Before the Coffee Gets Cold – Toshikazu Kawaguchi

In a small back alley in Tokyo lies Café Funiculi Funicula — a place where, if you follow the rules, you can travel back in time. The catch? You must return before your coffee gets cold.

Four visitors take the chance: a woman confronting the man who left her, a nurse seeking a letter from her Alzheimer's-stricken husband, a bar owner reconnecting with her estranged sister, and a mother hoping to meet the daughter she never knew. Toshikazu Kawaguchi's moving tale explores regret, reconciliation, and the fleeting nature of time.

⭐ Goodreads: 3.66/5 from 642,000+ ratings — "Beautiful, moving story — explores the age-old question of second chances."

Trending among readers who love cozy magical realism with emotional depth — perfect for fans of The Midnight Library (Matt Haig) and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (V.E. Schwab). Popular with readers drawn to the "one last chance" motif, bittersweet family reconnections, and grief-and-healing narratives.

This is Book #1 in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series — bundle with Tales from the Café (#2) and Before Your Memory Fades (#3) for the full collection.

A paperback (English translation 2019, Picador) in Very Good condition.