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Yesterday, Today, and Forever
A warm and intimate look into the spiritual life of Maria von Trapp's famous Sound of Music family. In this best-selling works, Maria takes you beyond the thrilling story of her family's desperate and determined flight from Austria to her new life in America, as well as personal and profound insight into this extraordinary woman and her lifeAn inspiring look at the constancy of the Savior in our livesA wealth of insight and faith from years spent in study, devotion, and worshipMaria von Trapp shares how she and her husband told their children about the life of Jesus and how His story entered into their lives and imaginations. Be enriched and inspired as you enjoy this beloved classic.
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
About the author
Maria Augusta von Trapp
17 books93 followersBaroness Maria Augusta von Trapp was the stepmother and matriarch of the Trapp Family Singers. Her story served as the inspiration for a 1956 German film that in turn inspired the Broadway musical The Sound of Music.—Source
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
November 2, 2025
4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This memoir written by Maria Von Trapp (life portrayed in The Sound Of Music), was written in her latter part of life, after settling in Stowe, Vermont.
It is written with the emphasis on the life of Jesus Christ and what it should mean to us and what it meant to her as a woman of God.
The seven Von Trapp children asked constant questions about Jesus which Maria used as a source for exploring the New Testament for answers. What was Jesus like as a child? Was he really born in a stable? The children pondered things that would make Jesus feel more personal to them and Maria guided them. Their spiritual time of study was important to them and questions were answered as they combed the scriptures in their Bible studies.
Exploring the scriptures and enriching ourselves with the knowledge of the love of Jesus is the heart of this book. The contents of the book was unexpected for me, but rich with truth.
This memoir written by Maria Von Trapp (life portrayed in The Sound Of Music), was written in her latter part of life, after settling in Stowe, Vermont.
It is written with the emphasis on the life of Jesus Christ and what it should mean to us and what it meant to her as a woman of God.
The seven Von Trapp children asked constant questions about Jesus which Maria used as a source for exploring the New Testament for answers. What was Jesus like as a child? Was he really born in a stable? The children pondered things that would make Jesus feel more personal to them and Maria guided them. Their spiritual time of study was important to them and questions were answered as they combed the scriptures in their Bible studies.
Exploring the scriptures and enriching ourselves with the knowledge of the love of Jesus is the heart of this book. The contents of the book was unexpected for me, but rich with truth.
March 3, 2011
Having seen the movie The Sound of Music countless times I was thrilled to read this book, Yesterday, Today, and Forever. An autobiographical account of the von Trapp family. This read takes up where The Sound of Music left off. After leaving occupied Austria at the onset of WWII Maria writes of Jesus and His saving power. How the lives of the von Trapp family were saved by the help of so many wonderful and unselfish people but more than that Maria writes of Jesus.
Personal stories are included of the von Trapp children and of Maria and her husband, too. Maria writes of her family, the von Trapps, retracing the steps of Jesus from His birth to His death. How they learned where and why He went. Maria makes a comparison between Jesus' steps and her steps in life. Maria points out that "This book really does not want to become a 'life of Christ.' It only wants to serve as a stimulus to all families to reconstruct their own 'life of Christ,' parents and children together, simply by telling what we did."
If you've always been curious, as I have, about what happened to the von Trapp family after their escape then you'll want to read this wonderful 5 star book.
This is a read unlike any of read recently. A non-preachy book with a look at a family with ups and owns like many of our families who love Jesus and are trying to live according to His Word.
*This book was provided for review by New Leaf Publishing*
Personal stories are included of the von Trapp children and of Maria and her husband, too. Maria writes of her family, the von Trapps, retracing the steps of Jesus from His birth to His death. How they learned where and why He went. Maria makes a comparison between Jesus' steps and her steps in life. Maria points out that "This book really does not want to become a 'life of Christ.' It only wants to serve as a stimulus to all families to reconstruct their own 'life of Christ,' parents and children together, simply by telling what we did."
If you've always been curious, as I have, about what happened to the von Trapp family after their escape then you'll want to read this wonderful 5 star book.
This is a read unlike any of read recently. A non-preachy book with a look at a family with ups and owns like many of our families who love Jesus and are trying to live according to His Word.
*This book was provided for review by New Leaf Publishing*
January 15, 2024
Maria Von Trapp could write a recipe for boiled water and I would be enamored. But having read a large majority of her written work, I must say that I think this is her masterpiece. Short and concise, but packed to the brim with her trademark practical, sweet, and unaffected wisdom.
