Tales from the Cafe

Before the Coffee Gets Cold

By: Toshikazu Kawaguchi, Geoffrey Trousselot - translator

Narrated by: Kevin Shen

The second book in the multi-million-copy bestselling series about a cosy Japanese cafe that offers its visitors the chance to travel back in time.

Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s heartwarming Tales from the Cafe, 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?

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 . . .

From the author of Before the Coffee Gets Cold comes a story of four new customers each of whom is hoping to take advantage of Cafe Funiculi Funicula's time-travelling offer. Among some faces that will be familiar to readers, we will be introduced to:

The man who goes back to see his best friend who died 22 years ago
The son who was unable to attend his own mother’s funeral
The man who travelled to see the girl who he could not marry
The old detective who never gave his wife that gift . . .

This beautiful tale tells the story of people who must face up to their past, in order to move on with their lives.

Continue the heartwarming storytelling with Before Your Memory Fades, Before We Say Goodbye and Before We Forget Kindness - all out now!

©2020 Toshikazu Kawaguchi (P)2020 Macmillan Publishers International Ltd

Critic reviews

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. - WINNER OF AUDIOFILE EARPHONES AWARD

as heartwarming as the first collection!

a warm cup of coffee of a book 🥰 i loved the bittersweet endings and the lovely atmosphere of the café. i'm surprised this follow-up isn't getting any buzz!

The beautiful storyline’s

A very easy to listen to story, that challenges ideas on grief and regret in a beautiful way. I found it incredibly moving.