Yesterday, Today, & Forever (50th Anniversary Edition)

"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." -p.105 This book is an inspirational and easy-to-read account of the lovely way a family digs into Scripture together, an example to us all of living in community and the Word.

Part One holds a Beautiful comparison of their life as refugees to Jesus and his family, bringing Jesus' story to life in an authentic and fresh way for readers. Especially for those who grew up in a world of gilded mangers and Mary statues, it returns the humanity and realness to the holy family. "What I am telling here does not refer to the happenings of one year. It also is not storytelling to children. It is honest-to-goodness research work done by a whole family throughout the years." I could easily see Part One being utilized as Advent reading, sparking interest in areas that we may often gloss over.

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.

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.

I love the way that Maria Von Trapp wove the story of Jesus throughout this book and related it to her own family’s journeys. Not to elevate her family, but to point back to Jesus and learn from Him. Maria’s retelling helped me see the New Testament come to life in a new way and challenged me to be more intentional to continually point my family back to the story of Jesus. This book is not a quick read, so allow time to thoughtfully work your way through it.

This book deeply touched me. It’s such a beautiful story of a mother that discovers afresh the life of Jesus as she and her family move to escape the Nazis and continued to do so long after. The stories she told her children from her new perspective in life began to come alive for all of them, demonstrating that the Word of God is alive. The more stories she told them, the more her hunger to truly know the LORD grew. She intertwined the scriptures with her knowledge of history to share the story of Jesus with others. This book is a beautiful reminder that the stories we read about Jesus in scripture are true, and the people in them were flesh and blood, that the Word truly became flesh.

This book contains stories and ponderings of the life and teachings of Christ and of the afterlife told with a mixture of biblical facts, extra-biblical history, and Catholic traditions. While this approach does give a wider appreciation for the significance of the life of Christ, it is very difficult to separate which things are taken from the Bible and which are speculative. There are mentions of saints throughout the book. Jesus's parents are venerated and treated as almost sinless in a few parts. (For a better explanation of why New Leaf Publishing Group, an evengelical company, published a book by a Catholic, please read the free preview of the preface. NLPG may not have existed without this book, and that is why this is a significant publication despite doctrinal differences)

Aside from the elements mentioned above , I did appreciate seeing Maria's perspective on the flight to Egypt as she herself had experience fleeing an evil regime. This whole book sprung out of her trying to console a child who had lost something precious in their own flight. Seeing how they clung to Christ during those times is an inspiration and an encouragement.

Because of the level of discernment needed to wade through this book, I would only recommend this book for someone who is well-grounded in their Bible knowledge and has the discernment and resources to process the content.

Maria presents a record of discussions with her children about Jesus in answer to their curious questions about His earthly life. They researched the answers together as a family over the years. Some questions are answered with biblical and historical record - with a heavy emphasis on the Gospels of the New Testament - some with a Catholic perspective, and some with imagination based on human experience. The children were encouraged to search the Scriptures on their own, think about what they read, and ask questions with the ultimate goal of patterning their lives after Christ. Anyone would benefit from developing this practice of searching the Scriptures to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18). This book is worth reading for the gems that are scattered throughout and for the encouragement to follow the family’s example. Read with discernment.

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 homeschooling family I love when my kiddos ask me questions and we can take the time to get in depth, study more into it and take trips to get a real feel for the subject. Being able to see where the questions take us and learn right along with them is a true gift.

I loved this book as it was exactly the same. It was a mother(yes from the Von Trapp family) writing about questions (friends, family, children) that took her on adventures to fully understand the life of Jesus. Not only to really digest the New Testament but to truly feel it. Examples include feeling temperatures and weather that people in the bible would have encountered, walking distances they would have walked, understanding timeframes (it took more than a few days to ride on a donkey or the Shepard weren’t there the next day after Jesus was born).

Maria takes you through Jesus life beautifully and brings light to many things we don’t think about as we hear “the Bible stories from church”. Jesus’s story may have been long ago but it continues to completely resonate with life today.

I encourage you to read this book and take your time and digest it

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.