This book tells the story of how her family came to relate to Jesus and the Holy Family as real people, people who understand our struggles and wish to journey with us. It is a masterpiece-did I say that already? It is a MASTER. PIECE. Personally, I think it should be required reading for all Catholics. Her writing and thoughts are so simple but shine a brilliant light on all the things we've heard a million times about Jesus and His earthly life, all through the lens of her family's search for answers to their questions. It should at least be recommended to every Catholic mother.
If you ever feel that your knowledge of Christ has grown stale, Maria will shine a new light to rejuvenate your faith.
This book tells the story of how her family came to relate to Jesus and the Holy Family as real people, people who understand our struggles and wish to journey with us. It is a masterpiece-did I say that already? It is a MASTER. PIECE. Personally, I think it should be required reading for all Catholics. Her writing and thoughts are so simple but shine a brilliant light on all the things we've heard a million times about Jesus and His earthly life, all through the lens of her family's search for answers to their questions. It should at least be recommended to every Catholic mother.
If you ever feel that your knowledge of Christ has grown stale, Maria will shine a new light to rejuvenate your faith.
March 15, 2024
Maria Von Trapp is a firecracker and a prayerful woman. This book has a lot of her own reflections on how she imagined the life of Jesus, which is great but not necessary for everyone. I walk away empowered to go to scripture to know Jesus even more.
January 29, 2013
In some ways this book is similar to When the King Was Carpenter. However, it takes the von Trapp family's explorations into what Jesus' daily life was like and shows how they used that knowledge to live daily with Christ.
The first third, Yesterday, is an overview of the sort of info from When the King, combined with more description of what questions led to each delving for information. The second third, Today, takes readers into specific questions about Christ and their own faith, along with indepth explanations of looking for the answers in scripture. It is like being on a weekly Bible study with them. The last third, Forever, looks into questions of the last things ... Heaven, Hell, Death, and Judgment.
All these are strung together with scenes from daily life so that one winds up feeling as if we've been spending vacation with them. Definitely recommended.
The first third, Yesterday, is an overview of the sort of info from When the King, combined with more description of what questions led to each delving for information. The second third, Today, takes readers into specific questions about Christ and their own faith, along with indepth explanations of looking for the answers in scripture. It is like being on a weekly Bible study with them. The last third, Forever, looks into questions of the last things ... Heaven, Hell, Death, and Judgment.
All these are strung together with scenes from daily life so that one winds up feeling as if we've been spending vacation with them. Definitely recommended.
June 30, 2018
Я думала, это что-то еще биографическое, но жестоко ошиблась, т.к. это оказался сборник проповедей.
June 10, 2014
In this book, Maria von Trapp encourages families to truly delve into the Gospels in order to make them come alive for our children and ourselves. She shares how she and her family strove to truly see Jesus, Mary, and Joseph as the real people they were and to imagine what their day-to-day life really looked like.
Her message was awesome- how can we become strong Christians working to imitate Jesus and the Holy Family, if we do not really know them as we know our friends and neighbors? Some of the stories she presents in the book were quite inspiring. She easily related many of Jesus' childhood experiences to her experiences and it was easy to see how she was able to forge a deep relationship with Our Lord.
My only complaint was that von Trapp urged, over and over, to engage one's imagination while reading the Scriptures and studying the Church's Tradition. She insisted that it was our imaginings that would fill in the gaps for us and really enhance our understanding of Christ. But, then she often proceeded to tell of how she imagined life for the Holy Family, filling my mind with her assumptions and suppositions and leaving little left to my imagination.
Overall it was still a worthwhile read.
Her message was awesome- how can we become strong Christians working to imitate Jesus and the Holy Family, if we do not really know them as we know our friends and neighbors? Some of the stories she presents in the book were quite inspiring. She easily related many of Jesus' childhood experiences to her experiences and it was easy to see how she was able to forge a deep relationship with Our Lord.
My only complaint was that von Trapp urged, over and over, to engage one's imagination while reading the Scriptures and studying the Church's Tradition. She insisted that it was our imaginings that would fill in the gaps for us and really enhance our understanding of Christ. But, then she often proceeded to tell of how she imagined life for the Holy Family, filling my mind with her assumptions and suppositions and leaving little left to my imagination.
Overall it was still a worthwhile read.
July 1, 2022
Though this book wasn't at all what I thought it was going to be, I was pleasantly surprised with the content I got instead.
