When I returned from Australia my sofa was covered in parcels and packets and I had thirty eight books awaiting my attention. Well, obviously I cannot read them all so had a sift through and formed a To Be Read pile which I am now working through. I took some books with me to London this week though I had little hope that I would actually read any as I was looking after grandchildren but one morning Florence fell asleep on the sofa, totally worn out with coping with her chickenpox and while she slumbered I read this delightful little book.
It is simply wonderful when you pick up something like The President's Hat, with no preconceptions, no previous knowledge of the author or its setting, open up the first page and realise straight away that you are going to love reading it. And I did.
The next day Daniel has a meeting at work in which with fluency and efficiency and much to everyone's astonishment he demolishes their new manager's ideas to split the department. He is as amazed as everyone else and this brings him to the attention of the Head of Finance who offers him a promotion. He and his family leave Paris and on the way to their destination Daniel leaves the hat behind on the train.
It is then picked up by a young woman on her way to meet her lover, she is trapped in this affair and knows she should finish it but lacks the courage. But the hat fits her, makes her look cool and edgy and without a qualm she sends her lover packing.
After her fortunes have changed she decides to leave the hat on a park bench and see who picks it up and along comes a bearded man in a sheepskin coat who pops it on his head and off he goes. She wonders how it will transform his life. She will not know but we, the readers, will.
This is one of the most delightful, enchanting and irrestible books I have read in years. It is a Cinderella story as the hat seems to possess a magic quality which changes the fortunes of everyone who possesses it. And there is a brilliant twist at the end which made me laugh out loud.
This book is translated and published by the Gallic Press and I can only plead with you to purchase a copy as soon as you can log onto Amazon or hotfoot it down to your local bookshop. It is a little gem or, if you will forgive the lapse into Franglais, a petiet jewel...
Magnifique!
