Book Review: The President's Hat

Never fear, this is not a review of President Obama's hat. In fact, I've never seen him wear a hat. ThePresident's Hat is a book by Antoine Laurain. The book starts in a Parisian brasserie. An accountant, Daniel Mercier, is astonished to see President Francois Mitterrand sit down to eat at the table next to him. He's even more surprised when Mitterrand leaves, forgetting to take his black felt hat.

From the moment Mercier picks up the hat and puts it on his head, he changes. In fact, his life changes. He sets out with the idea that he will return the hat, but the hat makes such a difference in his life that he can't give it up. He becomes more sure of himself. He moves up in the status of life. The lives of those around him change.

Mercier is not the only one affected by the President's hat. When he loses it, someone else picks it up. And their life changes.

The President's Hat was interesting. I enjoyed watching (or reading) the changes that occur because of a hat. It’s not that the hat is magical. It's more about what the hat symbolizes to each individual who puts it on and then sees themselves differently.

Just under 200 pages, The President's Hat is not a long book. It kept me reading, though. I enjoyed seeing the changes these people underwent, all because of how the hat made them feel and how others saw them.

I give The President's Hat a rating of Hel-of-an-Idea.

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FTC Disclaimer: The President's Hat was sent to me by Antoine Laurain's publicist. This did not affect my review. I thought it was a new twist on character growth. Mercier and the others who wore the hat may have become more confident on their own even if they'd never found the hat. But probably not. Was it actually magical? Read the book and decide for yourself. I'm going to keep my eyes open for lost hats.