Half a Hero: A Novel

In the small fictional dominion of New Lindsey, a political crisis unfolds that will determine the future of the government. When Sir Robert Perry can no longer serve as premier, the Governor faces pressure to appoint a successor, and everyone has an opinion. The controversial candidate is James Medland, a man whose past and private life make him unacceptable to the social elite, particularly Lady Eynesford, the Governor's wife, who declares him utterly impossible to receive. Yet as the political machinery grinds forward, Medland must navigate not only the treacherous waters of governance but also the snobberies and unspoken rules of the colonial establishment. Anthony Hope, writing before his famous The Prisoner of Zenda, crafts a sharp satirical portrait of political ambition, social climbing, and the collision between merit and pedigree in a world where who you know matters as much as what you can do.