“Her Father had gone off to fight for the King
War seemed never stop, misery it did bring
They had an old horse and a cow and some chicks
And it seemed that the corn needed rain to be fixed.”
– an excerpt from the book
ARPress is honored to publish Mary and Sir Edward by Stewart T. Monti Sr.. This book is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the ARPress website.
Life has a strange way of arriving at our doorstep unannounced. Sometimes it comes softly, like rain finally falling on dry fields. Other times it appears bruised and exhausted, asking for kindness when we ourselves feel we have little left to give. That quiet truth sits at the heart of Mary and Sir Edward by Stewart T. Monti Sr., a story that gently reminds readers that even ordinary people, living ordinary lives, can become part of something meaningful through simple courage and compassion. Beneath its flowing rhymes and humble medieval setting, the book carries a timeless message about resilience, family, and the unexpected ways hope finds people during their hardest seasons. And honestly, that sincerity is what makes the story linger. It doesn’t shout its message. It simply lets it unfold, one heartfelt verse at a time.
There’s something refreshing about a book that doesn’t feel like it’s trying too hard to impress anyone. A lot of modern stories seem obsessed with shocking twists, sprawling worlds, or characters so complicated they almost stop feeling human. This book doesn’t really chase any of that. Instead, it leans into simplicity, and somehow, that becomes its greatest strength.
The story follows Mary, a twelve-year-old girl living on a struggling farm with her mother and younger brother while her father is away fighting for the King. Their world feels small and uncertain. The crops are failing, money is scarce, and war hangs over their lives like a storm cloud that never fully disappears. Yet even in those difficult moments, there’s warmth in the way the story unfolds. Mary works hard, takes care of her family, and keeps moving forward because giving up simply isn’t an option.
Then Sir Edward arrives.
Not with some dramatic heroic entrance either. He comes wounded, exhausted, and barely able to hold himself upright. His horse carries him into their yard like the last fragile thread of hope refusing to break. And without hesitation, Mary and her family help him. They don’t stop to wonder whether helping a stranger will complicate their lives even more. They just do it.
That quiet act of compassion becomes the heart of the story.
What makes Mary and Sir Edward stand out even more is its poetic structure. The entire narrative is written in rhyme, which honestly could have gone terribly wrong in less careful hands. But Stewart T. Monti Sr. manages to make the rhythm feel natural and sincere, more like listening to a heartfelt story passed down through generations than reading something overly polished or forced. There are moments where the rhyme feels rough around the edges, but strangely enough, that almost adds to the charm. It feels human. Genuine. Like the story matters more than perfection.
And maybe readers need more stories like that.
There’s an old-fashioned sincerity woven through every page. Loyalty, sacrifice, family, courage, these themes are timeless, and the book embraces them fully without trying to modernize or complicate them unnecessarily. No cynicism. No irony. Just a story that believes kindness still matters.
The relationship between Mary and Sir Edward is handled with quiet grace too. Their connection grows naturally through trust and compassion rather than dramatic declarations. Mary may be young, but she carries a quiet wisdom beyond her years, while Sir Edward hides both strength and vulnerability beneath the weight of his armor. Together, they become a reminder that sometimes the people who change our lives arrive when we least expect them.
And honestly, the emotional center of the story isn’t really the war at all.
It’s home.
It’s the idea of holding onto decency during difficult times. Of protecting others when you can. Of believing that even after the hardest seasons, life can still begin again. Some of the book’s most touching moments are also its quietest: shared meals, late-night conversations, small moments of healing, and a family simply trying to endure another uncertain day.
That grounded warmth is what gives the story its emotional pull.
Without giving too much away, the book leaves readers with something that feels increasingly rare: hope. Not the loud, unrealistic kind, but the quiet belief that healing is possible, that difficult seasons eventually pass, and that kindness can still shape the course of people’s lives in ways they never expected.
Stewart T. Monti Sr. writes like someone who genuinely believes stories should leave readers with warmth instead of emptiness. That belief lingers in every chapter. Even the smallest moments feel personal, carrying the sense that this story was written with real care and affection for its characters.
In many ways, Mary and Sir Edward feels like a forgotten folk tale rediscovered, the kind of story meant to remind readers that courage doesn’t always look grand, and that ordinary lives can still hold extraordinary meaning.
And honestly, maybe readers need stories like that now more than ever.
Mary and Sir Edward by Stewart T. Montiis now available for purchase via the ARPress Bookstore.