Cordelia Hatmaker, 11, of the London Hatmakers, was enjoying the thunderstorms by playing captain of the Jolly Bonnet, a fine ship known for sailing to the farthest reaches to find the most unusual hatmaking supplies, when she was interrupted.
When Lord Witloof shows up at their front door, he has the worst possible news. He had been at the lighthouse and he’d seen the Jolly Bonnet get tossed about by the storm and wrecked on the dangerous rocks. There were no survivors.
The Hatmakers are heartbroken, as Cordelia’s father, Prospero, was the captain of the ship. If there were no survivors, then he’d been lost to them. Cordelia, however, refuses to believe the news. She knows that her father is still alive, somewhere, somehow. After all, she and her father had once survived 12 days at sea together on a leaky raft, after the shipwreck that killed her mother.
But Cordelia can’t go looking for her father just yet, as the Hatmakers have been tasked with making a special hat for the king. He is working on a peace treaty with the king of France, and although Cordelia is too young to be making hats all by herself, she can help her aunt and uncle and great-aunt. She is able to pick flowers to be used, help collect starlight, and even assist in the shop.
But when the Hatmakers go to the Palace to deliver the hat they’ve made, things do not go well. The king refuses to behave or even sit still. He just bounces around, acting strangely, and ignoring all the paperwork he’s supposed to be signing. He refuses to put on the hat the makers have brought to improve his concentration. He is also refusing his new books, cloak, watch, and gloves. All the new pieces are destroyed in the chaos, and the makers leave in frustration. What has come over the king, and what can Cordelia and her family do to prevent a possible war with France?
Cordelia may be young, but she’s determined to fix things. She can use her intelligence, her keen sense of observation, and maybe just a little bit of magic to figure out what it going on, and with the help of some friends, she might just be able to help the princess, stop a war, and restore her family’s reputation.
The Hatmakers is utterly charming from the first page to the last. Author Tamzin Merchant’s debut book is filled with delight and wonder, action and attitude, vivid characters and vibrant writing. Cordelia Hatmaker is a great role model, and I’m so happy that her adventures seem to be just beginning.
I loved every page of this book. Cordelia and her family are just as welcoming as the best book families, and her fearlessness is inspiring. I loved how she used her intelligence to understand what was going on, even when all the adults around her were distracted. She has a focus that is enviable, and her ability to learn from her mistakes is something I wish all kids could learn early on. The Hatmakers is charming, entertaining, uplifting, and heart-warming, and a book I hope all bookish girls read and take to heart.
Egalleys for The Hatmakers were provided by W.W. Norton & Company (Norton Young Readers) through NetGalley, with many thanks.
