If you could revisit a moment in your life when you made an embarrassing mistake – perhaps by saying the wrong thing – knowing that, even if you could go back in time, you only had a few minutes and whatever you did differently couldn’t change the outcome, would you still take that opportunity? This is the central tenet of this beautifully written and most welcome fifth novel in the ‘Before the Coffee Gets Cold’ series.
In a Tokyo café, the widowed owner, Nagare Tokita, watches over his cousin, the dour waitress, Kazu, as she serves a special time-travelling cup of coffee to patrons who wish to return to the past to try to make reparations for their own misdeeds. But there are rules: there is only one chair that will enable time travel. Patrons can visit only people who have also been served in the café … and, of course, will be able to visit only until the coffee in their cup turns cold.
There are four stories within the novel. The first story, ‘The Son’, concerns seven-year-old, Yuki Kiriyama, who wishes to return to the café in order to not burst into tears as his parents give him news of their relationship breakdown. In ‘The Nameless Child’, Megumi Sakura wants to return with her newborn baby so that her recently deceased husband can name her. Traditional familial relationships are explored in ‘The Father’, where the daughter marries against her father’s wishes and their ensuing estrangement injures them both. The final story, ‘The Valentine’, is the perfect offering, with a reunion between childhood friends, along with a surprising twist.
These are beautifully written and emotionally uplifting stories offering insights into Japanese culture.
Reviewed by Bob Moore
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Toshikazu Kawaguchi was born in Osaka, Japan, in 1971. He formerly produced, directed and wrote for the theatrical group Sonic Snail. As a playwright, his works include COUPLE, Sunset Song, and Family Time.
The novel Before the coffee gets cold is adapted from a 1110 Productions play by Kawaguchi, which won the 10th Suginami Drama Festival grand prize.
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