The Trumpet Shall Sound

by C. Worthington Murphy

This is a historical fiction based in the year 1350 were residents of Stockholm, Sweden, waited and watched as the deadly bubonic plague oozed northward through Europe. First the Mediterranean regions disappeared from contact, with only horror stories of devastation emanating from the countries to the south; then France, England, Germany and Norway joined the growing ranks of the silent, of the dead. What could they do? How might they survive the Black Death? The answers, elusive though they might be, were as varied as the some hid in the forests, others turned to religion--old or new--while still others lived each day as though it were the last. And it was.

278 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2000

Reviews

[Bettie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I spent some time tracking a copy of this down - and four weeks on I am in receipt of a copy that is signed (to someone else (Chris Wilson?)) by the author. It is specified as in GOOD condition even though you can tell that the only page ever opened was the one where the author signed. I am a happy honey.

This starts of in rather a lame fashion and one is lulled into a pastoral romanticism where food and midsummer traditions are laid out beneath balmy blue skies. The story then becomes quite startlingly graphic, recounting roaming flaggelents and the human sacrifice of the 'old ways'. These two are used to show the lengths which ordinary people will go to avoid God or the Gods weapon of damnation, namely pestilence.