the same from her family, her court, and her subjects.A panoramic work of scholarship that brings Europe's age of empire spectacularly to life, Maria Theresa paints an unforgettable portrait of the uncompromising yet singularly charismatic woman who left her enduring mark on the era in which she lived and reigned.
Maria Theresa: The Making of the Austrian Enlightenment
by Richard BassettA major new biography of Maria Theresa, the formidable Habsburg Empress Maria Theresa was the single most powerful woman in eighteenth-century Europe. At the age of just twenty-three she succeeded to the Habsburg domains only to find them contested by almost every power in Europe. Over the next forty years, she became a fierce leader and opponent, as well as a devoted wife and mother to sixteen children. In this engrossing biography, Richard Bassett traces Maria Theresa&’s life and complex legacy. Drawing on hitherto unpublished sources, Bassett reveals her keen sense of moderation and tolerance, innovative ideas on free trade and finance, and studied reluctance to resort to policies of territorial expansion. Yet Maria Theresa&’s modernisation policies were not entirely progressive. Antisemitism and an enduring suspicion of Protestantism greatly affected the lives of her subjects. This is a gripping study of one of the world&’s most influential leaders, revealing how Maria Theresa confounded gendered expectations and left a lasting mark on Europe.
Maria W. Stewart and the Roots of Black Political Thought (Margaret Walker Alexander Series in African American Studies)
by Kristin WatersNamed a 2022 finalist for the Pauli Murray Book Prize in Black Intellectual History from the African American Intellectual History SocietyMaria W. Stewart and the Roots of Black Political Thought tells a crucial, almost-forgotten story of African Americans of early nineteenth-century America. In 1833, Maria W. Stewart (1803–1879) told a gathering at the African Masonic Hall on Boston’s Beacon Hill: “African rights and liberty is a subject that ought to fire the breast of every free man of color in these United States.” She exhorted her audience to embrace the idea that the founding principles of the nation must extend to people of color. Otherwise, those truths are merely the hypocritical expression of an ungodly white power, a travesty of original democratic ideals. Like her mentor, David Walker, Stewart illustrated the practical inconsistencies of classical liberalism as enacted in the US and delivered a call to action for ending racism and addressing gender discrimination. Between 1831 and 1833, Stewart’s intellectual productions, as she called them, ranged across topics from true emancipation for African Americans, the Black convention movement, the hypocrisy of white Christianity, Black liberation theology, and gender inequity. Along with Walker’s Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World, her body of work constitutes a significant foundation for a moral and political theory that is finding new resonance today—insurrectionist ethics.In this work of recovery, author Kristin Waters examines the roots of Black political activism in the petition movement; Prince Hall and the creation of the first Black masonic lodges; the Black Baptist movement spearheaded by the brothers Thomas, Benjamin, and Nathaniel Paul; writings; sermons; and the practices of festival days, through the story of this remarkable but largely unheralded woman and pioneering public intellectual.
Maria and the Admiral
by Rachel BillingtonA sweeping historical drama, based on the true and enduring love of Thomas Cochrane and Maria Graham.Chile, June 1822. Maria Graham, a young British widow, watches as her compatriot Admiral Lord Cochrane sails triumphantly into the Valparaiso Bay, fresh from leading the Chilean fleet to victory over the country's Spanish rulers.Cochrane, a popular yet outspoken hero of the Napoleonic wars, is drawn to Maria, a woman whose intelligence and spirit of adventure rival his own. Yet their intense and extraordinary relationship must contend with a climate of uncertainty, political turmoil and civil war.Inspired by Maria Graham's own journals, MARIA AND THE ADMIRAL vividly brings to life the story of one woman who tested the limits of society, and of her enduring love for one of the most colourful figures of her age.
Maria and the Admiral
by Rachel BillingtonA sweeping historical drama, based on the true and enduring love of Thomas Cochrane and Maria Graham.Chile, June 1822. Maria Graham, a young British widow, watches as her compatriot Admiral Lord Cochrane sails triumphantly into the Valparaiso Bay, fresh from leading the Chilean fleet to victory over the country's Spanish rulers.Cochrane, a popular yet outspoken hero of the Napoleonic wars, is drawn to Maria, a woman whose intelligence and spirit of adventure rival his own. Yet their intense and extraordinary relationship must contend with a climate of uncertainty, political turmoil and civil war.Inspired by Maria Graham's own journals, MARIA AND THE ADMIRAL vividly brings to life the story of one woman who tested the limits of society, and of her enduring love for one of the most colourful figures of her age.
Maria and the Plague: A Black Death Survival Story (Girls Survive)
by Natasha DeenYears of bad weather and natural disasters have choked Italy’s food supply, and the people of Florence are dying of starvation. Breadlines are battlegrounds, and young Maria has to fight for her family’s every loaf. Adding to the misery, the Black Plague is rapidly spreading through the country, killing everyone in its path. Maria has already lost her mother and sister. Will she be strong enough to save the rest of her family before it’s too late?
