Retired Air Force Major and Poet Stewart T Monti Sr Challenges 12thCentury Norms in Bold Novel Hillary and Sir Edward

NORTH CAROLINA, USA – August 21, 2026 – A girl who can outride, outfence, and outthink any boy in King Henry II’s England and she’s only 13.

What does it take to break the rules of medieval society? For Hillary, the 13-year-old heroine at the heart of Stewart T. Monti Sr.’s historical novel Hillary and Sir Edward, it takes skill, courage, and the quiet confidence of a girl who has never been told she can’t.

Set in 12th-century England during the reign of King Henry II, Hillary and Sir Edward tells the story of a remarkable young girl raised by Jacob, the village blacksmith, who taught her swordsmanship, a skill he himself learned from Sir Edward, a knight whose life was once saved by Hillary’s mother, Mary, during a Viking invasion. But Hillary’s gifts don’t stop at the sword. She is an accomplished chess player and an expert horsewoman, all while never losing the grace and spirit of her feminine identity.

When Sir Edward, a beloved family friend who is like an uncle to Hillary, arrives at the family home in search of a page, Hillary is in the yard breaking a young colt. The question the novel poses is both simple and revolutionary: Can a girl in 12th-century England become a Knight’s page? Hillary and Sir Edward dares readers of all ages to reconsider everything they thought they knew about what a young woman can achieve.

“I wanted to write a story about a girl who simply refused to accept the limits placed on her by the world she was born into,” says author Stewart T. Monti Sr. “Hillary is strong, capable, and completely herself and I think that’s a message that resonates no matter what century you’re living in.”

Monti’s passion for strong, courageous characters in the Middle Ages extends beyond Hillary’s story. His companion book, Mary and Sir Edward: A Poetic Narrative for Readers of All Ages, tells the equally compelling tale of 12-year-old Mary, who must guard a wounded knight while her father is away at war. Told through vivid narrative poetry and charming illustrations, Mary and Sir Edward is the perfect companion read for families and young readers who fall in love with the world Monti brings to life in Hillary and Sir Edward. Together, the two books form a rich, interconnected celebration of young women who rise to meet extraordinary challenges with courage, resourcefulness, and heart.

About the Author

Stewart T. Monti Sr. is a retired United States Air Force Major, published poet, and former adjunct instructor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Born in the Appalachian mountains of Bland, Virginia in 1951, Monti flew C-130E aircraft for over 2,000 hours across the globe before serving as a Behavioral Scientist practicing Industrial Psychology and as an Intelligence Officer for the balance of his 20-year military career. During that time, he conducted training research at Headquarters Air Training Command (1982), monitored training effectiveness at the Strategic Air Command B-52/KC-135 Combat Crew Training School (1986), and ran a division conducting air and space technology research — specializing in the field of space — with Air Force Intelligence Command’s Foreign Technology Division (1989). Finishing his Air Force career in Dayton, Ohio, he also served briefly and proudly as an adjunct instructor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for less than three years. He holds two master’s degrees and has been sharing his poetry with communities across North Carolina for decades. His published works include 135 Poems for Today (2017), Mary and Sir Edward (2023), and Hillary and Sir Edward. He lives in Sanford, NC with his wife and son.

Both Hillary and Sir Edward and Mary and Sir Edward: A Poetic Narrative for Readers of All Ages are available now on Amazon. For more information about Stewart T. Monti Sr and his works, please visit www.stewarttmontisr.com.

Hillary and Sir Edward

Mary and Sir Edward

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