A short delightful read. A powerful magical hat ? This book takes you on such a fun journey following the successes and triumphs of those fortunate folks to wear the presidents hat. Quirky and fun read.

"The hat was imbued with the soul of its wearer, transforming ordinary men into extraordinary beings." -The President's Hat

What a delightful little book that shows the power ordinary objects can have on individuals and how strangers can be connected in the simplest of ways.

I thoroughly enjoyed seeing where the hat would take us next on its journey with the different people who found it. Every interaction led to something of significance and showed us how small things can impact lives. Each wearer learned something about themselves and gained back something they felt they had lost. This book also gave me a very strong desire to visit France and see the beauty of the places the hat traveled to. If you love whimsical and interesting looks into everyday life, this book will be a good read for you. I highly recommend it.

⭐️ 5/5
Multiple POVs

This is my second read by this author and I appreciate the writing style Antoine Laurain brings in his stories. The story here is light, whimsical, and a little bit magical. It follows this lost hat, yes, an actual hat, that once belonged to the French President and somehow changes the lives of everyone who wears it. Sounds odd, but it totally works.

Each character’s little arc is fun to follow, and like I previously said, the author has this easy, charming writing style that keeps things moving. It’s not super deep, but it doesn’t need to be. I found this read more cute than impactful, but still a lot of fun.

Thank you Pushkin Press for this electronic ARC which was provided to me via NetGalley for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

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.



Mitterand in 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.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I adored this enchanting story of a hat that gets a life of its own as it finds its way through various wearers. There’s no magic, just happenstance and the impact the hat makes on each person’s life. It’s lighthearted, humorous, while also thought provoking. I definitely recommend this clever and engaging read.

A charming French novel which follows the hat of the president of France and how it influences the people that come in contact with it. Also the descriptions of food in this novel had me salivating!

The President’s Hat is a charming little novel that really cheered me up on a dreary afternoon, Set in 1986, the novel tells the story of a hat that belongs to French President Francois Mitterand; Daniel is sitting in a Paris bistro when the President comes in to have dinner with some colleagues. Amazed and overwhelmed by the man dining next to him, Daniel stays as long as the President, wishing he could join his table. After the President leaves, Daniel realises that he has left his hat behind.

He picks up the black felt hat, unable to believe that this is that hat of the First Frenchman. Drawn to it and unwilling to lose the feeling of excitement the evening has brought him, Daniel impetuously takes the hat. And, for reasons unknown, his whole life seems to change. He gains unprecedented confidence at work and astounds his colleagues, earning a promotion. As he relocates with his family for his new job, Daniel forgets the hat on a train outside Paris. And so begins the journey of a simple black hat belonging to President Mitterand. It travels around France and even to Venice, each of its owners completely unaware of its owner and how it came to them, but each knowing (except one!) that it makes them feel strangely different and seems to have a magical effect on their lives, changing them forever.

I really liked The President’s Hat and read it in one sitting, and was buoyed up afterwards. With each character, different philosophical and political issues are discussed – Daniel is given a chance he never imagined and dreams of greater happiness; Fanny also searches for happiness in love and business; Pierre considers his past success and current depression and disillusionment; and Bernard reconsiders his entire political belief system and changes almost everything in his life. There is also plenty of discussion of the randomness of our lives and the multiple possible routes that our lives can take, and how apparently small events can make big differences. The unknown nature of the future and the possibility of change are central themes to this novel, as well as the importance of taking chances and going with your heart.