In a back alley in Tokyo is a small café. What's so special about it? More than its coffee, which is carefully brewed and is one of a kind, the café is famous for offering an unique experience- a chance to travel back in time. But because of somewhat annoying and complicated rules, not everyone dares to take the chance to visit the past. One rule being you can't change the present no matter what. Then, what's the point of even visiting in the past? That's the question for which we often seek answer. Sometimes, even though we can't change the matrix of events, it is watching the situation from a different perspective that helps to deliver that answer.

That's what the four people, who went to past in Before the Coffee Gets Cold, tries to discover. A woman who wants to get some answers from her ex-boyfriend, a woman who travel back to get a letter from her husband whose memory is fading away due to early onset Alzheimer's, a sister went back to meet her younger sister one last time, and a mother who goes back to meet the daughter (in future) she never got the chance to know. All these stories have one thing in common- exploration of human relationships and love. Though the stories are predictable and nothing extraordinary, it is the subtle yet thought-provoking introspection of human emotions that make this book a worthy and touching read.

The three café workers, Kazu, Kei and Nagare, were like cherry on the top who shared an amazing relationship with their customers. They understood why each person travelling back in time needs to do that, and take extra care when the person travelling back is going to meet a dead person.

This character-driven story is Japanese to its core. The descriptions of various seasons or the birds and food, was done perfectly to suit the stories of each character. The translation might feel repetitive at places, but that might be because this was first written as a play!

A simple, comforting and hopeful, yet an emotional read that shouldn't be missed.