I is the first decade of the twentieth century in England's Dorset County. Fighting Billy Mercer is considered an incorrigible scalawag by the villagers of Comstock. Particularly known about town for his pranks on the pious Reverend Wilmot, the mischievous Billy is fiercely protective of his younger brother, Zack-his constant companion and best friend. As he grows older and experiences the hard knocks of life, Billy comes to realize there will be many things he will wish for that will never come true. Playing the trumpet is one of them. After challenging economic conditions force his family to immigrate to Toronto, Canada, Billy eventually attends a local Salvation Army church, where he happily trades his fists for a trumpet. Ecstatic that he is finally able to realize his passion for music, Billy eagerly invites The Salvation Army into his young life. As Billy seeks answers to the universal mysteries of life and God, he receives guidance from his mentor and bandmaster without any idea that an unforeseen disaster is about to change everything. When the Trumpet Sounds is the emotionally powerful story of an immigrant family, their struggles to survive in their new life in Canada, and their attempts to understand God's will.