Assuming this was a memoir (which it is at its core), I was initially disappointed that there was very little about Maria von Trapp and her family. There were mentions here and there, but ultimately, it was a spiritual book recounting her personal studies of the life of the Holy Family and how they correlated to events of their family's lives. Many questions were posed that I never considered and Maria von Trapp did her best to answer while also encouraging readers to do their own research and create their own conclusions. So while this turned out to be an unexpected read, it was one I ended up enjoying more than I might have had it been a traditional memoir focusing solely on the von Trapp family's story.
Assuming this was a memoir (which it is at its core), I was initially disappointed that there was very little about Maria von Trapp and her family. There were mentions here and there, but ultimately, it was a spiritual book recounting her personal studies of the life of the Holy Family and how they correlated to events of their family's lives. Many questions were posed that I never considered and Maria von Trapp did her best to answer while also encouraging readers to do their own research and create their own conclusions. So while this turned out to be an unexpected read, it was one I ended up enjoying more than I might have had it been a traditional memoir focusing solely on the von Trapp family's story.
July 14, 2010
If any Latter-day Saint wants to learn how to liken the scriptures to themselves, read this book about how Marie Von Trapp (of Sound of Music fame) did it. Maria's deep devotion to the Lord and the amazing experiences of her life combine for a most inspiring read.
September 4, 2025
This is my third book by Maria and I cannot get enough! This one in particular blew me away! I was captivated by her passion to learn more of the life of Christ. It initiated a spark in me to ask questions like, “what did the holy family eat for breakfast?” And then to actually seek out an answer. WOW!
At this point Maria feels like a dear friend to me and I can’t wait to read everything she’s ever written.
At this point Maria feels like a dear friend to me and I can’t wait to read everything she’s ever written.
May 16, 2022
A great read to help you reflect on the life of Christ!
June 16, 2022
-- this one was life-changing for me! I highly recommend reading it...and for older kids too. Yes, it doesn't hurt that I LOVE The Sound of Music. I picked it up because I remembered reading an autobiography of Maria Von Trapp many, many years ago. Wanted to refresh my mind as to the truth vs. fiction. Instead, I ended up with a devotional book written by Maria. Yes, she was a nun, but when you read the book you realize how very real her walk was with the Lord. She followed the practices commanded in Deuteronomy 6:6-9 "These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." The whole book is based on her many conversations with her children and others regarding the life of Christ. It is based on hours and hours of research, personal experience and some "what-ifs." (which I rarely appreciate, but she justifies in her book) It gave me a greater appreciation of Jesus and his life like nothing I had read before, apart from the Bible. I read it at Christmas time and it just so coincided with his birth. I already plan to read it to my family in the future at Christmas. Can't recommend this book enough...
Read
October 22, 2023The edition that I read is not available to choose.
Echo Books edition published October 1966 by special arrangement with J.B. Lippincott Company
Echo Books
A Division of Doubleday & Company, Inc
It is 200 pages, a hardcover book, and the picture on the front is the family and their priest sitting at the bay window (per the back Cover Painting by Reisie Nucera).
This version at Walmart has the same cover as the edition that I read.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Yesterday-...
Having watched The Sound of Music many times over the years, I was interested in reading more about the Trapp family. This book was not at all what I was expecting so apparently I did not read the description of the book before adding it to my books to read list.
There is some detail about the family's life once they moved to America, but the book is centered on their research into the life of Jesus which was interesting and also impressive because of the amount of time they devoted to it.
Echo Books edition published October 1966 by special arrangement with J.B. Lippincott Company
Echo Books
A Division of Doubleday & Company, Inc
It is 200 pages, a hardcover book, and the picture on the front is the family and their priest sitting at the bay window (per the back Cover Painting by Reisie Nucera).
This version at Walmart has the same cover as the edition that I read.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Yesterday-...
Having watched The Sound of Music many times over the years, I was interested in reading more about the Trapp family. This book was not at all what I was expecting so apparently I did not read the description of the book before adding it to my books to read list.
There is some detail about the family's life once they moved to America, but the book is centered on their research into the life of Jesus which was interesting and also impressive because of the amount of time they devoted to it.
July 3, 2025
Refreshing and encouraging
As a homeschool mom this book has been a refreshing and encouraging read. Her reflections on scripture and God’s faithfulness speak deeply to my heart as I am striving to create a Christ-centered home. I appreciate how she weaves faith into everyday life with warmth and honesty. It’s a wonderful to read. A fantastic reminder of God’s constant presence!
As a homeschool mom this book has been a refreshing and encouraging read. Her reflections on scripture and God’s faithfulness speak deeply to my heart as I am striving to create a Christ-centered home. I appreciate how she weaves faith into everyday life with warmth and honesty. It’s a wonderful to read. A fantastic reminder of God’s constant presence!
