It is one of the world 's best loved musicals - the true story of a novice nun who falls in love with a widower and his seven children . From Julie Andrews waltzing through the Alps to seven children behaving perfectly , The Sound of Music might look like it portrays the family everyone wants . But Andrews ' real life counterpart - Maria Kutschera - was far from the idealized mother the popular film portrays . In fact she was a difficult Austrian woman plagued by insecurities . Scroll down for video . Maria Kutschera ( centre ) was far from the idealized mother The Sound of Music portrays , her son has revealed in a new book . Whereas Julie Andrews ( above ) waltzed carelessly through the Alps in the 1965 film , Maria was described by her son Johannes as 'incredibly strong ' with 'literally an indomitable will ' Her son Johannes has now revealed all in a new book written by Tom Santopietro . He said : 'She was incredibly strong with a formidable will , literally an indomitable will . 'And sometimes running into that will was not so pleasant . ' The 75-year-old added that his mother was very complex and admitted that she was unhappy as a child . Maria was born in 1905 while travelling from her parents ' village in Tyrol to a hospital in Vienna , Austria , on a train . By the time she was ten both of her parents had died and she was sent to live with a violent uncle . Maria escaped from him and in 1926 she was a schoolteacher at the Nonnberg Abbey , in Salzburg , intending to become a nun . But while there she was asked to take a job as a governess at the home of a widowed man , who was left with seven children after his first wife Agatha died of scarlet fever . That man was Georg von Trapp . They would quickly become married and have three more children . Georg von Trapp was previously the commander of Austrian submarine U5 . He is pictured with his fiancée Agathe Whitehead . The Von Trapp family are pictured in 1939 . Top row : Werner and Rupert ; Second row : Dr. Franz Wasner , Johanna , Martina , Maria and Georg , Johannes , Hedwig , Maria ; Bottom : Agathe , Rosmarie and Eleonore . The family , including Andrews ( centre ) , perform a song in the film . Rosmarie , one of Maria and Georg 's children who does not feature in the film , said : 'We never went running in a field and singing songs like that ' It was not long before Maria founded a family choir . Although the children sang together before she joined them , they remember her particularly pushing public performances - especially after Georg lost his fortune . Rosmarie , one of Maria and Georg 's children , often found her mother particularly difficult . She said it got worse after her father died in 1947 . ' I was not happy on stage . I was made to do it , ' Boudicca Fox-Leonard of the Sunday People reported her saying . The now 87-year-old said : 'We never went running in a field and singing songs like that . We had a hard life . It was a struggle . ' In real life , after fleeing the country in 1938 the von Trapp 's came to rely on their musical performances for money . She also recounts Maria sending her for shock therapy after she had a breakdown and said she locked step-daughter Johanna in a room for announcing she was getting married . After fleeing the country in 1938 , the family - known as the Trapp Family Singers in the US - came to rely on the performances for money . The popular film was made after Broadway found a book detailing the family 's adventurers . Maria later sold the rights to Hollywood for £3,000 . But director Robert Wise rebuffed her attempts to act as an adviser . He admitted in an interview : 'She was bossy , I did n't like that about her . ' Even director Robert Wise rebuffed Maria 's attempts to act as an adviser . He admitted in an interview : 'She was bossy , I did n't like that about her ' Only three children , none of which feature in the film , survive . The last surviving von Trapp singer died in early 2014 . Four of the couple 's great-grandchildren are still attempting to keep the tradition alive . Sofi , Melanie , Amanda , and their younger brother August have revived the family 's musical heritage and are singing together . They can remember little of their great-grandmother . Sofi said : 'We know she was a little impulsive , but without her the family would never have survived as a single group . 'The Captain would have been taken off to war if it was n't for the singing . ' The Sound of Music Story , by Tom Santopietro , is out now .
Maria von Trapp was criticised by son Johannes in a new book . 75-year-old revealed his mother was very complex with lots of insecurities . Daughter Rosmarie added that she was forced to go on stage . Maria married Georg von Trapp in 1965 after becoming his governess .