Review: The President's Hat

The President's Hat

Antoine Laurain

The President's Hat is a captivating tale which is easy to read and hard to put down. It begins when President Mitterrand forgets his hat in a Parisian Brasserie. This sets off a chain of unforeseen reactions. Firstly, when its found by Daniel Mercier a fellow diner in the Brasserie. Realizing that the hat belonged to the President, Mercier decides to start wearing it as if it were his own. Like a magic charm, the hat brings him luck, and a large dose of self confidence thereby changing his personal circumstances for the better. Unfortunately he looses the hat. But, it is found on a train by Fanny, who likes that the hat contains her initials F.M. on the inside rim. Wearing it also gives her the courage to end a romantic relationship that has no realistic future.

The hat passes to several other interesting characters, who also experience surprising changes in their lives. There's Pierre Aslan, who is deeply depressed and hasn't be able to do his job properly for twenty years. Finding the hat changes his life. My personal favorite is Bernard Lavallière, who undergoes a personal metamorphosis after acquiring the famed hat. But Daniel Mercier is determined to reclaim the hat again. What will ultimately happen to it if he succeeds? Will President Mitterrand ever see it again? These are the intriguing questions answered in this charming story. Set in the 1980's it's full of nostalgia and contains characters and events that I hadn't thought off for some time, making it like a trip down memory lane. It's a fun and delightful book that I'm going to remember for a long time.

Thanks to Netgalley and Gallic Books for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.