Maria of Austria, Holy Roman Empress: Dynastic Networker (Lives of Royal Women)
by Rubén González CuervaMaria of Austria was one of the longest surviving Renaissance Empresses but until now has received little attention by biographers. This book explores her life, actions, and management of domestic affairs, which became a feared example of how an Empress could control alternative spheres of power. The volume traces the path of a Castilian orphan infanta, raised among her mother’s Portuguese ladies-in-waiting and who spent thirty years of marriage between the imperial courts of Prague and Vienna. Empress Maria encapsulates the complex dynastic functioning of the Habsburgs: devotedly married to her cousin Maximilian II, Maria had constant communication with her father Charles V and her brother Philip II while preserving her Spanish background. Her unique intertwining of roles and positions allows a fresh approach to female agency and the discussion of current issues: the rules of dynastic entente, the negotiation of discreet political roles for royal women, the reassessment of informal diplomacy, and the creation of dynastic networks parallel to the embassies. With chronological chapters discussing Empress Maria’s roles such as infanta, regent, Empress, and a widow, this volume is the perfect resource for scholars and students interested in the history of gender, court culture, and early modern Central Europe.
Maria's Story, 1773
by Joan Lowery NixonIn Virginia, two years before the start of the American Revolution, Maria worries that her mother will lose her contract to publish official reports of the British government because she prints anti-British articles in their family-run newspaper.
Maria, a Rainha dos Escoceses: O Reino Esquecido
by Laurel A. RockefellerA Rainha Maria Stuart foi uma das mulheres mais amadas e controversas da história da Escócia. Neta do Rei Jaime IV e sua esposa Margaret Tudor, o status da Rainha Maria como herdeira-parente do trono da Rainha Isabel na Inglaterra, assim como a violência da Reforma Escocesa preparou o palco para uma das vidas mais dramáticas e mal compreendidas do século XVI. Maria, a Rainha dos Escoceses conta a verdadeira história de Maria, concentrando-se principalmente em seu reinado como rainha da Escócia, celebrando sua vida mais do que sua morte e mostrando-nos porque ela era verdadeiramente uma mulher à frente de seu tempo. Apresenta uma linha do tempo detalhada, uma lista de orações latinas com suas traduções para o Português e as letras de todas as quatro canções do período apresentadas no livro, incluindo "Depairte, Depairte" (1545) escrita em língua Ânglica Escocesa.
Maria, koningin van Schotland: De vergeten regeringsperiode
by Laurel A. RockefellerKoningin Maria Stuart was een van de meest geliefde en controversiële vrouwen uit de Schotse geschiedenis. Ze was de kleindochter van koning James IV en zijn vrouw Margaret Tudor. Haar status als rechtmatige erfgename van de troon van koningin Elizabeth van Engeland, gepaard met het geweld van de Schotse reformatie, vormt de basis voor een van de meest dramatische en niet-begrepen levens van de 16e eeuw. Maria, koningin van Schotland vertelt het waargebeurde verhaal over Maria. Het richt zich op haar regering als koningin van Schotland, waarbij er meer aandacht is voor haar leven dan voor haar dood, en toont waarom ze werkelijk een vrouw was die haar tijd vooruit was.
Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp
by Michelle MoranNATIONAL BESTSELLER • Maria von Trapp. You know the name and the iconic songs, but do you know her real story? This dramatic novel, based on the woman glamorized in The Sound of Music, brings Maria to life as never before.&“As immersive, heartbreaking, and ultimately redemptive as the musical . . . This one is not to be missed.&”—Allison Pataki, author of Finding Margaret FullerIn the 1950s, Oscar Hammerstein is asked to write the lyrics to a musical based on the life of a woman named Maria von Trapp. He&’s intrigued to learn that she was once a novice who hoped to live quietly as an Austrian nun before her abbey sent her away to teach a widowed baron&’s sickly child. What should have been a ten-month assignment, however, unexpectedly turned into a marriage proposal. And when the family was forced to flee their home to escape the Nazis, it was Maria who instructed them on how to survive using nothing but the power of their voices.It&’s an inspirational story, to be sure, and as half of the famous Rodgers & Hammerstein duo, Hammerstein knows it has big Broadway potential. Yet much of Maria&’s life will have to be reinvented for the stage, and with the horrors of war still fresh in people&’s minds, Hammerstein can&’t let audiences see just how close the von Trapps came to losing their lives.But when Maria sees the script that is supposedly based on her life, she becomes so incensed that she sets off to confront Hammerstein in person. Told that he&’s busy, she is asked to express her concerns to his secretary, Fran, instead. The pair strike up an unlikely friendship as Maria tells Fran about her life, contradicting much of what will eventually appear in The Sound of Music.A tale of love, loss, and the difficult choices that we are often forced to make, Maria is a powerful reminder that the truth is usually more complicated—and certainly more compelling—than the stories immortalized by Hollywood.