Book Review: Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Before the coffee gets cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi is a pleasant novel. It's interesting due to it's easy storytelling.

The book is set in Tokyo, in a cafe named Funiculi Funicula. It's a small cafe and it was famous because it was said that one could travel to the past. However, the only condition was that if one travels into the past, they could only see people who have been to the cafe.

The cafe is small but efficient. The cafe owner, Nagare Tokita is a nice man, he doesn't mind it when people want to stay for a longer time. He always finds ways to entertain them.

The book focuses on four stories:

1. Two lovers -- one couple: Fumiko Kiyokawa and Goro: The latter went to America for his career. Utterly in love, Fumiko is heartbroken. She wants to go into the past and ask Goro to stay.

2. Husband and wife -- Kohtake and Fusagi: Fusagi, a patient of Alzeihmers has forgotten his wife Kohtake. Kohtake suspects that Fusagi wants to tell her something. She visits the past to know what is in the letter he wrote to her some time ago.

3. The sisters -- Hirai and her sister: Hirai hated her sister but travelled into the past to seek the letter her little sister wrote.

4. Mother and Child -- Kei and her daughter: The cafe owner's wife Kei, being in bad health, wants to know if her child will survive or if she will survive the childbirth. She travels into the future.

The most interesting thing is that whatever you'd do in the past it won't change the present. Every soul going into the past had to remember that. Also, they have to drink the coffee before it's get cold.

The most important and crucial task is to wait. To wait for a particular seat to get empty --- it is said to be occupied by a ghost --- a woman in white dress who always reads her novel and drinks coffee. She vacates the seat only once in a day and you have to grab that chance.

Though, the visit to the past doesn't change the present, but it comes with a satisfaction --- Fumiko knew she had to wait for a little longer, Kohtake took pride in the title of Mrs Fusagi, Hirai went back to her family, Kei knew her child would sruvive --- it doesn't change the present but it gives them a hope.

Overall, it is an interesting read. Kudos to the author.