Beautiful people, how are we? Sending lots of love your way! I fell in love with coffee shops before I fell in love with coffee. There is just something amazing about the atmosphere of a café. Whether it is a solo visit or a trip with a friend, losing time, hanging out, and chatting in a coffee shop is one of my favourite things. And that is before you bring coffee into the equation! Lockdown has definitely made me appreciate these places far more… On that note, I decided that my next book should be set in a coffee shop. However, this café is not like any other. In the book, ‘Before the coffee gets cold’ by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, we find ourselves in a café in a small back alley in Tokyo. Here, if you sit in the correct seat, and follow the correct rules, you can travel through time.
Just the other week, I gave this book to my sister and she now says it is her new favourite book, praise indeed. This book contains four intertwined stories of such time travel. Through the stories of these time explorers and as we learn the motives for their trips, we can see what they gain from their time spent in another period. From their adventures we get a glimpse into the incredible beauty of relationships. Kawaguchi has great observations into life and into the different ties that are formed between people; this makes the book, despite the fantasy of time travel, feel very real and easy to connect to.
Kawaguchi, born in Japan, previously wrote, produced, and directed for the theatrical group Sonic Snail and this book is adapted from one of his plays. Reading books from authors around the world, you can pick up on cultural differences. I find this fascinating. Whilst reading this, you will definitely be able to sense alternative views and practices between our two countries. When we do not have the luxury of being able to travel across the world to experience different cultures, books can act as a fantastic substitute.
So, this asks the question, if you could travel through time, where would you go?