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Sound of the Trumpet
The first time beautiful, wealthy Lisle Kingsley sees John Sargent, she knows she loves him. But John is all too aware of the differences in their social standings. Besides, Lisle is practically engaged to wealthy Victor Vandingham, whose father is in charge of manufacturing a top secret weapon that supposedly will bring the war to a rapid and decisive end.
Then John is approached by men who are scheming to steal the weapon and its blueprints. . . .men who know of John's growing friendship with Lisle. . . .men who will stop at nothing--even kidnapping Lisle--to get John to cooperate with them!
Then John is approached by men who are scheming to steal the weapon and its blueprints. . . .men who know of John's growing friendship with Lisle. . . .men who will stop at nothing--even kidnapping Lisle--to get John to cooperate with them!
265 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1943
54 people are currently reading
142 people want to read
About the author
Grace Livingston Hill
594 books570 followersalso wrote under the pseudonym Marcia MacDonald
also published under the name Grace Livingston Hill Lutz
A popular author of her day, she wrote over 100 novels and numerous short stories of religious and Christian fiction. Her characters were most often young female ingénues, frequently strong Christian women or those who become so within the confines of the story.
niece to Isabella MacDonald Alden
also published under the name Grace Livingston Hill Lutz
A popular author of her day, she wrote over 100 novels and numerous short stories of religious and Christian fiction. Her characters were most often young female ingénues, frequently strong Christian women or those who become so within the confines of the story.
niece to Isabella MacDonald Alden
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 21, 2021
Not that anyone cares, but MASSIVE spoilers ahead. You've had 100 years to read it, so if you cared, you wouldn't be reading this.
Ok, so I actually have to take issue with the plot synopsis on Goodreads. It says..."The first time beautiful, wealthy Lisle Kingsley sees John Sargent, she knows she loves him. Can the handsome John Sargent overcome grave danger and deceit to save his country--and the woman he loves?"
This is probably the most inaccurate plot summary I have ever read. Now don't get me wrong - they DID get some things right. For instance, the main characters' names are John and Lisle...aaannnddd that's about it!
So perhaps John fell in love with Lisle at first sight, but Lisle did not fall in love with John at first sight (she thought it looked like he has clever mischief in his eyes). John barely had to overcome ANY danger throughout the book - in fact, I might argue that Lisle was actually in MORE danger than John. She was almost kidnapped at least once, she had to walk across a muddy road in high heels once, AND she had to wear a dress that was 2 years old to her neighbor's 21st birthday party! And that's not to mention the huge amount of incredibly dull society parties she was forced to attend where she might very well have died of boredom! John was just offered a job as a German spy a couple of times before he informed on them to the police. No biggie. Oh yeah, and he also joined the army. But you know...when compared with a dull garden party...I mean, how CAN it compare?
So basically none of the summary things happened. And although there was a spy/intrigue plot line, it didn't really involve John or Lisle that much in the action. Lisle did almost get kidnapped by people who wanted John to become a spy (I was never quite sure why they kept asking John - you'd think after saying no at least twice they would have just tried to find someone else...why risk getting caught? stupid spies...) because they wanted to use her as bait to get John to help them (again, why do they want HIM so badly? Also, they saw Lisle with John literally ONE time at a Bible study and somehow decided that she was the best way to blackmail John into doing what they wanted??? This is just insane...) But the kidnapping attempt was subpar at best - like they asked her politely to get in the car, and when she said no and walked away instead, they...just let her?? Like no brute force involved? What kind of a kidnapping is this? "Oh, well, you don't want to get kidnapped? Ok, I guess you don't have to."
Anyway...I was actually kind of excited about this book in the first couple of chapters. It looked like there was going to be a bunch of spy thriller action, but instead it was basically just a playboy trying to argue with his ex-girlfriend and her mother and trying to bully her into marrying him by using logic and never once telling her that he loved her. Then she meets another guy who actually acts like he likes her and they fall in love. There is some spy action at the place the bully works, but it barely affects anyone.
Overall, don't bother reading unless you're desperate.
