As the oldest von Trapp daughter, Agathe's impeccable recall of her childhood brings fresh life to the events that forged enduring bonds within her devoted family. Her memories of her idyllic Austrian home transport readers back to the time before the von Trapps came to America and reveal a close-knit group of siblings who adored their gentle father and mourned the tragic loss of their mother. The von Trapps were Austrian nobility whose musical gifts enabled them to escape the Nazi threat during World War II and to entertain thousands of audiences in Europe and the United States.