Pont Neuf
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(as of Nov 20, 2024 22:49:41 UTC – Details)
Can a young war correspondent find herself and follow her heart? In this work of historical fiction, 20-something Annabella “Annie” March arrives in France in 1944 intending to write about the war. Soon, however, Annie begins to distance herself from her sometimes-mentor, sometimes-rival – the great Martha Gellhorn – and Gellhorn’s larger-than-life husband, the novelist Ernest Hemingway. She turns to photography in the hopes of making her own name and, to her delight, discovers that images come more easily than words.
At a party one night, Gellhorn introduces Annie to a pair of American GIs: the intense, blue-eyed John Michael Shaw, from illustrious New England stock, and the handsome, good-natured Bennett Templeton Adams, a Midwestern boy-next-door. A love triangle between Annie and the two soldiers begins to simmer. As the war against the Axis Powers rages on, Shaw and Adams are called to duty. Shaw is a legend in the trenches, Adams a brilliant tactician, and neither can get Annie March out of his head.
Unbeknownst to Shaw and Adams, Annie has made up her mind – until a snap decision in the face of evil threatens to change everything for all three of them. Told with gripping emotional force and enthralling historical detail, Pont Neuf is an unforgettable story of desire and danger and a harrowing reminder of the uncertainty of war.
Creator Max Byrd, master of the historical novel, and award-winning narrator Natasha Soudek combine forces to deliver a thoroughly engaging and entertaining listen.
8 reviews for Pont Neuf
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andrew review –
Fine Historical Fiction
Byrd is another under appreciated writer of historical fiction ( and detective fiction as well). He manages to tell a fascinating story of the Battle the Ardennes through the prism of two interesting fictional characters while blending in real life personages like Omar Bradley, Walter Cronkite and Martha Gellhorn. A great writer who blends fact and fiction beautifully. Highly recommended.
Mari Carlson –
point between two worlds
Pont Neuf, Max Byrdâs latest historical fiction set during World War II, resides on a bridge between two worlds. Contextually, Pont Neuf, the bridge in Paris, is a meeting point for two soldiers and a woman they love, after the Battle of the Bulge. Figuratively, the bridge stands for a point between living and dead, involved and distant, war and peace, innocence and maturity.The novel inhabits these transoms with a literary command worthy of its writerly characters. Annie March, the fictional main character, sends articles and pictures from the front to Vogue magazine. Her mentor is the factual third wife of Ernest Hemingway, Martha Gellhorn, a New York Times contributor of her own fame. Martha introduces Annie to The Twins, Harvard roommates who attract like opposite poles of a magnet. Shaw, aka the Killer, is as fierce a fighter as he is a loyal friend – and Jefferson devotee. Adams studies math and maps. His forte is cracking code. One of these will win Annieâs heart while Martha loses her love for Hemingway.âWhen you looked through glassesâ lenses, [Annie] thought, the world came clearerâ¦. You only thought about the abstract technical challenge of taking a good pictureâ (15). Without losing the technical clarity of distance, the novel moves the action through graphic, up-close scenes on battlefields, in war torn cities, makeshift hospitals, spontaneous parties and dive bars. The pacing is frantic and unpredictable, as varied as from Shawâs impulsive thirst for justice to Adamâs calculating mind. As the story travels through these chaotic paths, Annie develops a moral compass and becomes a better journalist.The appearance of famous figures such as Eisenhower, Cronkite, William Walton and Patton gives the text a luminous quality. The present of the book is tethered to the past through frequent references to ancient history and literature. Although the atrocities of war and the trends of the era affect Annieâs moral compass, timeless wisdom also guides her. With Shawâs ferocity, Adamâs precision, and Annieâs charm, Pont Neuf navigates a slice of time, a chasm between worlds, with a breadth of wit, pathos and humor.
Susan E. Meyer –
mostly fiction
Max Byrd is a wonderful writer, and when I read that this novel featured Martha Gellhorn–Hemingway’s third wife–I really looked forward to reading the book. What I didn’t anticipate is that one of the main characters in the novel–Annie March–was total fiction. For me, that discredited the rest of the story, and made it only a pleasant read I didn’t learn a thing
lh –
Historical accuracy
The author tells a compelling tale of the last day’s of WWII in Belgium through the eyes of an infantry soldier, an intelligence officer and a war correspondent. It describes not only the armaments and maps of the final battle in Historically accurate detail but its physical and psychological impact on three different people. A great read for anyone interested in WWII.
David Diego Rodriguez –
I learned something new about World War II
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The author presents a different point of view of World War II. We see the soldiers presented in a more earthy manner, in their way of thinking and speaking like real soldiers, than are usually portrayed in these types of war novels. I love learning new facts about WWII when I read these historical novels. In fact, I think this is the first novel I have read that includes General Eisenhower as a character.We see the action mainly through the perspective of Annabella (Annie) Sidonie March. We see Annie strike up a friendship with Martha Gellhorn, Ernest Hemingwayâs wife. Not surprisingly, we learn why Martha eventually divorces Ernest. We really donât get too much new insight into the character of Ernest beyond what most readers already know. However, Ernest is only a minor character in the story.The story livens up when we meet the âtwinsâ B.T. (Bennet Templeton) Adams and John Michael Shaw. Theyâre not actually biological twins, just friends from their college days. Annie gets to know them during the war and their lives become intertwined. Of course, this results in a love triangle.I felt the title Pont Neuf was a little misleading because it doesnât form a major part of the storyline. Pont Neuf only serves to frame the story, but is never mentioned even once throughout the book. Ironically, Pont Neuf means new bridge in French, but is actually the oldest bridge over the Seine River in Paris, France. Without spoiling the end (I hope), the old bridge does present new possibilities for the characters. I believed the eponymous title would play a larger role in the novel.
Carole Hughes –
Excellent WWII novel
It is a terrific novelâclearly drawn and interesting characters, and a gripping plot set against the drama of the end of WWII. I felt immersed in the time and placeâthe war scenes were appropriately awful; the miserable weather was always present; the little dive where Annie and Shaw have dinner was most charming. This would make a blockbuster movie!
UN East –
Irritating audio, but OK for a light distraction
1. Audio book Is irritating because the narrator tries to pronounce all the French and German and does it badly.2. There are places where the story jumps as if it was badly cut. Chapter 17 is an example where in one sentence you are at Versailles drawing maps in thr dirt and in the next you are drinking wine in a restaurant with a totally different character. Somehow a tansition was missed.3) if you are looking for a light distraction and aren’t bothered by the details, then this can be enjoyable as a love triangle story. And the ambiance is nice.
Amazon Customer –
Great story
Wonderful story of man who looses his memory and then taken in by strangers in a beach front home. All people should show this type of random act of kindness.