July 19, 2025
This was truly an amazing read, to read these insights from the Von Trapp family was very special for me. Like so many - I grew up watching the movie and now have my children watching it and it’s become a tradition in our family, but to read about their faith journey gives a completely different perspective of realness that goes beyond the movie/actors and cinematic portrayals.
December 29, 2025
I loved the Sound of Music & for years was ignorant of how much Hollywood changed Maria's story. This is a book from her heart of her Spiritual journey & faith. References to the Bible verses where her beliefs came from was a plus for me. I started this book several weeks ago & every chapter is a stand alone. Finished it on the 5th day of Christmas.
May 4, 2021
Maria focuses on bringing to reality the life of Jesus through extensive research as well as inserting her own family's stories into the book. Not what I expected but still more enjoyable than most modern books nowadays.
October 13, 2019
It's a good insight into the family
November 16, 2019
Truly a beautiful and inspirational book! Gives great insight into the spiritual life of the von Trapp family and their unshakable trust in God! A beautiful book for Christian mothers.
February 8, 2020
Every Christian should read this book. Written in 1952, it gives an entirely new (old fashioned), beautiful perspective on Jesus and being a person of faith. Have your Bible handy!
April 21, 2022
Neat meditation on the life of Christ with their family's experiences woven in
November 17, 2022
Maria is an excellent writer! Her stories were very engaging! Loved it!
April 3, 2023
This is a beautiful written testimony and study of Jesus Christ. Though certainly influenced by her Catholic experience, any believer in Jesus will find truths here.
Want to Read
May 24, 2023I abandoned this book. It just didn’t interest me.
January 2, 2024
The writing isn’t that great, but one year, after watching Sound of Music again (and countless times before), this can get 4 stars just for being Maria von Trapp’s story.
June 3, 2025
Not what I was hoping. More of a religious comparison between the Holy Family and the Trapp family.
June 18, 2025
As a homeschooling mom, I’m always looking for books that not only enrich our education but also deepen our family’s faith. Yesterday, Today, and Forever by Maria von Trapp beautifully does both. This isn’t just a biography of the famous Trapp family—it’s a heartfelt, Christ-centered reflection that gently encourages families to live out the Gospels in their everyday lives.
Throughout the book, Maria shares conversations she had with her children about the life of Christ. She doesn’t write as a theologian, but as a mother, walking alongside her children and pointing them to Jesus in the midst of real-life experiences. That resonated deeply with me. Her words reminded me that faith isn't something we just teach from a textbook—it’s something we live, moment by moment, with our children by our side.
Maria draws moving parallels between her family’s journey—from Austria to America—and the life of the Holy Family. She connects the hardships, travels, and decisions in her own life to the steps of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. It’s a reminder that the stories in Scripture are not distant from our lives—they’re deeply relatable and relevant, especially when we face uncertainty or need to make difficult decisions as a family.
One of the most impactful parts of the book for me was how Maria modeled Deuteronomy 6:6–9:
“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up…”
She lived this out fully—teaching her children through stories, Scripture, daily conversations, and real-life applications. It inspired me to think more intentionally about how I’m weaving Scripture into our daily homeschool rhythm—not just during Bible time, but in the car, at dinner, and even in hard moments.
Yesterday, Today, and Forever isn’t a fast read, but it’s one I’m glad I took my time with. It gave me a deeper appreciation for Maria von Trapp’s faith, and more importantly, it challenged me to bring the Gospels to life in our home—not just for my children, but for myself.
I highly recommend this book to any Christian homeschooling parent who wants to grow in faith alongside their children. It’s a reminder that no matter what our circumstances look like, God is at work in the story we’re living—yesterday, today, and forever.
Throughout the book, Maria shares conversations she had with her children about the life of Christ. She doesn’t write as a theologian, but as a mother, walking alongside her children and pointing them to Jesus in the midst of real-life experiences. That resonated deeply with me. Her words reminded me that faith isn't something we just teach from a textbook—it’s something we live, moment by moment, with our children by our side.
Maria draws moving parallels between her family’s journey—from Austria to America—and the life of the Holy Family. She connects the hardships, travels, and decisions in her own life to the steps of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. It’s a reminder that the stories in Scripture are not distant from our lives—they’re deeply relatable and relevant, especially when we face uncertainty or need to make difficult decisions as a family.
