13 h 2 minAudiobook13 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
At a quiet Dorset mill, two brothers love the same woman while England waits for Napoleon’s army.
In Thomas Hardy’s The Trumpet-Major, Anne Garland and her widowed mother rent rooms at Overcombe mill, near Weymouth. Soldiers arrive in the district, bringing the threat of invasion close to village life. Among them is John Loveday, the miller’s elder son, a brave cavalry trumpeter quietly devoted to Anne.
John’s younger brother Robert, a charming sailor with a wandering eye, also draws Anne’s attention. So does the boastful Festus Derriman, though his courage rarely matches his talk. As romance tangles with rivalry, Hardy brings warmth and comedy to a countryside on edge, asking what loyalty costs when love offers no certain reward.
What you’ll discover
- A heart pulled between brothers Follow Anne as steady devotion and lively charm compete for her attention.
- Loyalty without a promise Meet John Loveday, whose devotion to family, country, and Anne tests his quiet strength.
- Village life under threat Enter a world of mill rooms, soldiers, sailors, and neighbours waiting for invasion.
- Comedy amid the fear Enjoy Festus Derriman’s bluster as his grand talk exposes the gap between boasting and bravery.
- A warmer side of Hardy Discover a love story where humour and tenderness sit beside jealousy and uncertain hopes.
Is it for you?
This book suits readers who like gentle historical fiction, village life and love stories where goodness is tested. It is also a friendly way into Hardy. If you want the dark tragedy of his later novels, you may find it lighter than expected.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A mill in Dorset waits for war
- A trumpeter comes home to the mill
- Festus Derriman struts and blusters
- Robert Loveday returns and charms Anne
- The king comes to Weymouth
- Love, jealousy and a flirt in the village
- A false alarm sends the countryside fleeing
- What the story is really about
- How Hardy tells the tale
Who’s who
- Anne GarlandA thoughtful young woman who lodges at the mill with her widowed mother and must decide where her heart truly lies.
- John LovedayThe miller's elder son, a trumpet-major in the cavalry, who is brave, steady and quietly devoted to Anne.
- Robert LovedayJohn's younger brother, a lively sailor with great charm and a wandering eye, who also wins Anne's attention.
- Festus DerrimanA vain, boastful yeoman volunteer who talks of fighting the French and wants to marry Anne, expecting his uncle's money.
- Mrs GarlandAnne's widowed mother, a gentle, anxious woman who rents rooms at the mill and wants her daughter safely settled.
- Miller LovedayThe cheerful owner of Overcombe mill, proud of his two sons and kind to his lodgers.
- Farmer DerrimanFestus's miserly uncle of Oxwell Hall, secretive about his money, whose fortune his nephew hopes to inherit.
- Matilda JohnsonA flirtatious newcomer who attracts several men in the district and stirs up rivalry and jealousy.
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- Paperback
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- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
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- Large print hardcover
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Le Trompette-major
by Thomas Hardy· 1880
Two brothers love one woman as England fears invasion.
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Language: Français
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 9
A mill in Dorset waits for war
The novel opens in Overcombe, a small village in the valley behind Weymouth. The mill stands at its heart, and a part of the building is let to Mrs Garland, a widow, and her daughter Anne. They are respectable people who have come down in the world, and Anne is a pretty, thoughtful girl of about twenty. Mr Loveday, the miller, is a cheerful widower, and he gets on well with his lodgers.
The year is 1804, and Britain is at war with France. Napoleon has gathered a great army across the Channel, and everyone knows that the south coast is the likeliest place for it to land. Hardy shows the effect of this fear on the valley. Volunteers drill in the fields. Beacons stand ready on the hills. Old men repeat stories of earlier wars and of how the French might come.
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The author
Thomas Hardy
1840–1928 · English novelist and poet
Thomas Hardy (1840–1928) was an English novelist and poet. He was born in Dorset and lived in Dorset and London. His novels include Far from the Madding Crowd (1874), The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886), and Tess of the d’Urbervilles (1891). He published poetry collections from 1898 until his death.
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What is The Trumpet-Major about?
It tells of Anne Garland, who lodges at a Dorset mill in 1804 while England fears Napoleon's invasion. She is loved by a faithful trumpeter, drawn to his sailor brother, and pursued by a boastful braggart.
Is The Trumpet-Major a true story?
No, the main characters are invented, but the setting is real. Hardy wrote it in 1880 and used real history, including King George III's stays at Weymouth and the invasion fears of the early 1800s.
What is a trumpet-major?
A trumpet-major is the senior trumpeter of a cavalry regiment. He sounds the calls that direct the soldiers in the field and in camp. John Loveday holds this rank in the novel.
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