This was the selection for our March book club gathering. It is the first in a series of books that takes place in a small cafe, Funiculi, Funicula in Tokyo. The book is really a series of vignettes from the action that takes place in the cafe. They could be classified as time travel in that when a person sits in a particular chair at the cafe, they can travel into the past and become a part of that past, without being able to change it.
A ghost, a woman dressed in white, is the usual occupant of the seat. However, once a day she leaves the seat to use the restroom in the cafe. It is at that time a person can take that seat and travel back in time. The stipulation is that the person must finish his or her visit to the past Before the Coffee Gets Cold. The central character i s Kazu, the barister with other characters entering and exiting the cafe and the novel.
The first story opens with Fumiko and Goro, her boyfriend, enjoying coffee in the cafe. Much to her surprise and dismay Goro has decided to move to America. She doesn't speak up and convey her feelings and for this she regrets that time. This causes her to return to the cafe after a week to try to travel back in time to see what would have happened if she had expressed her love to Goro. She realizes that it wouldn't change things, but it would spur him on to possibly return at some point to Japan.
The second story is that of Kohtake who is married to Fusagi, a man diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. The disease has progressed to the point where Fusagi doesn't remember her, but had intended to give her a letter 3 years previous. She decides to take the seat to travel back and read the letter that affects her deeply .
In the third story Hira, who owns a bar near the cafe, who because of her personal decision to live her own life and not take over the operation of her parents' inn, desires to travel back to make amends with her sister, Kumi, who was killed in a car accident. Hira blames herself for the accident and makes a promise to Kumi that she does keep.
Finally, the fourth story, Kei, the wife of Nagare, who owns the cafe, is the sole person who desires to travel forward in time. Suffering from a medical condition that threatens her life and the baby she is carrying, she wants to know what happens to both of them. She is able to meet her daughter, Miki, who is 15 years old. This story also offers a surprise for Fumiko from the first story.
Once the premise of the book became clear, it was easier to understand. What made it tedious, however, were the Japanese names for the characters and how to keep them separate. It was actually quite sad to understand the regret of those characters for actions that they wished to change. Love and relationships often lead to actions and reactions of regret. The emotions that the novel evoked were what made the book seem less contrived and far-fetched.
