Before the Coffee Gets Cold

In a small back alley in Tokyo, there is a cafe which has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. But this coffee shop offers its customers a unique experience: the chance to travel back in time. In Before the Coffee Gets Cold, we meet four visitors, each of whom is hoping to make use of the cafe's time-travelling offer, in order to: confront the man who left them, receive a letter from their husband whose memory has been taken by early onset Alzheimer's, to see their sister one last time, and to meet the daughter they never got the chance to know.

Staff Pick: "If you could relive one conversation what would it be? In a secluded coffee shop in Tokyo that is exactly what you can do - as long as you follow the strict rules. Four stories intertwine to create a simple but elegant tapestry of the human heart. Whether you are in need of a fresh perspective, or just want a great read, this is not a book to miss." Rebekah

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.

Toshikazu Kawaguchi's beautiful, moving story - translated from Japanese by Geoffrey Trousselot - explores the age-old question: what would you do if you could travel back in time? More importantly, who would you want to meet, maybe for one last time?