Ok, so I actually have to take issue with the plot synopsis on Goodreads. It says..."The first time beautiful, wealthy Lisle Kingsley sees John Sargent, she knows she loves him. Can the handsome John Sargent overcome grave danger and deceit to save his country--and the woman he loves?"
This is probably the most inaccurate plot summary I have ever read. Now don't get me wrong - they DID get some things right. For instance, the main characters' names are John and Lisle...aaannnddd that's about it!
So perhaps John fell in love with Lisle at first sight, but Lisle did not fall in love with John at first sight (she thought it looked like he has clever mischief in his eyes). John barely had to overcome ANY danger throughout the book - in fact, I might argue that Lisle was actually in MORE danger than John. She was almost kidnapped at least once, she had to walk across a muddy road in high heels once, AND she had to wear a dress that was 2 years old to her neighbor's 21st birthday party! And that's not to mention the huge amount of incredibly dull society parties she was forced to attend where she might very well have died of boredom! John was just offered a job as a German spy a couple of times before he informed on them to the police. No biggie. Oh yeah, and he also joined the army. But you know...when compared with a dull garden party...I mean, how CAN it compare?
So basically none of the summary things happened. And although there was a spy/intrigue plot line, it didn't really involve John or Lisle that much in the action. Lisle did almost get kidnapped by people who wanted John to become a spy (I was never quite sure why they kept asking John - you'd think after saying no at least twice they would have just tried to find someone else...why risk getting caught? stupid spies...) because they wanted to use her as bait to get John to help them (again, why do they want HIM so badly? Also, they saw Lisle with John literally ONE time at a Bible study and somehow decided that she was the best way to blackmail John into doing what they wanted??? This is just insane...) But the kidnapping attempt was subpar at best - like they asked her politely to get in the car, and when she said no and walked away instead, they...just let her?? Like no brute force involved? What kind of a kidnapping is this? "Oh, well, you don't want to get kidnapped? Ok, I guess you don't have to."
Anyway...I was actually kind of excited about this book in the first couple of chapters. It looked like there was going to be a bunch of spy thriller action, but instead it was basically just a playboy trying to argue with his ex-girlfriend and her mother and trying to bully her into marrying him by using logic and never once telling her that he loved her. Then she meets another guy who actually acts like he likes her and they fall in love. There is some spy action at the place the bully works, but it barely affects anyone.
Overall, don't bother reading unless you're desperate.
December 11, 2019
Rating: 3.7 / 5
I loved the cover for this one, so I really expected to like the story much more than I did. Because the plot summary sounded very action-packed, something like The White Flower, I truly expected for there to be a lot going on, a sense of danger and "life or death, must save the country" type of stuff. It...was technically like that, but I feel that it was all so downplayed that I didn't get really any sense of excitement from it. That being said, the story at all wasn't bad, but just...mellow.
It's one of Livingston's later works, so I'm sure that it's a reflection on her age as well. I'm trying to fit this writer into a bit of a timeline for her writing, and it seems to be that the most exciting things were written from 1915-1935 or so, based on the works that I've read so far--so, nothing definite yet, but just a preliminary opinion. Anyway, as a later work of Livingston's, and taking place during WWII, it's a bit of a hard place to fit in Christianity, but I do like Hill's treatment of it.
The religious aspect is present in this work, particularly with how people of the day would have been questioning God more than ever before--with the foremost question, of course, regarding on how on earth he could let such a war happen and so many people die? Well, there's no real answers to any questions of that nature, but Hill takes the standpoint that one must go on by faith because otherwise there's just no way to move on. WWII must have seemed like the apocalypse back in its day, so I imagine that precisely because of the "have faith and move on" sort of attitude, that may be one of the reasons why religion is still active today. It's a difficult set of questions to tackle, particularly because there are no definite answers, and I certain appreciate Hill's attempt at it.
Other than that, this is one of the books that I'd put in the middle ground of my experience with Hill's works--not something I dislike, but not one of the ones I'm particularly partial to, either. A nice half-and-half meeting point that I may re-read at some time in the future.