One of the most impactful parts of the book for me was how Maria modeled Deuteronomy 6:6–9:
“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up…”
She lived this out fully—teaching her children through stories, Scripture, daily conversations, and real-life applications. It inspired me to think more intentionally about how I’m weaving Scripture into our daily homeschool rhythm—not just during Bible time, but in the car, at dinner, and even in hard moments.
Yesterday, Today, and Forever isn’t a fast read, but it’s one I’m glad I took my time with. It gave me a deeper appreciation for Maria von Trapp’s faith, and more importantly, it challenged me to bring the Gospels to life in our home—not just for my children, but for myself.
I highly recommend this book to any Christian homeschooling parent who wants to grow in faith alongside their children. It’s a reminder that no matter what our circumstances look like, God is at work in the story we’re living—yesterday, today, and forever.
July 22, 2025
Yesterday, Today and Forever was not what I expected, and it was a little challenging to get through. However, it was still an encouraging and inspiring read.
Throughout the book, Maria von Trapp discusses the life of Christ with both Scripture and extra-biblical ideas and speculations. While her family asks questions about Jesus, she often points to the New Testament to find answers but many times those answers are surrounded by imaginative ideas of what could have been true during Jesus’ time.
I appreciated the author’s diligence to point her family to Scripture whenever there were questions. Their love for Christ drove them to search for as much information as possible about Who He was and how He lived while on Earth. I was inspired to ponder about the details of Jesus’ life and encourage my family to do the same, so that we can get to know Jesus better just as Maria’s family did. I do believe however, that there are many mysteries of God that are not in the Bible and were left out for a reason. Some of these mysteries, we will never know until we meet our Creator face to face.
Due to the high amount of extra-biblical content within this book, and the author’s Catholic traditions sprinkled throughout, I could only recommend this book to someone who is solid in their faith and well-versed in biblical knowledge. Any reader needs to read with discernment.
I enjoyed the author’s delightful and descriptive storytelling, and I am thankful for the inspiration and encouragement I received. I hope anyone who reads this book will be challenged and encouraged to always go to the Scriptures for absolute truth, wisdom and knowledge.
Throughout the book, Maria von Trapp discusses the life of Christ with both Scripture and extra-biblical ideas and speculations. While her family asks questions about Jesus, she often points to the New Testament to find answers but many times those answers are surrounded by imaginative ideas of what could have been true during Jesus’ time.
I appreciated the author’s diligence to point her family to Scripture whenever there were questions. Their love for Christ drove them to search for as much information as possible about Who He was and how He lived while on Earth. I was inspired to ponder about the details of Jesus’ life and encourage my family to do the same, so that we can get to know Jesus better just as Maria’s family did. I do believe however, that there are many mysteries of God that are not in the Bible and were left out for a reason. Some of these mysteries, we will never know until we meet our Creator face to face.
Due to the high amount of extra-biblical content within this book, and the author’s Catholic traditions sprinkled throughout, I could only recommend this book to someone who is solid in their faith and well-versed in biblical knowledge. Any reader needs to read with discernment.
I enjoyed the author’s delightful and descriptive storytelling, and I am thankful for the inspiration and encouragement I received. I hope anyone who reads this book will be challenged and encouraged to always go to the Scriptures for absolute truth, wisdom and knowledge.
April 13, 2014
The book was an easy read, a little repetitive but with entertaining snippets of family life along with their searching as a family to put context & culture into the New Testament, particularly the life of Jesus. They searched other writings from that time and used old maps and Bible Dictionaries as well as comparing the slants lent by the Gospel writers. They used crafts to find meaning to Easter etc so as even the youngest child was part of the searching,discovery & excitement. The book certainly filled in some blanks for me, however Maria repeatedly avoided any mention of Jesus having siblings, which He quite obviously did. I am curious about this, as she biographies Mary & Joseph & their lifestyle quite intently. Maybe this is a Catholic thing? The book is a worthwhile read for other reasons also- the von Trapp family were a large tight-knit family (? 9 children) who traveled extensively particularly in the U.S. singing to large audiences.They were refugees from their Austrian home, displaced by war.( "The Sound of Music") Also, it is a great read in this technological age teaching us how to restore simplicity yet deep meaning to events of family life involving all age levels.
November 24, 2010
Maria van Trapp gives us an inside look at how she taught her children about Jesus and how they explored His life together. They made it a goal to know as much as they could about His life and she shows how this knowledge of the Lord blessed their time as refugees and through the death of a loved one. There is a strong Catholic influence present but there is also much inspiration for any believer in Jesus Christ.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews