The President's Hat

Its Paris in the 1980s. Daniel is out dining alone. His wife and son are out of town. He's craving a reminder of what it was like before he was married - a bachelor evening. So he winds up in a posh restaurant ordering a delicious seafood platter and a bottle of wine. He's enjoying his meal when he notices that President Francois Mitterrand and two other men have been seated at the table next to his - oh, what luck! To have such a powerful man within close proximity of him - talk about a thrilling experience! So, for the next two hours, Daniel drags out his meal, while he listens in on Mitterrand's dinner conversation. He even imagines that he is the fourth diner in their group. And then the President of the Republic is gone. Poof! Just like that, the magic of the evening is over. Daniel muses over the excitement he felt and the realization that he will never be able to eat oysters again without thinking of the sentence, "As I was saying to Helmut Kohl last week." As he looks around the restaurant and gets ready to leave he spots a black, felt hat. The President's hat! Quick as cat, he grabs the hat and walks out wearing it. From that moment on, his life is forever changed! And so begins, the whimsical and delightful tale, The President's Hat. A story about a special hat that will affect its owner in the BEST ways possible.

Now, I don't want to give away what happens to Daniel and the hat, because that would ruin the story. Suffice it to say, the hat finds itself sitting atop a number of people. Yep, Daniel loses it! The horror, the horror!! Of course, the lucky few (a woman, a nose, and an art collector) who find themselves owning the hat wind up enjoying life just a bit more than usual. I'm serious. Lives are changed because of a black Homburg. I'm talking, relationships are broken and mended, political allegiances are changed, a master of scent is reawakened from his dark fugue state, and so much more. The power of this hat is magical and mythical - it is truly amazing! I must tell you that Daniel didn't give up on finding his hat - nope, he's determined to wear it once more. Then again, he's not the only one searching for it...hmm...I wonder who else might want that hat?

Talk about a wonderful story! A hat that somehow provides people with the strength, inspiration, and courage to go after what they truly want in life (and they get it, too!). I love how an accessory can make someone feel like a new person. Like, Mitterrand's "power" somehow seeped into the hat and these lucky strangers were able to feel it and use it to their advantage. And the story Laurain weaves about this hat's journey and the lives of the people it affects make for quite an unforgettable read. Such a truly great story! I absolutely loved getting to know each and every one of these characters and the ways in which the President's hat changed them - it was awesome. Plus, it was set in Paris and the beauty, richness, and vibrancy of the city leaped off the pages. The people, the culture, the politics, and art - it all screamed France. And, I loved it!!

I would happily recommend this book to fans of Laurain's other novels (yes, he has more, but only The Red Notebook and The President's Hat are translated into English) and fans of French literature - you will fall in love with Laurain's writing and storytelling.

I feel slightly guilty to have read this in the translation – I can read French but a mixture of general literary laziness and being given a free copy in English meant that I did not bother sourcing the original version. I got through it in a day (albeit a day that involved a decentish train journey) … it was not a heavy read but I did enjoy it. François Mitterrand is the President of the title, the only other Socialist French President other than the one currently in office. This is all a little bit before my time so it was terribly educational. As a country, France is strangely preoccupied by its own identity (they had a Grande Debat about it a few years ago; conclusion was to sing the Marseillaise more often and hang more flags) so it is not surprising that they are still mulling over their relationship with their former leaders. Still, The President’s Hat is no great searching of the French soul – this is pure fun.

1986: Daniel Mercier’s wife and son are away, so he decides to take himself out for dinner. He is enjoying a delightful meal out at an expensive brasserie when who should sit down at the table next to him but the President of the Republic. Daniel is naturally stunned and sits quietly while the President and his two associates eat their meal. However, as Mitterand leaves, he forgets his hat. In an uncharacteristic moment of daring, Mercier swipes it and goes home wearing it. Perhaps the wine has something to do with it. Or perhaps it is the power of the hat.
As the new bearer of the President’s Hat, Daniel has the courage to speak over a superior and so is promoted, the next person to wear the hat finds the clarity to leave her married lover. The following holder finds the inspiration and confidence to make a professional breakthrough. A narrow-minded right-wing stuffed-shirt picks up the hat and suddenly sees that he is in fact a narrow-minded right-wing stuffed shirt, stops reading Le Figaro and starts reading Liberation. You get the drift. It’s a pretty amazing hat.

I felt more than anything that this was a nostalgic read, that I missed something from it, this being an era for which I am not nostalgic. It is strange though that although we live in an era which is so preoccupied with image, spin and how things come across via the camera, we no longer appear to have iconic politicians in this way. Churchill had his cigars, Hitler had his moustache and cow-lick, even Thatcher had her handbag. I cannot think of anything equally distinctive about recent politicians … Tony Blair had his shiny teeth and Cameron has his shiny head but it is hardly the same thing. Does The President’s Hat merely show us that we miss politicians from ages past? Or does it mean that the French are putting more faith in objects than in politicians themselves? Or perhaps this is just a fairy tale about a hat that is lost and found again and again and brings happiness into many lives.

