It is late July in 1461 when young Joseph Charnetski and his family arrive in the great city of Krakow, with its glorious church towers and lively marketplace. The Charnetskis have come to Krakow to seek refuge with their relatives. What they find is more danger and adventure than a simple farm boy like Joseph could ever have imagined. First, a menacing stranger tries to take their pumpkin at sword point. Then a beautiful girl and her black-robed uncle befriend Joseph. Soon he and his family are caught up in the plots of alchemists, hypnotists, and a dark messenger of evil. This distinguished contribution to children's literature carries listeners to a medieval Poland shimmering with folklore and fantasy. Rich in language and detail, it is a classic adventure story that begs to be read aloud. With narrator Ron Keith's expressive, resonant voice, the effect is as stirring as the haunting hymn the trumpeter plays from the church tower.
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Eric P. Kelly, a student of Slavic culture for most of his life, wrote The Trumpeter of Krakow while teaching and studying at the University of Krakow. During five years spent in Poland he traveled with an American relief unit among the Poles who were driven out of the Ukraine in 1920, directed a supply train at the time of the war with the Soviets, and studied and visited many places in the country he came to love so well. A newspaperman in his native Massachusetts in younger days, Mr. Kelly later wrote many magazine articles and several books for young people. He died in 1960.
Ron Keith, a native of England, graduated from the University of Manchester. He has appeared in the Broadway touring production of Amadeus, in off-Broadway productions such as Hedda Gabler, My Fair Lady, and Candida, and in many regional stage productions. His television appearances include roles in One Life to Live and As the World Turns.