Our book group choice for December 2024 is Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. Set in a small, unassuming Tokyo cafe, the story revolves around a mysterious seat that allows patrons to travel back in time under a unique set of rules.
The cafe offers a chance to revisit the past, but with strict conditions: travelers cannot leave the cafe, their actions in the past cannot alter the present, and they must return before their coffee gets cold. Despite these limitations, four individuals are drawn to the cafe, each with a burning desire to confront their past regrets.
There’s Fumiko, yearning to speak to her fiancé who left for America years ago. Kohtake wants to see her husband, now suffering from Alzheimer’s, one last time as he remembered her. Hirai hopes to receive a letter from her sister, who ran away from home. And Kei seeks to meet her daughter, whom she was too ill to care for.
As each character embarks on their temporal journey, they grapple with missed opportunities, unspoken words, and the bittersweet pain of what could have been. Through their experiences, the novel gently probes themes of love, family, and acceptance. It reminds us that while we cannot change the past, confronting it can offer closure, healing, and a renewed appreciation for the present.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold is a poignant tale that delicately blends fantasy and realism, inviting readers to contemplate the weight of their own pasts and the enduring power of human connection.
Discussion Questions
To come.
Individual Ratings
To come.