It’s Finally here! For years, I have been searching for a copy of Maria von Trapp’s Around the Year with the Von Trapp Family in my price range. I’m serious—it’s been a long time coming. They go for over $250 on several Internet sites making it pretty unaffordable for me.
A couple friends sniped copies for themselves when they were still at the “treat yourself” price range (link to vintage copy here) and their reviews were even more than I had hoped to find the book to be. You can only begin to imagine my excitement when I heard Sophia Institute Press was reprinting it, and it is finally here.
Sophia Press gave this book the beauty and quality it deserved. The gorgeous cover and beautiful pages with art, diagrams, hymns (with sheet music), family traditions explained, and fun stories of the kids makes each part of the liturgical calendar come to a new life.
Maria jumps right into the forward tackling her overarching suggestion to be intentional about carving out time in making family traditions. As a mother of four, I can’t agree more.
For Maria, it boils down to this: instead of buying things readily made, why not make them by hand? Making memories of creating together and allowing things to be a process instead of wanting them immediately completed upon purchase must take precedence. Thankfully she does mention several times that she did intend to purchase specific items for various feast days that she couldn’t find after moving the United States (so she valued good stores as well).
Even when frustrated by the lack of supplies, she and the children didn’t let that stop them and she explains how they went about making those items so we can mimic their work. If Maria couldn’t find a round hoop and straw 60-years-ago, we certainly aren’t going to have a lot of luck in modern times, so these diagrams are very helpful to those of us who want to incorporate these traditions into our own homes as well.
Just look at all these songs! There are even more pages for recipes, songs, events, times of the year that are just as full as this! Worried that you won’t know a song? Sheet music is included!
If you have a Maria fan in your home, love liturgical living, or even want to find ways to incorporate your whole family into the preparations and celebrations of our church, this book is the perfect addition to their own collection of favorite things. Perfect for any occasion, but might I suggest it as the perfect epiphany surprise gift?!
Order your copy by going to the Sophia website (don’t forget to look for a coupon code, usually available). Buy Around the Year with the Von Trapp Family here.
