The President's Hat, Antoine Laurain

If you read the last post you might remember I started 'Is That a Fish in Your Ear?' by David Bellos. It is a really engaging book and I'm about half way through. I have put that one aside for now though (new job, don't have any thinking/concentration power left over) for something a bit lighter.

The President's Hat was just what I wanted, warm, light hearted and thoughtful. It reads like a succession of short stories. The novel is set in France in the 1980's and follows President Francois Mitterrand's hat as it is picked up by a fellow diner at a restaurant. The hat is no ordinary hat, it is lost and picked up by a succession of people who all have their lives changed in some way. It is well written and the links and crossovers between the different 'owners' of the hat are beautifully crafted.

Thanks for the proof Gallic Books.

Im now reading My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell and so am spending my spare time with a boisterous family and living on the island of Corfu. Sunny!