Another wonderful little novel from Antoine Laurain. I absolutely loved everything about it. Charming and uplifting, with an original plot and masterful delivery, The President's Hat, is a great read.

Très agréable!

Highly recommended.

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.

My sister read this a few month's ago so when I saw it here on NetGalley I decided to request it as she spoke highly of it. And it didn't disappoint! The President's Hat starts with accountant Daniel Mercier having dinner alone at a brassiere when lo and behold President François Mitterrand sits next to him! Savouring the dinner and pretending he's the fourth dinner guest, Daniel is delighted when he sees Mitterrand has left his iconic black felt hat behind. After taking it for himself, Daniel discovers the hat makes him feel different and is devastated when he later misplaces it. We follow the journey of the hat and how it affects the lives of all who have it in their possession.

It's a sweet uplifting story, I loved the characters and I enjoy books and stories where people's lives intertwine, paths crossing, like invisible string. The book is set in the 80s and has just enough nostalgia that makes it charming, any more and it would have been too much. I sped through this book, reading it in two sittings, it makes for a great summer read. C'est magnifique!

“Perhaps, when all was said and done, it was just as easy to leave someone’s life as to enter it. A stroke of fate and a few words could be enough to start a relationship. A stroke of fate and a few words could end it too.”

A hat can enter and leave a life too, as we see in these interconnected lives.

I am listening to the song by Gainsborough ( Je suis venu te dire que je m’en vais) which means roughly, I came to tell you that I am going away. It is quite the emotional song and fits beautifully in this charming little book. It is about Mitterand’s hat that by fate and a little red handed thieving ends up on the heads of several characters. Peopled by characters we want to tag along with to see how this hat, as it passes heads, brings change into each life. For Daniel, the man who first sees an opportune moment to try the hat on when the president leaves it behind while dining out, tries it on and rather likes it- he finds courage, bite! He must take the hat! For Fanny it’s found on a train and opens her eye to an affair that has her stuck, for Aslan who once made famous perfumes he finds his nose for it again and a blossoming for life. I was rather tickled by his situation, the therapy sessions with the quiet Fremenberg renowned for being so great… 6 years of therapy? I felt like I was in the room with the awkward silence. I was charmed by the smells Aslan describes. He was by far my favorite character.

The magic is quiet and beautiful, does the hat have power? Did some of the charisma bleed through the object of a powerful man? Certainly aside from Daniel, the others don’t know immediately who the hat belonged to. That is takes place in France, always makes the surroundings a character. The 80’s had a magic of their own too, as any time period does, connection wasn’t like it is now, but somehow this hat is a thread in several lives. I am a sucker for stories like this, sometimes you just need to read something that tickles you. There is passion and romance, but it doesn’t consume the story. Each person has a need for the hat, and though it’s quickly told, it’s a lot of story.

A delight indeed!

Gallic Books

I am in love with Antoine Laurain's writing. It is SO good. His stories are like a perfect baguette - crunch and texture on the outside and light and airy on the inside. I was almost hesitant to read this book after reading "The Red Notebook," because I thought there was no way he could even match the delightfulness of that story. Turns out he could. This was such a perfect little jaunt, and I loved the characters. I cannot WAIT for his new book.

** spoiler alert ** 3.5 Stars (I rounded down because I got bored for a by at one point)

Clothes maketh the man. In this case, it's a hat. I loved the setting of France in the 80s. The premise of the novel was very well executed. I got caught up moving between these different characters like the wind. The transference of the hat to each new owner was done smoothly, with no distraction from the story. And I loved getting to know the different characters, their hopes and aspirations and what came about when they each wore the hat.

I only got bored once, with Bertrand's story, and I tried to speed thru the crucial parts. He just didn't seem to have the dimension that the other characters did. After that though, it picked right back up to its ending which I laughed a bit at. I was slightly surprised and happy.

I loved the whole idea of the story following a hat thru moments in people's lives. The idea that objects make us stand up taller and feel more confident when we wear them and suddenly everyone else thinks so too... This was a quaintly charming read. You walk away feeling cheerful and optimistic, which we could always use a bit more of.

Thanks to Netgally for the review

I really enjoyed The Red Notebook, it was a cute quick read that was so charming that now I want to read the other author’s books too. The Presidents Hat looks equally as lovely and fun.

Dining alone in an elegant Parisian brasserie, accountant Daniel Mercier can hardly believe his eyes when President François Mitterrand sits down to eat at the table next to him.

