Before We Say Goodbye by Toshikazu Kawaguchi @kawaguchicoffee @picadorbooks @panmacmillan #BeforeWeSayGoodbye #ToshikazuKawaguchi #BookReview #5Stars

Book Synopsis:

The million-copy bestselling series.

Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s poignant Before We Say Goodbye, translated from Japanese, 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?

The regulars at the magical Cafe Funiculi Funicula are well acquainted with its famous legend and extraordinary, secret menu time travel offering. Many patrons have reunited with old flames, made amends with estranged family, and visited loved ones. But the journey is not without risks and there are rules to follow. Travellers must have visited the cafe previously and most importantly, must return to the present in the time it takes for their coffee to go cold.

In the tradition of Kawaguchi’s sensational ‘Before the Coffee Gets Cold’ series, readers are be introduced to a new set of visitors:

– The husband with something important left to say
– The woman who couldn’t bid her dog farewell
– The woman who couldn’t answer a proposal
– The daughter who drove her father away . . .

In the hauntingly beautiful Before We Say Goodbye, Kawaguchi invites us to join his characters as they embark on a journey to revisit one crucial moment in time.

My Review:

Before We Say Goodbye is a beautifully written, heartwarming and emotional read that has stayed with me.

Firstly this was my first visit to this wonderful cafe and I loved finding out more about it as well as meeting some of the wonderful people there. The staff that work in the cafe are an interesting mix but they seem to truly care about their customers and want to help them with their problems. I found it fascinating to discover more about the rules for going back in time although it was quite poignant to realise that you would not be able to change the present by doing so.

In this book the reader follows four different people who want to try and go back in time to meet loved ones. I enjoyed the brief glimpse into their lives and learning more about what brought each of them to the cafe. Most of them want to go back to right a wrong in their past and I loved being able to follow them as they work through events that have been upsetting them. These moments were very emotional and I often found myself tearing up as I read about them working through their problems. While they can’t change the present it was lovely to see them get some closure or solutions to things, leaving them in a better place than they were before.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be reading the other books in the series soon. I found the idea behind the cafe interesting and I loved discovering more about the characters, who I had quickly grown fond of. Their stories were very heartwarming and thought provoking, packing an emotional punch despite being quite short in length. I often found I had to pause between stories as I needed to think more about everything that had happened.

This is the fourth book in the series but it can easily be read as a standalone like I have done as anything you need to know is explained.

About The Author:

Toshikazu Kawaguchi was born in Osaka, Japan, in 1971. He formerly produced, directed and wrote for the theatrical group Sonic Snail. As a playwright, his works include COUPLE, Sunset Song, and Family Time. The novel Before the coffee gets cold is adapted from a 1110 Productions play by Kawaguchi, which won the 10th Suginami Drama Festival grand prize.