The President's Hat Paperback – 3 September 2013

Fast moving, easy to read, felt I was watching the great characters from the sidelines, cheering them on.

Una storia insolita che piace molto, sia in francese sia in inglese

Deeply researched, well written and engaging.

Immediately, Daniel is a character who is easy to connect to. He is in a restaurant having a rare "bachelor evening" when Francois Mitterrand sits on the table next to him. FM leaves without his hat and Daniel, in an unusual moment of impulse, decides to take it.I have had bad experiences with translations, as this is, of late but was completely delighted with this book. The description of inner feelings is amazing and I found myself rereading some sections to make sure I had picked up every word.It is a small book (approx 200 pages) with very short chapters, making for a quick read.The hat passes from person to person and the book seems to be becoming a series of related short stories. I started to feel a bit disappointed with that idea as I felt I wanted to know more about each of the characters, so was delighted that the book is more complex. There is a bit of mystery, a bit of magic and a lot of Paris, all mixed up with great dollops of positivity.The story is set in 1986/87 and there are many nostalgic references to the era. The setting is quite subtle and does not take over the plot but is a definite period.Well worth reading for something a bit different.

This whimsical page turner is all about catalysts in life. Can be read in a day but I didn't want the reading to end so I dragged it out and only read a chapter at a time. Great book and well worth the read!