92-year-old Marian Leatherby lives in Mexico with her son Galahad, his wife Muriel, and her grandson Robert.

Upon being gifted a hearing trumpet by her friend Carmella, Marian discovers that her family is planning to put her in an institution, which indeed happens.

[4] Ali Smith called the book "One of the most original, joyful, satisfying and quietly visionary novels of the twentieth century.

"[5] Spanish filmmaker Luis Buñuel wrote: "Reading The Hearing Trumpet liberates us from the miserable reality of our days.

Renée Riese Hubert has pointed out some influences Ernst may have had on The Hearing Trumpet, though she argues that the defining influences on the novel were "[...] certain traditions in British literature [...Carrington's] familiarity with Mexican culture and myths, and [...Carrington's] enthusiasm for Eskimo and Asian cultures [...]".