Joe Byrd

Monet & Oscar: The Essence of Light Joe Byrd

It was the end of WWI when Oscar, an American soldier in a French Army hospital, learned of his mother's death. While recovering from his war wounds, Oscar decided to remain in France to search for his father, an Impressionist painter. His mother had never revealed his father's identity. Through a twist of fate, he was hired to be Claude Monet's gardener. Oscar hoped to further his landscaping career by working in Monet's world-famous garden at Giverny. Perhaps the most renowned Impressionist could help him find his father. Monet, tired and disheartened by his deteriorating eyesight, introduced Oscar to his previous painting venues and Impressionist friends. These meetings provided insights into Monet's life and art and provided clues to finding Oscar's father. Oscar lost his heart to a provocative young woman on the train from Paris. Isabelle, an American artist, introduced him to the exciting fashions and risky exploits of the Roaring '20s. Isabelle and Oscar became regulars at Monet family gatherings as their infatuation blossomed into a doomed love affair. Oscar's past, present, and future collided in a way that he never anticipated and barely survived. I first met Claude Monet in college, where he taught me the essence of light and art. I've spent thirty years researching this book -- reading biographies, attending museums, and touring Monet's home and garden. This historically accurate depiction of Monet, as seen through the eyes of his fictional son, Oscar, is my homage to him.