"The Life and Death of Richard Yea-and-Nay" by Maurice Hewlett is a historical fiction novel set in medieval Europe during the time of the Crusades. The story follows the life of a fictional character Richard, a nobleman who becomes a knight and goes on a quest to reclaim the Holy Land from the Muslims. Richard embarks on his journey, as he faces many challenges and moral dilemmas. He is torn between his loyalty to his king and his own sense of justice, and he struggles to reconcile his desire for glory and his conscience. Now, What will Richard do? The novel explores themes of chivalry, honor, love, and religion, and it provides a vivid portrayal of life in the Middle Ages. The title of the book, "Richard Yea-and-Nay," refers to the nickname given to the main character because of his habit of giving ambiguous answers to questions. This adds an element of mystery and intrigue to the story and reflects the complexity of Richard's character.
English author, poet, and essayist Maurice Henry Hewlett was born in 1861 and died on June 15, 1923. He was the oldest son of Henry Gay Hewlett of Shaw Hall, Addington, Kent. He was born in Weybridge. He went to the London International College in Spring Grove, Isleworth, for school. In 1891, he was admitted to the bar. After The Forest Lovers did well, he quit being a lawyer. From 1896 to 1901, he worked for the government as the Keeper of Lands, Revenues, Records, and Enrolments. In this job, he gave advice on medieval law. On January 3, 1888, Hewlett married Hilda Beatrice Herbert at St. Peter's Church in Vauxhall, where her father was the vicar. The couple had two kids, a daughter named Pia and a son named Francis. They broke up in 1914, partly because Hilda was becoming more interested in flying. He moved to the town of Broad Chalke in Wiltshire. Evelyn Underhill and Ezra Pound were two of his friends. He met Pound at the Poets' Club in London. He was also friends with J. M. Barrie, who named one of the pirates in Peter Pan "Cecco" after Hewlett's son.
