Tales from the Cafe (Before the Coffee Gets Cold Series #2)

by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, Sunmark Publishing, Inc.

Overview

From the author of the international bestseller Before the Coffee Gets Cold, this book follows four new customers who hope to travel back in time in a little Japanese café.

In a back alley in Tokyo, there is a café that has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. Local legend says that this shop offers something else besides coffee—the chance to travel back in time.

With faces both familiar and new, Tales from the Cafe follows the story of four patrons who visit to take advantage of café Funiculi Funicula's time-traveling offer and revisit moments with family, friends and lovers. Each one must face up to the past to move on with their lives.

Kawaguchi's wistful and heartwarming new novel once again invites the reader to ask themselves, "What would you do if you could travel back in time?"

Meet more wonderful characters in the next captivating novel in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, Before We Say Goodbye!

Read the rest of the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series:

• Before the Coffee Gets Cold
• Before Your Memory Fades

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781335630988
Publisher:	Hanover Square Press
Publication date:	10/12/2021
Series:	Before the Coffee Gets Cold Series , #2
Edition description:	Original
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	9,008
Product dimensions:	7.10(w) x 5.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

TOSHIKAZU KAWAGUCHI was born in Osaka, Japan, in 1971. He has produced, directed and written for the theatrical group Sonic Snail. His works as a playwright include COUPLE, Sunset Song and family time. His play Before the Coffee Gets Cold won the grand prize at the Suginami Drama Festival. Before the Coffee Gets Cold has become an international bestseller and has been adapted for the screen in Japan.

Editorial Reviews

"Characters come to the crisp realization that joy is allowed, that they don’t have to live burdened by regret; they are set free by a shift in perspective. The effect on the characters is like what the best talk therapy claims is possible: to reprocess past events to see them differently…. It’s easy to be cynical, though, and far rarer to encounter narratives that end with earnest tears of joy.” —New York Times

“Kawaguchi has found a unique way to manipulate such a commonly used trope as time travel and has captured the power of joy as a legacy.” —Library Journal

“The book’s resonating charm provides lasting emotional balm.” —Booklist

From the Publisher

10/01/2021

This meaningful and emotional sequel to Before the Coffee Gets Cold features four interconnected stories with a broad range of characters. The fascinating premise unfolds in a Tokyo café that allows a return to the past, as long as the patrons don't leave their seats and as long as they finish what they need to do before their coffee gets cold. No matter what they do, the café patrons cannot change the present; some of them wonder, What's the point of going back in time? As the characters seek and discover the answer to that question, their stories gracefully confront hard topics such as bereavement, despair, parenthood, financial destitution, suicide, miscarriage, and illness. Kawaguchi has found a unique way to manipulate such a commonly used trope as time travel and has captured the power of joy as a legacy. VERDICT These tearful stories hit hard but ultimately lead to a beautiful ending. Fans of Matt Haig's Midnight Library will enjoy this quick read with touches of magical realism and soul-searching.—Andrea Dyba, Oswego P.L. Dist., IL

Library Journal

In this follow-up to BEFORE THE COFFEE GETS COLD, narrator Kevin Shen re-creates the magic of the beloved predecessor. With his smooth, pleasant voice, Shen channels the heartwarming and thought-provoking ambiance of the special Cafe Funiculi Funicula in Tokyo, which allows visitors to travel back in time under very specific rules. As is the case with the first book, there are four heart-tugging connected stories that explore life’s challenges and delve deeply into the characters. Shen provides unique voices and renders a wide range of emotions with depth, connecting listeners with people who seem like old friends. There are some references to the first book, so audiences may prefer to listen to this series in order. These are touching stories for new and returning fans alike. V.T.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

DECEMBER 2021 - AudioFile

In this follow-up to BEFORE THE COFFEE GETS COLD, narrator Kevin Shen re-creates the magic of the beloved predecessor. With his smooth, pleasant voice, Shen channels the heartwarming and thought-provoking ambiance of the special Cafe Funiculi Funicula in Tokyo, which allows visitors to travel back in time under very specific rules. As is the case with the first book, there are four heart-tugging connected stories that explore life’s challenges and delve deeply into the characters. Shen provides unique voices and renders a wide range of emotions with depth, connecting listeners with people who seem like old friends. There are some references to the first book, so audiences may prefer to listen to this series in order. These are touching stories for new and returning fans alike. V.T.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

DECEMBER 2021 - AudioFile