This prize-winning French bestseller is a charming fable about the power of a hat that takes the reader on a roller-coaster ride through French life during the Mitterrand years.

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

After the presidential party has gone, Daniel 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.

Has Daniel unwittingly discovered the secret of supreme power?

For two years the iconic item of headgear plays with the lives of the men and women who wear it, bringing them success that had previously eluded them. Antoine Laurain's brilliantly orchestrated tour captures entertaining portraits of a rich gallery of characters.

Shot through with a delicious, wicked sense of humor, The President's Hat is a vivid re-creation of the everyday life of an era.

"As entertaining as it is original, this is a story to enjoy like a chocolate with a surprise centre." Marie France

"An enjoyable trip into the heart of the 1980s." Le Figaro

"Impossible to resist" L'Express

Antoine Laurain was born in Paris. He is a writer, collector, and director of several short films.

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About the Author
Antoine Laurain is the award-winning author of nine novels including The Red Notebook (Indie Next, MIBA bestseller) and The President's Hat (Waterstones Book Club, Indies Introduce). His books have been translated into 25 languages and sold more than 200,000 copies in English. He lives in Paris.

Reviews

'A hymn to la vie Parisienne' The Guardian

'A fable of romance and redemption' The Telegraph

'Captures the same romantic, whimsical, nostalgic feeling that the film Amelie did so well-partly because it is set in the 1980s, so before computers, mobile phones and social networking, partly as the plot is also driven by accident and chance. One of the pleasures of the book is that it is a personal, special discovery. You feel that you have stumbled across a book that nobody else knows about. Your relationship with the book is the same as that of the various characters to the hat itself-you are blessed to have come across it' The Guardian

'As entertaining as it is original, this is the story to enjoy like a chocolate with a surprise centre' Marie France

'Teeters pleasantly on the edge of Gallic whimsy' The Guardian

'Impossible to resist' L'Express

'Flawless . . . a funny, clever, feel-good social satire with the page-turning quality of a great detective novel' Rosie Goldsmith, European Literature Network

'An enchanting, irresistible story which flows quickly and effortlessly from one vivid character to the next, capturing their essence in a minimum of words and with a vitality that never ceases to surprise and delight' Lancashire Evening Post

'Antoine Laurain's delightful The President's Hat remains my favourite book of 2013 . . . an absolute gem, guaranteed to make you smile' Susan Osborne

'Full of charm and humour, this short book looks at how a small change in attitude can have significant differences to lives. It's a delightful little read' The Bookbag

'Its gentle satirical humor reminded me of Jacques Tati's classic films, and, no, you don't have to know French politics to enjoy this novel' Library Journal

'The most feel-good book I've read in years' Francofille

'Part eccentric romance, part detective story . . . this book makes perfect holiday reading' The Lady

'A quirky, enchanting love story that will surely soften the hardest of cynics' We Love This Book

'An inspired and delicious fable' Version Femina

'A clever game of cat-and-mouse, bringing back a whole host of memories of the period it perfectly re-enacts' 20 Minutes

'This is a simple tale that is entertaining, but it is also a tale that speaks more profoundly of the human attachment to objects as desired sources of power' Bookslut

'I loved this book for its quirky story, its embracing humanism, its clever reenactment of the 1980s with all those '80s icons of art and politics, and its wonderful characters' Readallday.com

'A whimsical flavor of Paris. The characters are warm, believable and authentic, the setting and situations are well drawn which all contribute to making this a captivating, quick read' Monsters & Critics

'Like Cinderella's glass slipper or Aladdin's lamp, the hat is a talisman that makes its wearers' dreams come true' RTL

'Effortlessly combines a skillfully woven story and the emblems of the eighties' L'Express

'Clever, revealing, funny and caustic, this novel charmingly paints a cast of characters and brings the eighties vividly back to life' Tele Loisirs

'We're in safe hands with Antoine Laurain, the man behind this sweet, lively, nostalgic tale' Livres Hebdo

'Subtle, inventive, and often funny' L'Avenir

Book Information
ISBN 9781913547165
Author Antoine Laurain
Format Hardback
Page Count 224
Imprint Gallic Books
Publisher Gallic Books