This charming little book, translated from French, is set during the 1980s. President Francois Mitterand accidentally leaves his hat behind in a restaurant, which is picked up by Dennis Mercier, an average ordinary Frenchman, who decides to keep the hat, and while Mercier has it in his possession, his life changes for the better. The hat seems to have magical properties and those who encounter the hat on its journey are similarly transformed.