Daniel’s thrill at being in such close proximity to the most powerful man in the land persists even after the presidential party has gone, which is when he discovers that Mitterrand’s black felt hat has been left behind.

After a few moments’ soul-searching, Daniel decides to keep the hat as a souvenir of an extraordinary evening. It’s a perfect fit, and as he leaves the restaurant Daniel begins to feel somehow … different.

What are you reading?

Set in the 1980's this novel tells the unlikely adventures of Francois Mitterand's hat. Accidentally left in a bistro, it is picked up by a man dining alone.

The remarkable thing about this hat is that it changes lives. For the people who wear it, the hat helps them to untie the knots in their lives and become the people they ought to be. Once this happens the hat moves to another person to work its magic.

The book is delightful, witty, warm, and a modern fairy tale for adults.

Since he has to spend the evening alone, Daniel Mercier decides to have dinner in a brasserie and to enjoy himself there. He can hardly believe his eyes when next to him M. le Président de la République, Francois Mitterrand, is seated with two friends. During dinner, he eavesdrops the small group and when they leave, Daniel finds the president’s hat forgotten by its owner. When he puts it on, his life starts to change. An experience that also Fanny makes when she discovers the hat in a train forgotten this time by Daniel. In this way, the hat starts to travel across Paris, miraculously changing the lives of the people who put it on.

I really enjoyed reading the novel. First of all, we are sent back to the 1980s, a completely different era with Mitterrand as socialist president and Paris undergoing dramatic changes. The idea to have an item which triggers your own superpowers is funny in one way, in the other it also shows that just by believing in something you can achieve quite a lot. Not to forget: this is a novel to enjoy and indulge in since the changes are positive ones. Each possessor makes a stop forward in life, overcomes old believes and finds the courage to end things. The novel leaves you with a smile on your face and a bit of sadness when you have reached the last page knowing that the hat’s story will not go on.

VERDICT: This short and funny novel full of cultural references to the 1980s actually offers an interesting reflection on destiny. Delightfully French!

At BEA, I received a copy of Antoine Laurain’s upcoming book, French Rhapsody. Having heard so much about Antoine Laurain, I seized the importunity offered by Netgalley to get an earlier introduction to this author, through his first book translated into English: The President’s Hat. A total delight!
Things are not doing too well at Daniel’s workplace in Paris. He decides to clear his mind one day and go by himself to the restaurant, as his wife and son are away.
Francois Mitterrand happens to come to the same place to eat, with Roland Dumas and others, and sits nearby. When the then French president leaves, he forgets his hat (The French title is Francois Miterrand’s hat). Acting on impulse, Daniel picks it up.
Right away, he starts having “unprecedented confidence”, which soon reflects in a sudden very positive shift in his work status, astonishing everyone. Now “a man of quiet strength” (translation of Mitterrand’s political slogan in the campaign that led to his election in 1980, “la force tranquille”), he no longer feels overwhelmed with anxiety. He gets promoted as a regional director to Rouen. But when he and his family leave for Rouen, Daniel forgets the hat in the train!
Then the book focuses on three other characters, as they find and lose the hat bearing the initials FM, and how it changed their lives, bringing them power (more than psychoanalysis in one case), and the courage to start a new life, no longer conforming to the expectations of others.
The book is full of political and cultural French references, famous personalities, and events.
Author Antoine Laurain shared that the idea of the book may have originated in the loss of his own hat. He also had fun introducing many elements pertaining to his childhood and teenage years, the 1980s.
The book is quirky, typically French in that sense. Like a modern fairy tale, it is fun and an easy read, though offering as well a reflection on destiny.

The important events in our lives are always the result of a sequence of tiny details.



Sometimes life carries you in different directions and you don’t even realize you’ve gone down a fork in the road; the great GPS of destiny has not followed the planned route and there has been no sign to indicate you’ve passed the point of no return. Life’s Bermuda Triangle is both myth and reality.

All the French cultural references added extra enjoyment for me, and the last twist makes the story form a great circle.
I can’t wait now to read another book by Laurain, French Rhapsody, received at BEA.

A welcome chance to appraise an earlier book from the writer of one of my favourites, The Red Notebook. This starts off equally winningly, when a man lucks into possession of Mitterand's titular titfer by the chance of having the President eat alongside him in a public restaurant, as unlikely as that seems these days. He, and a girl who then finds the hat on a train, and other characters, all seem to have had their lives boosted or changed by the hat's temporary possession – what that tells you about Mitterand is neither here nor there, as it isn't a political book. Well, it shouldn't be – unfortunately, for my tastes, owner #4 was treated with too much cynicism and the parody of politics written too broadly. But the whimsy of the multiple endings, the alleged veracity of it all, and the charm Laurain once more brings to proceedings still make it all a book well worth getting wrapped up in.