Before the Coffee gets Cold

“But Kazu still goes on believing that, no matter what difficulties people face, they will always have the strength to overcome them. It just takes heart. And if the chair can change someone’s heart, it clearly has its purpose.”

Imagine entering a café nestled away on a quiet Tokyo street, where the aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingles with the soft hum of conversation. "If you could go back, who would you want to meet?" - A question, posed not by the barista, but by the very essence of the café itself, sets the tone for Toshikazu Kawaguchi's captivating novel, "Before the Coffee Gets Cold." Within these walls, time bends and twists, offering patrons a chance to revisit the past, but with a condition— they have to return to the present before their coffee gets cold.

The book does not go deep into the science fiction side of time travel. Instead, it gives us a look at human weakness, loss and the desire for meaningful relationships. But it’s not that easy: there are certain rules you need to follow. One must not leave the chair that takes them to the past; the time travelers can only meet someone who has also visited the café themselves; one cannot reveal that they are from the future and many more such barriers. The most confounding and tormenting rule remains steadfast: no matter your actions, the present does not change.

Each one of the four chapters spotlights a different customer in the shop and their desire to time travel, but as the story proceeds the novel feels more grounded and there’s a beautiful sense of unity among the patrons as they support each other through their loves, losses and journeys through time. The characters are lovingly crafted, their stories unfolding like the petals of a blooming flower, each layer revealing deeper emotional truths. Despite the inability to change the past, the café offers something even more precious: closure. Through bittersweet reunions and heartfelt goodbyes, characters find solace and resolution in confronting their deepest pains.

The café itself emerges as a character, a silent observer to the myriads of human experiences that pass through its doors. As we immerse us in the chapters, it evokes a sensation that the sepia-toned ambiance of the café is enveloping us. Kawaguchi’s prose is gentle and evocative, painting the details of mundane rituals perfectly. One of his quotes goes - “I was so absorbed in the things that I couldn’t change; I forgot the most important thing.” - with this it gives us an insight on life that though the past won’t change you always have the future in your hands. We can still find peace in grief and mistakes. “Before the coffee gets cold” is both sweet and sad – but it is hopeful.  It gives the characters a second chance.

The final pages of the book answer the question that keeps on lingering in the reader’s mind throughout the book - if the present does not change, then what is the point of that chair? – “It changes your heart”. And the storyline very profoundly justifies it. In the depth of the story, there's a quiet wisdom, a whispered invitation to live fully, to cherish each passing moment as if it were our last. So, sit back, relax, and grab a cup of coffee but -

“Just remember, drink your coffee before it gets cold”.