I loved the cover for this one, so I really expected to like the story much more than I did. Because the plot summary sounded very action-packed, something like The White Flower, I truly expected for there to be a lot going on, a sense of danger and "life or death, must save the country" type of stuff. It...was technically like that, but I feel that it was all so downplayed that I didn't get really any sense of excitement from it. That being said, the story at all wasn't bad, but just...mellow.
It's one of Livingston's later works, so I'm sure that it's a reflection on her age as well. I'm trying to fit this writer into a bit of a timeline for her writing, and it seems to be that the most exciting things were written from 1915-1935 or so, based on the works that I've read so far--so, nothing definite yet, but just a preliminary opinion. Anyway, as a later work of Livingston's, and taking place during WWII, it's a bit of a hard place to fit in Christianity, but I do like Hill's treatment of it.
The religious aspect is present in this work, particularly with how people of the day would have been questioning God more than ever before--with the foremost question, of course, regarding on how on earth he could let such a war happen and so many people die? Well, there's no real answers to any questions of that nature, but Hill takes the standpoint that one must go on by faith because otherwise there's just no way to move on. WWII must have seemed like the apocalypse back in its day, so I imagine that precisely because of the "have faith and move on" sort of attitude, that may be one of the reasons why religion is still active today. It's a difficult set of questions to tackle, particularly because there are no definite answers, and I certain appreciate Hill's attempt at it.
Other than that, this is one of the books that I'd put in the middle ground of my experience with Hill's works--not something I dislike, but not one of the ones I'm particularly partial to, either. A nice half-and-half meeting point that I may re-read at some time in the future.
July 14, 2024
I liked the fact the author pointed to Jesus Christ as the answer. I just had a hard time getting engaged with the characters and story line. The dialogue seemed repetitive, and the action didn’t happen until the very end.
December 15, 2014
I didn't like this one. The central intrigue of the spies was corny, and their feeble attempts to involve John Sargent were not believable. Victor was overbearing stupid and rude, Lisle's father was barely in the story, and Lisle's mother kept waffling. You'd think she'd been thoroughly offended by Victor, but then there she was in another chapter begging Lisle to give him another chance. What a wishy-washy woman! I'd never have let my daughter near such a weasel once I heard him spout off the way he did.
Overall, not one of her better stories.
Overall, not one of her better stories.
April 18, 2019
Another great story from a good author. The characters had depth and the storyline was engaging. I am always appreciative and inspired when books include relationship with God in an everyday sense.
August 18, 2025
I struggled with several plot points on this one. As is frequently the case, the romance develops too quickly. Victor is ridiculous, I think people like him probably exist, but I still found him hard to take. And, I could not understand the weird obsession of the "fifth columnists" with John and Grace Livingston Hill lost me altogether when those same characters hatched the kidnapping plot, particularly as Erda clearly had everything in hand by that point. Still for the most part I enjoyed the book.
December 29, 2025
Grace Livingston Hill always writes a good story. This one centers around Lisle, a girl plagued by her childhood friend, Victor, who is determined to marry her and then change her into a society lady to be seen by all. Of course, Lisle doesn’t plan to sacrifice her principles just to marry him. I like how she stands up to him. In the background, plans for secret weapons in WW2 are being stolen, and Victor is under suspicion. As always, the author includes a Christian message in the storyline.
July 2, 2012
This Christian romance novel has a World War II espionage flavor.
December 24, 2015
Good book
A good book that teaches it is right to do what will honor God . When you try to get something in the wrong way, God will not bless you.
A good book that teaches it is right to do what will honor God . When you try to get something in the wrong way, God will not bless you.
May 4, 2016
WW II espionage twist.
It moved slow and progressively seemed to drag even more. I almost didn't finish it at all, but I was stuck in bed after knee surgery.
It moved slow and progressively seemed to drag even more. I almost didn't finish it at all, but I was stuck in bed after knee surgery.
October 11, 2021
A new story from Grace Livingston Hill. Lovely.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews