The Man in the Wooden Hat

About “The Man in the Wooden Hat”

The Man in the Wooden Hat is a 2009 novel by Jane Gardam that serves as a companion to her earlier work, Old Filth. It tells the story of the fifty-year marriage between barrister Sir Edward Feathers, known as Filth, and his wife Betty. The novel is told from Betty's perspective and explores the complexities of their relationship, including secrets and hidden desires. Betty met Filth in Hong Kong after the war. She had spent the war in a Japanese internment camp, while Filth was a successful and handsome barrister who needed a wife but was unaccustomed to romance. The novel portrays their marriage as a bittersweet and fulfilling union between two remarkable people. It is considered a literary achievement and a highly regarded follow-up to Old Filth.