Blasts from the Past: The President’s Hat by Antoine Laurain (2013, transl. Jane Aitkin and Emily Boyce)

This is the latest in a series of occasional posts featuring books I read years ago about which I was wildly enthusiastic at the time, wanting to press a copy into as many hands as I could.

I was a little sceptical about The President’s Hat which seemed a tad whimsical for me, but it turned out to be an absolute delight.

It begins with an accountant treating himself to a solitary meal in a Parisian brasserie. Just as he’s about to tuck in, François Mitterrand takes the seat alongside him. After Mitterrand and his dining companion have left, Daniel discovers the President has left his hat behind. Rather taken with it, he decides to wear the hat and next day he finds the courage to stand up to his irritating boss. The hat passes from person to person working its charm on everyone who wears it until, satisfyingly, it comes full circle. There’s a nice little moral, as there is in all fables, which becomes clear at the end of the hat’s journey.

I was so cheered by Laurain’s novel I’ve bought it for several friends and family in need of some gentle escapism over the years. It’s not failed me yet.

What about you, any blasts from the past you’d like to share?

You can find more posts like this here.