At the end of WWI, Oscar, an American soldier in a French Army hospital, learned of his mother’s death while recovering from his war wounds. He remained in France to search for his father, an Impressionist painter, whose identity his mother never revealed. Through curious circumstances, he’s hired to be a gardener for Claude Monet.   Oscar jumped at the opportunity to further his landscaping career by working in Monet’s world-famous garden at Giverny. He hoped the most renowned Impressionist could help him find his father.​

Monet, tired and disheartened by his ailing health and deteriorating eyesight, took Oscar along on visits to his previous painting venues and allowed him to meet some of his art-world friends. These meetings provided insights into Monet’s life and art and clues to Oscar’s father’s identity.  ​

On a train returning from Paris to Giverny, Oscar met and fell in love with Isabelle, a beautiful young American artist, who introduced him to the emerging 1920’s fashions and mores. She is the daughter of one of Monet’s major American clients, which interests him. Over Monet’s daughters’ objections, Isabelle and Oscar become regular guests at family gatherings as their infatuation blossoms into a unique love affair. Oscar’s past, present, and future collide in a way that he could not have anticipated.

Joe Byrd‘s BS in Journalism
and MA in Communications degrees
inspired him to become a pioneer in electronic publishing.
As a McGraw-Hill editor,
he developed one of the first computer publishing systems.
In the rapidly developing PC software industry,
he co-authored one of his two books
using PC desktop publishing software,
the first for a major publishing house.
He developed the first technical support website in the software industry.
In his fifty-year career, he published magazines, wrote research reports,
and developed conferences in the US and Europe for the digital photography industry.
He launched one of the first digital photography dot coms. This is his first novel.

To find our more,
please visit his website, and follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR QUOTATIONS

Words And Peace

A historical novel full of life and emotions, a perfect means of recreating Monet’s world and his genius at capturing the essence of light.

Boys’ Mom Reads!

A mix of actual and fictional characters, Monet & Oscar: The Essence of Light by author, Joe Byrd, is a satisfying page-turner of a story.
In addition to the comfort and immersion in the settings, I loved the characters.
MONET & OSCAR is a wonderful historical fiction novel with mystery, romance, and adventure. There were twists and surprises throughout that kept the story moving and me turning the pages.
I recommend this book for readers of historical fiction, those who would enjoy a satisfying tale featuring one of the greatest Impressionist artists, and even someone who would love to experience this time and place in France without leaving home to do so.

Locks, Hooks and Books

The talents of Joe Byrd shines through in his debut, Monet and Oscar. I thought this read was pretty good.
It was entertaining to get a glimpse of the author’s vision of how he lived.
I recommend it for readers who enjoy reading historical fiction based on real people. I am looking forward to more by Joe Byrd in the future.

Denise

The author’s rich details, especially the foods they enjoyed, the clothes they wore, the outings they took for relaxation from their hard, every day work had me fully immersed in their world.
Having a love of gardening and a love of art, made this book the perfect read for me.