The Trumpeter of Krakow
A Medieval Polish Adventure of Alchemical Treasure, Political Intrigue, and St. Mary's Church LegendsBy Eric Philbrook Kelly
Length6h 18m
About this audiobook
Eric Philbrook Kelly's The Trumpeter of Krakow is a richly textured historical adventure set in fifteenth-century Poland, amid the medieval city's fortified streets, royal court, churches, and bustling marketplace. Its plot follows Joseph Charnetski and his father, Pan Andrew, refugees carrying a dangerous secret and a coveted treasure, as they seek safety in Krakow while confronting political intrigue, deception, and mortal danger. Kelly combines suspenseful plotting with vivid period description, folklore, romance, and moral reflection. The celebrated interruption of the trumpeter's noon anthem, rooted in Krakow's hejnal legend, gives the narrative a memorable symbolic center, while the novel's historical imagination evokes the literary tradition of romantic medievalism and the juvenile historical novel. Kelly was an American journalist, educator, and author whose professional and personal engagement with Europe informed his depiction of Poland. His familiarity with Polish history, culture, and traditions enabled him to present Krakow not merely as an exotic setting but as a living cultural world shaped by faith, national memory, and competing loyalties. Written during an era of flourishing historical fiction for young readers, the novel reflects Kelly's interest in making the past vivid, ethically meaningful, and accessible without sacrificing narrative complexity. The Trumpeter of Krakow is especially suited to readers who enjoy historically grounded adventure, atmospheric world-building, and stories in which courage is tested by displacement and tyranny. It offers younger readers an engaging introduction to medieval Poland while rewarding older readers with its careful fusion of legend, history, and moral seriousness. Its enduring appeal lies in the way personal bravery becomes inseparable from cultural remembrance and communal identity.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★ 3.7 (10.2K)
Includes Goodreads, LibraryThing
GenreChildren's Literature
Length6 hrs 18 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateDec 8, 2023
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1The Trumpeter of Krakow
2THE BROKEN NOTE
3CHAPTER I THE MAN WHO WOULDN’T SELL HIS PUMPKIN
4CHAPTER II KRAKOW
5CHAPTER III THE ALCHEMIST
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6CHAPTER IV THE GOOD JAN KANTY
7CHAPTER V IN THE STREET OF THE PIGEONS
8CHAPTER VI THE TOWER OF THE TRUMPETER
9CHAPTER VII IN THE ALCHEMIST’S LOFT
10CHAPTER VIII PETER OF THE BUTTON FACE
11CHAPTER IX BUTTON FACE PETER ATTACKS
12CHAPTER X THE EVIL ONE TAKES A HAND
13CHAPTER XI THE ATTACK ON THE CHURCH
14CHAPTER XII ELZBIETKA MISSES THE BROKEN NOTE
15CHAPTER XIII THE GREAT TARNOV CRYSTAL
16CHAPTER XIV A GREAT FIRE RAGES
17CHAPTER XV KING KAZIMIR JAGIELLO
18CHAPTER XVI THE LAST OF THE GREAT TARNOV CRYSTAL
19EPILOGUE THE BROKEN NOTE
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