A Modest Trumpet Fanfare: A Novel

A Family Defined by Duty. Undone by Truth.

Raised in the shadow of war, Ted and Marina Diamond set out to build the ideal military family—disciplined, accomplished, and unbreakably close. But years of constant upheaval, rigid expectations, and the quiet threat of violence begin to erode the life they’ve so carefully constructed. As cracks deepen and secrets take root, each member of the family carries their own version of the truth—until the unexpected curiosity of a grandchild forces them to confront the past and reckon with what they’ve become.

About the Author

An Air Force brat who landed on the civilian faculty of the US Naval Academy, Molly Best Tinsley taught literature and creative writing before the publication of her first novel My Life with Darwin prompted her to head west and write full-time. With a prize-winning collection of stories, a pair of spy thrillers and a literary mystery behind her, she began tinkering with the pieces of A Modest Trumpet Fanfare, the novel she’d been preparing to write all along.

Prase for A Modest Trumpet Fanfare: A Novel

“At once lyrical and compelling, A Modest Trumpet Fanfare presents the Diamonds, who voice their individual stories from inside a perfect military family, ruled by the father, an Air Force officer conditioned to follow orders. Some diamonds chip and shatter: others sparkle and gleam. Each of Tinsley’s Diamonds shines brightly.”
—Edwin Battistella, author of Sorry about That: The Language of Public Apology

“In tart, unblinking prose, Molly Best Tinsley tracks how military service shapes and damages families across generations. A Modest Trumpet Fanfare chronicles their lives with shrewdness and warmth. A beautifully absorbing read.”
—Allyson Booth, author of Postcards from the Trenches

“This compelling family saga is brilliantly framed by the military culture of twentieth-century United States. Clearsighted about the costs of such a culture, Tinsley refuses to give up on us, charting an arduous journey that resolves into a gentle and extremely moving suggestion of hope for the future.”
—Wendy Westbrook Fairey, author of One in the Famil